Hello {{first name | Friend}},
Ask for more. That is this week's message.
Last weekend, I had the privilege of joining a small handful of other exceptional people in mentoring student entrepreneurs. And the common thread of overarching life and professional advice was to ask for more.
I'll be writing about it more in my LinkedIn Women Winning newsletter, but for this newsletter, I just want to stick to the theme, asking for more, and being willing to be a little bit more.
From a young age, most women are taught to be smaller. Don't ask for too much. Don't take up too much space. Don't seem too ambitious, too loud, too much. Women are conditioned to wait until they're certain they're qualified before raising their hand, while men apply anyway. That conditioning runs deep, and unlearning it takes practice.
So here's the invitation: start small. Build the muscle.
Fem-Led News
What does it take to start over? Not perfect timing, but daily habits that build identity before income. Protect your morning, make the bold ask, and silence the inner critic, momentum comes from starting before you're ready. But this internal work is only half the story. Across centuries, when systems fail and men hesitate, women rise in fierce resistance. From India's Gulabi Gang to Queen Yaa Asantewaa in Ghana, from biblical prophetesses to modern Ugandan vigilantes, the message is the same: women act because someone must. Whether through daily discipline or collective defiance, starting over isn't the end, it's the beginning.
What I’m consuming this week.
In full transparency, I haven't been able to consume the content I'd normally hope to. I can't seem to look away from the news, especially what's unfolding in Iran and across global markets. I read a piece in The Atlantic about "The Confidence Gap," as it related to this newsletter, but that is about it.
Here are some subreddits I usually distract myself with when the world feels like it’s coming to an end:
And this one, because most news sites suck in general: r/nottheonion.
Small ways to practice asking for more, and being more:
Ask for the rate you actually want. Next time someone asks your consulting fee or salary expectations, say the number that makes you slightly nervous. Not reckless, just a beat beyond comfortable.
Take the compliment. When someone praises your work, try "Thank you, I'm really proud of it" instead of deflecting.
Ask for the upgrade, the extension, the exception. At the hotel, with your deadline, on the contract. Ask. The worst answer is no, and you're already at no.
Speak first in the meeting. Not always, not forever, just once this week. Notice what happens.
Negotiate something small. A vendor rate. A subscription renewal. A project timeline. Low stakes, high practice value.
Put your name on it. Submit the application. Pitch the idea. Send the essay. Studies show women systematically underestimate their performance relative to men, which means your hesitation is probably not data. It's conditioning.
The goal isn't to become someone who demands everything. It's to stop quietly accepting less than you deserve.
Ask for more. See what happens.
Onwards,
Raven
WORK WITH ME
👯♀️ Join the Women Startup NC community of women supporting the women-led business ecosystem in North Carolina.
🎧 Tune into the Hacking the Patriarchy podcast. *Bonus: love it? Consider leaving me a review.
📢 Subscribe to my other newsletter, Fem-Led News, where I even further amplify women's achievements through stories, strategies, and role models.
💌 Read and subscribe to my monthly LinkedIn newsletter, “Women Winning.”
👊 Become a partner and co-create bold, values-aligned campaigns that connect, convert, and make an impact.
⚡ Book a 1:1 75-minute advisory session.
☕ Fuel my work! Enjoy my content but not ready for a long-term commitment? Show your support by buying me a coffee, a simple, one-time way to keep the ideas brewing!
