Saying No

"Bummer you're married." That was the last line of an email I recently got after sending a consulting proposal. A business owner reached out looking for operational help. We met a few days later, spent about an hour talking through the business, and agreed I'd send over a proposal. An hour after I sent it, he replied that he was going in a different direction. Then came the last line: "Bummer you're married." That one sentence reframed the entire interaction. I definitely dodged a bullet. But it's disappointing that women still have to wonder whether a business meeting is actually...a business meeting. I debated posting this. But if enough women have stories like this (and we do) pretending it doesn't happen isn't helping anyone. Onward and upward. …more