Why The “Girl Boss” Mentality Isn’t Intersectional
We’ve been there. You’re scrolling on social media, watching the “girl bosses” post about their career achievements and seemingly perfect lives. It makes you wonder how you could do better, or how you can destroy barriers to achieve the same level of success.
Despite this facade of perfection, the “girl boss” mentality doesn’t encompass the experience of all women and and non-binary people of color who want to achieve meaningful goals that go outside the superficial norms of success.
Here are three reasons why pursuing the “girl boss” lifestyle isn’t intersectional:
1. It causes frustration among BIPOC women and non-binary people when working in white-dominated spaces.
Almost 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs in 2020 are still white males, while white women in 2020 made up only 6.8% of the statistic. This shows the inequality of success in businesses that are BIPOC led, which come from other sources of inequality such as education. The cycle starts with the opportunity gap between someone who is BIPOC versus someone who is white. The elite culture creates more CEOs who are white, which results to a wealth gap within BIPOC communities— specifically BIPOC women and non-binary people.
While there is a rise of CEOs who are women, these women are still part of the dominant elite, which ultimately leaves BIPOC women and and non-binary people feeling underrepresented or unrecognized— despite achieving meaningful personal goals and career milestones.
2. The “girl boss” lifestyle excludes people who experience disabilities.
“Hustle culture” and the “girl boss” mentality focuses on the able-bodied. They manufacture their public image and boast about the “24/7 grind” or non-stop social-climbing. However, for many of us, this is an unrealistic social expectation that ignores both our physical and mental needs. It alienates the different experiences of those who have a disability. Some may work long hours at the expense of their health, which is unsustainable and can lead us to burnout.
Personally, I’ve experienced the negative impact of burnout in an academic and professional setting. When deadlines start piling up, I used to ignore any physical and mental cues that tell me to rest. This situation forced me to reexamine how I set my schedule and make time for my personal relationships. Making time for your personal life and physical health can be beneficial in times of stress. If we don’t keep ourselves in check, there can be serious negative impacts of burnout. A study shows that some of these effects could be respiratory problems, gastrointestinal issues, insomnia, or other physical and mental difficulties. If you’re someone who could be prone to experiencing these, it’s best to adjust accordingly so that you can maintain your physical and mental health.
It’s important to remember: you know your capabilities and limitations best. You’re the best person to determine the pace you should take to achieve your personal and career goals. It’s time we dismantle the ableist expectation that all of us need to center our lives around work, which is often at the expense of our wellbeing.
3. The “girl boss” lifestyle reinforces capitalist behavior and unrealistic social expectations.
The “girl boss” mentality doesn’t encompass all careers and passions. Some people are happy about our little hobbies and don’t want to become executives, and that’s okay!
As we embrace different walks of life and economic backgrounds, we no longer feel the need to uphold the expectations of becoming like a white, male CEO. Successful people may tell us to use our power to rise in our career— we’re taught to network vertically and to social climb. If we reject these expectations, we can be satisfied with our passions, whether or not we choose to make money out of them.
Before I realized this, I was struggling with being satisfied with my achievements as a designer and as an artist. My passions were directed towards improving my skills to make myself “marketable.” I eventually learned that I was more than just a “brand.” While it’s important to learn new skills and improve existing ones, you’ll thank yourself for creating a meaningful experience outside of career or financial milestones.
Success is no longer determined by financial terms. We can now define it as how we overcome hurdles, experience joy, and live within a community.
While it’s important to celebrate success in your career, make sure to take the time to unwind or talk to someone you care about. Instead of pursuing to live the “girl boss” lifestyle, take the time to redefine what success looks like to you. It can be a combination of big and small tasks that don’t have to be work-related.
Minaa B, a Black therapist and podcast host for “Your Body, Your Story,” shows ways on how we can sustain our mental health and living outside the work that we do. If you take the time to adopt some self-care practices, you can create a meaningful experience that celebrates your identity and is inclusive of others.
Written by Katey Williams
