Look, I’m a woman who can hang with the bros. I can tell dirty jokes and swear like a sailor. I can dish out dating advice and tell you when to swipe left or right. I can hang at the bar and drink bourbon and buy the next round.
Depending on what you need, I’ll be the “mom,” the “work wife,” or the “salty old broad.”
But no matter how hard I try, I’ll never be part of the “bro culture” or the “old boys’” club because I don’t have the right equipment to join. I’ll never slip past the gates or infiltrate the ranks.
And I don’t want to. Because I have no desire to ever become a bro.
That can be a problem if you’re a female freelancer, creative, or entrepreneur.
Because bros and “old boys” take care of their own. They network, mentor, and promote other bros and old boys.
- It’s why male CEOs still outnumber female CEOs by a whopping 17 to one, and more than half of all companies do not have a single female executive officer. Not one.
- It’s why male founders receive 86% of venture capital funding while female founders receive less than 3%.
- It’s why men worldwide are 25% more likely to start a new business and about 33% more likely to own an established business.
- It’s why men get promoted more and paid more for the exact same job.