Praise for The B Words
The B Words delivers an incredible blueprint to design your authentic life and become the person you are destined to be. From balance and babies to badasses and bravery, this book packs a punch about living with intention. I highly recommend this book for putting a stake in the ground about what you want out of life and aggressively pursuing your dreams.
Sharon Orlopp, Retired Global Chief Diversity Officer of Walmart
Tricia hits on all the issues that women face when navigating nontraditional roles in the workforce. Success is defined differently for everyone. The B Words is an empowering book that not only identifies the key issues facing women but provides strategies and stories that make it a practical tool. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to define success on their own terms.
Maria Guy, Senior Partner of GiANT Worldwide
Life as a woman in todays society is filled with expectations, many of which often seem unrealistic. But Tricia Kagerer is here to give readers the confidence they need to work toward self-defined success. The B Words offers thoughtful and professional guidance for women of all ages and walks of life.
Gail Warrior Suchy, Entrepreneur, Certified Health and Life Coach, and Nationally Recognized Speaker
A must-read for every male leader! Tricia Kagerer has written a book that highlights the challenges women face daily while focusing on what men and women can do together to bring about much-needed changes in the workplace. Tricia is candid about the difficult situations women experienceand rarely share. Its important that these experiences, catch-22 situations, and dilemmas are shared and discussed by men and women. When we dont know these stories, we accept the status quo, and things will never change. Put The B Words on your must-read list, and share it widely with your colleaguesespecially men.
Jeffery Tobias Halter, Corporate Gender Strategist and President, YWOMEN
The B Words is a collection of honest conversations that I wish I could have had with my younger self. They could have helped me avoid a lot of the frustration and emotional turmoil I felt during my more than twenty-year journey as an entrepreneur in the technology industry. Tricia Kagerer does a great job of addressing challenging conversations head on in an engaging way. She offers practical strategies and solutions for women navigating business careers. Furthermore, she addresses how the world is changingand needs to continue to changeto truly benefit from the value of a diverse workforce.
Adrienne Palmer, Global Business Leader, Entrepreneur, and Speaker
I wish Id had this book twenty-five years ago. As a psychologist and entrepreneur often working in male-dominated spaces, I value so much the wisdom and practical advice Tricia shares here. As women in business, we all must navigate these B words in order to excel in our careers. The B Words is a great guide not only for women just starting out but also for those who have been in business for years.
Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, Author, Keynote Speaker, SallySpencerThomas.com
2020 Tricia Kagerer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
The B Words
13 Words Every Woman Must Navigate for Success
Unless otherwise indicated, definitions of terms are taken from www.Merriam-Webster.com. Copyright 2020 by Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Brown Books Publishing Group
Dallas, TX / New York, NY
www.BrownBooks.com
(972) 381-0009
A New Era in Publishing
Publishers Cataloging-In-Publication Data
Names: Kagerer, Tricia, author.
Title: The B words : 13 words every woman must navigate for success / Tricia Kagerer.
Description: Dallas, TX ; New York, NY : Brown Books Publishing Group, [2020]
Identifiers: ISBN 9781612543307
Subjects: LCSH: Women--Employment. Career development. Sex discrimination in employment. Sex discrimination against women. Success.
Classification: LCC HD6054 .K34 2020 DDC 650.1082--dc23
eISBN 978-1-61254-482-3
LCCN 2020903856
Printed in the United States
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For more information or to contact the author, please go to www.TriciaKagerer.com.
To all the strong women who keep me grounded in my life, including Debbie Saad, Peggy Connorton, and Laura Gordon, and to my husband, Markus Kagerer.
Introduction
We are living in extremely challenging times in which both change and news are constant. The twenty-four-hour news cycle reveals unimaginable stories about successful, high-profile women enduring humiliating and degrading experiences for years. Although the industries have varied from news anchors, actors, and advertisers to farm workers and gymnasts, the stories are similar. Menoften intelligent, talented, and famous men like Matt Lauer or Harvey Weinsteintake advantage of women in a quid pro quo power play. The #MeToo movement has uncovered stories of abuse of power, sex scandals, and inequality. Social media provides the lens to focus on the desperate need for change. Where #MeToo pulled the cover back on the abuse, disparity, and power plays in the working world today, #TimesUp attempted to do something about it by creating dialogue, tools, outreach, and resources.
I am currently an executive vice president of risk management for a general contractor in Texas. Having worked in the construction industrya mans worldfor more than twenty years, I have experienced my fair share of crazy antics, biases, and comments that have left me scratching my head, wondering how I got into the industry in the first place. I have been able to create a successful career, negotiate a flexible schedule before such a thing became popular, and stay married for more than twenty-four years, with both of us working, traveling, and climbing the corporate ladder. It was not easy; it was stressful and exhilarating all at the same time. I am now at a place in my career where it is time to give back. If there is a glimpse of knowledge, encouragement, or favor that I can give to another woman who may face some of the challenges that I have, I hope to address it in this little book of Bs.
This book follows the trajectory of a womans life and career by identifying key B words that can propel her forward in creating the life she wants on her own terms. These words are challenges focused on helping you identify both what within yourself might be holding you back and external challenges, as well as strategies and best practices to help you plan your life. Be they internal or external, these challenges can blow women off course like grenades due to outdated, limiting beliefs and biases that still permeate our minds and the workplace culture of today. Identifying and exploring how to handle these real-life challenges can help you successfully navigate the minefields. We also explore living in your truth in order to form Bonds with other women, to embrace your inner Badass, and to engage men as partners to build Bridges. Your ability to make necessary changes along your journey to lay the groundwork for future woman leaders will allow you to earn the key ingredient to self-defined success: the Bravery badge. The information and stories that I have collected for this book include both secondary sources and primary sources in the form of anonymous personal interviews. The names have been changed except where noted to protect the privacy of these individuals.