I'm turning 61 in June.
I say that not to make a big deal of it, but because I think it matters for what I'm about to share. At this point in my life, I've worked hard, I've started over more than once, and I've had my fair share of moments where I wondered whether the people around me actually believed in what I was building.
And then I looked up.
I looked up and I noticed something. The people who had been quietly, consistently, loudly showing up for me were women. The ones sending opportunities my way, cheering me on without being asked, making me feel like what I do genuinely matters.
Shannon never hesitates to send work my way. She doesn't wait for me to ask. She's constantly thinking of ways to help me grow, and she does it like it's the most natural thing in the world.
When I reached out to ask if I could reference two clients that came through working with her, her response was immediate.
"A hundred thousand percent yes. I'm your biggest cheerleader."
I've read that email more than once on days when I needed to hear it.
Both of them made me feel more valued than I have felt in a very long time. Not because of what they said, exactly, but because of how they showed up. With trust. With enthusiasm. With a kind of warmth that you can't manufacture.
Lori referred me to a client that I have now served for over a year. Because of that one referral, I have a steady, reliable income stream every single month. She didn't just cheer for me from the sidelines. She opened a door that changed things for me in a real and tangible way. That is what women supporting women looks like in action.
Carole shows up for me in a way that is hard to put into words but easy to feel. She is nonjudgmental. She believes in me. She encourages me without an agenda. In a world where that is rarer than it should be, I don't take it lightly.
At almost 61, I am feeling more seen in my work than I think I ever have. And I want to sit with that for a second, because I don't think that's a coincidence.
I think women, when we choose to, show up for each other in a specific way. We see the effort behind the work. We understand what it costs to put yourself out there. We know what it feels like to be overlooked, so we make a point not to overlook each other.
I built Your Creative Perk for women who feel overwhelmed and underestimated, because I know that feeling personally. But what I didn't expect was how much the women I work with would pour back into me.
So this is my reminder, to myself and to anyone reading this, to keep showing up.
Refer her.
Share her work.
Send the encouraging email.
Tell her she's your biggest cheerleader,
because she might need to hear it more than you know.
We are so much more powerful when we do this for each other.