Empowering Sisterhood
Women of the Tweed Uniting for Business Success
Words + Photography Esther Siebel
I recently finished watching the 7th and final season of Workin Moms on Netflix. It takes the perspective that as women and as mothers, we can do it all, in parity with our male counterparts. But as we get into it on a much more personal level, we see the real challenges faced when taking on such a task. I hear a cohort of unanimous “nah, duhs”. Any sane person will tell you it’s a load, and while I personally don’t know what that in fact feels like, I am surrounded by incredible women who tackle this head on daily and am ridiculously proud to A. be a woman, and B. know these women and the hoops they have jumped through to get to where they are.
What I have come to discover is that life is all about balance: whether you are a full-time stay at home mum, or a working mum, or a bad ass boss woman and sole business owner, you slay. But in order to be the best version of yourself it’s imperative to respect the fact that you have a life outside of what you do. What’s more important is who you are. It’s about finding the right recipe in order to prioritise and understand your why behind it.
That’s where the sisterhood of business comes in. While I am not a working mum, I am a single woman who works for herself, and I understand how isolating that can feel at times. It is a feeling that no one else seems to really get. But as women, it’s super empowering when we decide to challenge and fight back against the toxic culture of comparisons and competition in order to get ahead. Instead, I’m witnessing and admiring women of the Tweed taking the approach of backing each other: supporting one another and being the cheer squad in each other’s corner. There’s something to be said about the effectiveness of women spurring other women in business and what that could mean for small business owners on a whole.
I took a deep dive into the subject with entrepreneur and mamma of 3, Lauren Barlow of Peach Road. Peach Road was initially intended as an online platform for women to be supported by women in the business space and has evolved into gift card production specifically for services offered by female owned and run businesses. While the vision may have pivoted from service to product, the heart behind it remains the same: to see the flourishing and success of women in business.
The tapestry of human connection is that we all desire to have that sense of belonging and being a part of something. Lauren made the point that, “who we are as people is formed by the interplay of a plethora of things, people, places, experiences, and circumstances. There are so many factors which may determine how we thrive or operate, as well as the trajectory of how we achieve our goals. I think it’s important to understand that there is not one way to succeed. Success can take many forms, and I think as women it’s paramount that we let loose the bondage that we’ve been held hostage by for so long “to do it perfectly and to do it a certain way”.
In this year ahead and as we move forward, I want women in business to know that they can be brave and bold. That they don’t need to hide behind their brand, but that they can put their face to it. That people actually want to see their true selves because it’s relatable and it’s empowering for others to step outside of the comfortable and the false senses of security. I want women in business to check in on their nervous systems. Grow and develop compassion and grace for yourself with where you are. There is no ‘one way works for all’ and there is no pressure of how long it takes you to get to where you want to be. Find the pace that benefits you and sends you forth in the direction you’ve set. Allow yourself to surrender to rest and shed the things which birth anxious thoughts and fears. Your peace is worth protecting. Take the steps you need to develop this within yourself, whether it be through prayer, community, exercise, or journaling; find the thing that meets your need. Lauren drew from her own experience, identifying how much she appreciated and did not take for granted the support of her husband and how that has helped in a myriad of ways.
This is a conversation that demands to be heard and I’m so encouraged to see women stepping up to carry this mantle. I’m excited for a new uprising. It’s time to make our own rules. Society does not get to dictate to us who we are to be as mothers and women in business. Instead, I envision a sisterhood of sorts. Women hand in hand, setting the standard of championing one another and also ourselves. What we march out today will be paving a way for our daughters and their daughters and that is something to applaud. I am so encouraged to see women in business thrive and blossom. Business shouldn’t be a race, but a journey and a marathon, and should be a joy to share in. Let’s change the game!
Writer, photographer, and wild flower; I’m Esther, sole business owner of Ends of the Earth Imagery. Currently residing in Murwillumbah, NSW, but always finding both adventure and solitude in my travels and endeavours. I love working with loved up couples, intimate elopement festivities, sustainable brands & small businesses, close-knit families, & anyone with a story to share. Find me at @endsoftheearthimagery on socials or on my website:https://endsoftheearthimagery.mypixieset.com
Women as a collective and a sisterhood, building the circle of encouragement and support for one another.
Top: Left to right: Lauren S., Annette B., Lauren B. (business owner of Peach Road), Abigail S., Megan V. H., and Emma D., hand in hand, changing the culture of women in business.
