“I made it for the girl who worked her ass off to build a life she’s proud of...”

Last week a guy I know from a networking group said to me, “Is that your car? Does your dad pay for it?”

And as I listened to him say those words, I felt a few things. I was offended that he thought it was acceptable to ask a 35 year old woman that question. I was irritated knowing he wouldn’t have said it to a man. And yet I was also uncomfortable because even though I pay for my car, my apartment, and all of my other bills, I felt deflated knowing this wasn’t the first comment from a guy in this group questioning how I’m paying for my lifestyle and at this point, it likely wasn’t about the be the last …

And as I processed that comment throughout the day, I realized I had to make a decision and it would likely be an uncomfortable one. Because I believe that when I give a group or a person my money for a product or a service, it represents my vote of confidence in who they are and what they represent.

And so I chose to walk away from something I had invested time, energy, and money into because I felt like I could no longer contribute to it. And here’s the thing, some people I spoke to were incredibly understanding of the decision I made to go in a different direction and supportive of however I wanted to go about it. And a prominent member of the group chose to question my mental toughness and give me a lesson on how to be successful in business. 

And at the end of the day, I didn’t make my decision for any of these people. I made it for the girl who worked her ass off to build a life she’s proud of and who refuses to shrink just so someone else can feel comfortable about the car she drives, the place she lives, and the lifestyle she’s created…