moving the needle: claire wasserman, founder of ladies get paid
claire wasserman is founder of ladies get paid, a platform community and development organization with the sole mission to help women advocate for themselves. since launching in the summer of 2016, ladies get paid has grown to more than 45,000 women from all 50 states and more than 50 countries. off the heels of success from their first conference held in brooklyn in october 2017, the organization continues to host online and offline events and workshops that provides resources to put women ahead of in the workplace alongside a strong support system.
the void: what was your biggest fear starting on your path and how did you overcome it?
claire wasserman: when it comes to professional choices, i'm sort of missing the fear gene. the way i evaluate career risks is if you might regret not doing it, you should definitely do it! it's never how much money you make, it's how much you spend. and since i don't have a family to take care of, health issues, or student debt (paid that off, woohoo!), now is the time to take risks.
the void: failures happen. what made you pick yourself up and believe in yourself when it felt impossible?
claire: i don't believe in failures, i believe in learning experiences. that being said, it takes some time to get that perspective because when you're in the middle of a "failure", it can hurt like hell. honestly, the best way i've been able to pick myself up is to surround myself with supportive people who can give wise counsel and to have a really good therapist. i also usually throw myself into the next project.
the void: what's was the point in your journey where you said "f*ck it, i'm just going to do it" and took the risk?
claire: "f*ck it, i'm just going to do it" is pretty much how i live my life - both personally and professionally. not to sound morbid but i think about death a lot. i could be hit by a bus tomorrow so why wait to do something that you have the instinct to do? nothing can't be undone (except maybe having children), so why not just go for it? that being said, i'm always strategic. i would never quit my job to start a company that doesn't have a business model or a roadmap to making money. at the very least, what you do should build skills, connections, and life experiences that you can use towards whatever your next career adventure is.
make sure to follow @ladiesgetpaid and click here to become a member and stay up to date on their upcoming workshops and events.