Women In Tech at General Assembly

The Women In Tech breakfast at Ponce City Market was full of killer nuggets in a million ways. It turned me onto Medium which is my new go to App for Tech and business news. It also opened my eyes to some of the different accelerator and incubator happenings in Atlanta like TechSquare.co and Switchyards (late to this party). It was filled mostly with the youngries (young and hungry) women trying to navigate their way in the tech landscape. This ain't my first pixelated rodeo and I felt I had a few insights to share. None the less I sat quietly and compiled my app for my desperate client...kidding.

Alot of women talked about being offended at work and while there were great insights to be had I felt I have survived, if not thrived by not deploying the most often strategies given. Often women are told to tell everyone how they feel. Wow, I have tried my best to do everything but this! Actually, the very first thing I say to any all male team is "You can't offend me with anything you say." mostly it's true at least not enough to have me kick up a crying firestorm. I don't want to not be hired because they will be uncomfortable or feel they have to tip toe around me besides I like the banter to be fun and not all buttoned up and hello... I want the gig! When a boss asked me to share a hotel room to save the company money a simple emphatic NO worked wonders. I kept my job, got more responsibility, kept my mouth shut and stayed on the career track not the lawsuit track that I had zero interest in. There are alot of ways to train a dog...speak to it in it's language. Don't give it a treat! I personally don't think anyone cares about my feelings at work, we are there to accomplish goals and feelings can frankly be a time sink. Another thing I have learned is a guy who is a jerk to women is generally just a jerk... period. This is true of most jerks of either gender. it's usually not about you, stay focused on the task at hand. Definitely, being a women in tech takes extraordinary patience, it has its own culture and it's not changing over night. I would look at it like visiting another country. If you go to Africa, Italy or France and they don't act how you like you don't start crying because someone kissed you on the cheek twice and got in your American space and call a discussion because your feelings were hurt. Of course not! They are just cultural differences you don't take too much to heart. You get on with your trip and enjoy the great food, the sites etc. as your not going to let a few ruffled feathers get in your way. Ditto with tech, the lack of social rules make it a fast paced, creative, wild west space. Of course, if anyone ever touches or threatens you absolutely call in the sheriff!!!

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