…curious?
What is the Curse of the Competent Woman® (COCW)?
As you might imagine, that's a question we get asked all the time. Our first answer is typically to turn the question back to the person asking it. So...what do you imagine 'the curse' might be?
Although there are common themes, how the COCW shows up is unique for each of us. Not unlike our fingerprints, we each have our own patterns.
What some women say about the curse of the competent woman®
We partner with 'competently cursed' women in their growth and development as leaders...helping them continue to change the world for the better
Coaching ~ Community ~ Training
Sherryl Christie
Yvonne Adagala
And Why Now?
It goes without saying that these are tumultuous times. Many of us are feeling more stretched than ever before, in all aspects of our lives...our relationships, our work, our overall health and well-being.
And although that stretching provides some forced clarity about how we will (and will not) spend our time, energy, and money, it is not an enjoyable or sustainable way to live.
Add to that mix, women are typically the glue that holds together families, teams, and communities. So supporting women supports nations.
Right now we have powerful examples of highly visible women in leadership around the world, more than ever before--championing safety for all people, paving the way for marginalized populations, strengthening economies.
So now is the time!
"If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation."
(James Emman Aggrey, Ghanaian scholar, 1920's)
Does this mean we value women more than men?
Not at all. This is not about male-bashing. We need each other. This is about supporting the women in our lives. Together we can all thrive!
Want to Join Us?
If an exploration into the curse of the competent woman® (COCW) sounds intriguing to you, there are several ways to do so with us—
- Complete one of the surveys (mentioned below)
- Engage with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and/or Instagram
- Receive our somewhat monthly Executive Reflections emails/newsletters
- Sign up to be part of the Billion Person Project —regardless of gender you can carry this work forward to help make the world a better place
- Join the The Heroine’s Journey: evolving The Curse of the Competent Woman® membership community
- …or just let us know that you want to hear about news and updates
We invite you to complete a survey as one way to learn more, to dive a little deeper...
- If you are a woman who may have "the curse"
- If you are a man, or someone who lives and/or works with a woman you believe has "the curse"
This truly is a journey, a life-long journey…and no one needs to go alone.
We’d love to have you along the path with us!
Drive to be Perfect
“The consistent drive to be perfect and live to standards that aren’t always authentic to me...”
Read More
Everything to Everyone
"Trying to be everything to everyone and losing yourself in the process…”
Read MoreNot Realize Impact
“Not understanding the impact of competency. Thinking that my satisfaction from success is isolated from others …”
Read More
The Heroine's Journey: evolving the curse of the competent woman®
A membership opportunity ... because you are the heroine of your adventure. Let's go together!
Seasons are changing as endings are making way for new beginnings. Lately the evenings have taken on a chill that reminds you Fall is just around the corner.
As you get closer to your destination, you close your eyes for a moment taking a deep breath in...and hold it..
The driver behind you honks; a plea to get you moving again. You exhale as you open your eyes and continue your journey. You’re almost there.
Turning off the road and finally pulling into the driveway, you park and get your bags out of the car, sending out a boatload of gratitude for the friends who offered this home for your solo getaway.
You set your bags down by your feet and finger through your keys to find the one that will let you through the front door and into what will be your home for the next several days. After unpacking and getting to know the “layout of the house”, you treat yourself to a tall, cool drink and settle into the comfortable pillows on the couch. Taking a sip of your drink, letting everything that has been weighing on you fall off your shoulders, you lean further back into the couch...and exhale…
Yvonne & Sherryl
A knock at the door makes you sit up in surprise. Did you hear right? The knock coming a second time confirms it wasn’t your imagination. No one knows you’re here, except your friends, and they had sworn not to tell anyone where you were. Another knock comes ringing through the silence and you get up and walk to the door.
You take a deep breath as you press down on the door handle and pull it open. Thankful for the well-lit entryway, you look at the person standing there.
“Hello,” they say as they greet you by name. You don’t recognize them yet feel oddly comfortable; there’s a familiarity about them. “How do you know my name? And why are you here?” you ask as you let them into the home. You notice the suitcase they have is identical to yours. Who is this?
As if they heard the silent question you just asked, the response you get surprises you. It doesn’t sound plausible yet feels oddly true.
“You called me. You asked for me. You said you needed me. I am here.”
This is a knock at the door... we invite you to join us for your next evolution.
For some, this variation of getting and answering the knock at the door, is the gentle invitation. For others, the knock shows up as an uninvited push or pull. Nonetheless, the sense that you’ve stepped into a stage of a journey is undeniable. You have been drawn into the Heroine’s Journey, one of the infinite life loops in the growth arc of your life.
Together, let’s enter the Heroine’s Journey, through the gateway of the Curse of The Competent Woman®. A few questions we’ll consider along the way...
- What or who is knocking on the door, and to what are you being called?
- How will we change to continue to evolve into the people and leaders the world needs us to be now?
- What support do I most want or need to enable that change? What support will I provide to enable that in others?
The Billion Person Project
“One of the greatest things you can do to help others isn’t just to share and give what you have, but to help them discover what they have within themselves to help others.” ~Rita Zahara, Indonesian Entrepreneur
All that revolves around, within and emerges from the Curse of the Competent Woman® and the Heroine’s Journey is about more than improving the life of the one on the journey. It’s also about embracing the new version of ourselves to positively impact the lives of those around us.
How many lives can this community touch and bring along with us, on their own journeys? One? One hundred? One hundred thousand? One million? We believe the community we are inviting you to be a part of building can, over the current decade, positively touch and impact the lives of one billion people worldwide. One Billion! Just think about the ripple effect this impact will have on current and future generations!
Would you like to be a part of this? What are your ideas on how we can all do this together? Here [link] is where to get started. We’re beyond thrilled to be doing this together with you!
Wait, you are thrilled about the prospect of touching One Billion lives though not ready to join in yet? Ah, that’s alright, we’ll be here when you’re able to.
In the meantime, please share this heart intriguing endeavour [CTA: sign up] with others you know.
