LADIES GET PAID
Guest blogger for Ladies Get Paid, a career, salary negotiation, and professional development network for women.
LESLIE KNOPE WOULD'VE BEEN PROUD OF MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER
Marguerite C. Brousseau Johnson is one of my lady heroes. Trailblazer and general badass, back in the 1950s Marguerite was the only woman in the nation at the time to control all the safety operations of Dearborn, Michigan, which ranked among the safest in the nation. Her official title, Director of Public Safety in Dearborn, meant she supervised the police, fire, and communications departments of Michigan’s then fourth largest city. In her own words “I’m sort of a go-between for the mayor, the city council, the police, fire, and communications departments. But I’m not a gun-toting policewoman.” In the words of the then Mayor “Mrs. Johnson was the ideal type of public servant—able and with unusual drive and enthusiasm for public service. She had her heart and soul wrapped up in Dearborn.” Leslie Knope would’ve had a framed photo of Marguerite in her office if she knew about her. I know about her because she’s my great grandmother.
All through her public career she was known as a “battler”. Marguerite held a prominent and decisive role in Dearborn political affairs in which she was a “colorful and controversial figure.” In 1936, she led the movement which created the women’s division of the police department. In 1946, she was appointed the first woman member of the City Recreation Commission. During World War II, Marguerite worked with servicemen’s organizations and was a leader in the campaign to establish the Dearborn Veterans Bureau. She was the first woman elected to the City Council in 1947, re-elected in 1949 and was selected by her colleagues as President for 1950 and 1951. She was part of a group known around Dearborn as the Big Four (Councilman Joseph M. Ford, Councilman Martin C.Griffith, Councilman George W. Bondie and Councilwoman Marguerite C. Johnson) which helped shape Dearborn into one of the best cities in the country to live in at the time. Marguerite was head of the Dearborn police and fire departments from 1952 up until her passing in 1959 at the age of 57 due to lung cancer.
Marguerite was an innovative and singular individual as Director of Public Safety and attracted “world-wide attention for her woman’s approach to a field dominated by men”. She for used German shepherd police dogs for police work and was famous for painting police cars with “Easter egg colors”. (Flair!) Among her accomplishments as safety director were the replacement of police horses by steel and glass traffic control towers, the mugging of suspects on colored movie film, and completion of plans for a new police-fire-communications headquarters built in the Civic Center. (Creativity!) She also banned Dearborn police and fire field days because she said merchants were being shaken down for tickets and donations. (Fought corruption!)
What I Learned
It’s both humbling and emboldening to know that such fierce drive is in my DNA but a bit disheartening that even these days there are challenges to achieving prominence or power among female leaders. Once when asked why there weren’t more women in her field, Marguerite said “Maybe there aren’t more women in this type of business because it is hard on their husbands. That’s my only regret about this job. I’m convinced a woman’s place is in the home but I only get to spend about eight hours a day there, and sometimes it is even less.”
What’s genius about this comment is the lack of judgement. She didn’t blame or disparage women for lack of ambition or capability or for staying at home but because it was “hard on their husbands”. She knew social expectation of women and of her role personally and professionally. I love the boss lady turn-around answer where she basically says “I’m convinced women should be at home but I have so much work to do I don’t get to! I wish I could! Sorry!” She knew the status quo and graciously side-stepped the commentary and opinions and went about doing what she loved.
In Short
Be a battler. Be colorful and controversial. Paint things Easter egg colors. Call the shots. Pave the way to help other women.
All through her public career she was known as a “battler”. Marguerite held a prominent and decisive role in Dearborn political affairs in which she was a “colorful and controversial figure.” In 1936, she led the movement which created the women’s division of the police department. In 1946, she was appointed the first woman member of the City Recreation Commission. During World War II, Marguerite worked with servicemen’s organizations and was a leader in the campaign to establish the Dearborn Veterans Bureau. She was the first woman elected to the City Council in 1947, re-elected in 1949 and was selected by her colleagues as President for 1950 and 1951. She was part of a group known around Dearborn as the Big Four (Councilman Joseph M. Ford, Councilman Martin C.Griffith, Councilman George W. Bondie and Councilwoman Marguerite C. Johnson) which helped shape Dearborn into one of the best cities in the country to live in at the time. Marguerite was head of the Dearborn police and fire departments from 1952 up until her passing in 1959 at the age of 57 due to lung cancer.
Marguerite was an innovative and singular individual as Director of Public Safety and attracted “world-wide attention for her woman’s approach to a field dominated by men”. She for used German shepherd police dogs for police work and was famous for painting police cars with “Easter egg colors”. (Flair!) Among her accomplishments as safety director were the replacement of police horses by steel and glass traffic control towers, the mugging of suspects on colored movie film, and completion of plans for a new police-fire-communications headquarters built in the Civic Center. (Creativity!) She also banned Dearborn police and fire field days because she said merchants were being shaken down for tickets and donations. (Fought corruption!)
What I Learned
It’s both humbling and emboldening to know that such fierce drive is in my DNA but a bit disheartening that even these days there are challenges to achieving prominence or power among female leaders. Once when asked why there weren’t more women in her field, Marguerite said “Maybe there aren’t more women in this type of business because it is hard on their husbands. That’s my only regret about this job. I’m convinced a woman’s place is in the home but I only get to spend about eight hours a day there, and sometimes it is even less.”
What’s genius about this comment is the lack of judgement. She didn’t blame or disparage women for lack of ambition or capability or for staying at home but because it was “hard on their husbands”. She knew social expectation of women and of her role personally and professionally. I love the boss lady turn-around answer where she basically says “I’m convinced women should be at home but I have so much work to do I don’t get to! I wish I could! Sorry!” She knew the status quo and graciously side-stepped the commentary and opinions and went about doing what she loved.
In Short
Be a battler. Be colorful and controversial. Paint things Easter egg colors. Call the shots. Pave the way to help other women.
DON’T TAKE THE BILLIONAIRE BONUS
The Story
A couple years ago when I was working at a luxury fashion brand, I received a LinkedIn message from the head of staff for a certain businessman seeking a personal stylist/wardrobe manager and would I be willing to come in for an interview. I might have passed on this had I not recognized his name, he was a client at my previous high end retail job. He is a billionaire and he is notorious. Not in the sexy Christian Grey or Mr. Big way. There was never any direct contact with him, his assistant would request items for consignment and his driver would pick up and return whatever he did/did not want (return policies be damned). Typical billionaire stuff. He was also notorious for other things, like being exacting and having a temper. Nonetheless, I was intrigued. I’m tough and if I did well it could become an opportunity for me to focus on one client and a good experience for a next move. This could be a big deal.
What I Learned
Be prepared to meet with an exacting tough billionaire. Listen, even though you work in luxury and live in NYC, there are always new impressive things you aren’t fully prepared for! Here’s what “Be prepared” means in this case:
Know your value and show your value
Remember this because when you interview with the Head of Staff in the bonkers gorgeous art filled townhouse office, you won’t be thrown off, you’re ready. Being sought after made it easier to mentally chill out. A mentality I’d suggest adopting in all interviews– show desire for the job but don’t sweat them! Tell of all the ways you are excellent and wonderful in your work. You belong there. Demonstrate you value and be a delight. However, don’t let that stop you from preparing a bunch of probing exacting questions to show them you’re an expert who knows what is required in this job and they need you. Once you are valuable and they like you there’s a better chance you can later negotiate your role and salary.
Be ready to negotiate
Even though this is the first interview, the minute you walk in, be ready to be asked about money. Before you show up to the interview, start with calculating your worth how much you are worth. Find out how much someone in this new role is worth, what they get paid, how many hours per week, and role expectations. Understand the definitions of the role. What they are asking you to do versus what will be done. Ready to negotiate means you have researched the role and the salary and you have negotiation tactics.
You’ll need it when the Director of Creative comes in to “bad cop” interview you and asks blank faced and repeatedly for your range, you give no number and repeat yourself “I consider my salary fully negotiable based on the requirements of the position and the other benefits available." Write this down in your notes beforehand so you can stare at it if need be. That way when they start at $30K less than what you are making and $40K below what the position should pay you can hit them with “That’s a place to start.” BUT...
Don’t Budge
Even when you are called in again to meet the billionaire businessman and he loves your style and is excited about you. Don’t accept what seems good or be pressured into what you don’t want. Ask when they needed to know by and then give yourself time to evaluate. Even when days later they up the salary offer $20K and said they would tack on a $20K signing bonus? Sounds right, no? NO! Bonuses are nice but they are not salary. Base salary is queen. A bonus this year does not roll over to the next year, which means you have cut your salary. Before I got back to them by end-of-day, the Head of Staff called an hour later, another candidate accepted their initial offer. That was that.
This is a negotiation success story. By asking for what I wanted, I avoided what I didn’t want. Which would be to leave a solid job for the promise of a better job that locked me into a contract to a boss who doesn’t value my work and yells at me daily. (The candidate who accepted the initial offer left the position two months later. Cough! Cough!)
In Short
A key to getting what you want also means not taking what is wrong for you.
A couple years ago when I was working at a luxury fashion brand, I received a LinkedIn message from the head of staff for a certain businessman seeking a personal stylist/wardrobe manager and would I be willing to come in for an interview. I might have passed on this had I not recognized his name, he was a client at my previous high end retail job. He is a billionaire and he is notorious. Not in the sexy Christian Grey or Mr. Big way. There was never any direct contact with him, his assistant would request items for consignment and his driver would pick up and return whatever he did/did not want (return policies be damned). Typical billionaire stuff. He was also notorious for other things, like being exacting and having a temper. Nonetheless, I was intrigued. I’m tough and if I did well it could become an opportunity for me to focus on one client and a good experience for a next move. This could be a big deal.
What I Learned
Be prepared to meet with an exacting tough billionaire. Listen, even though you work in luxury and live in NYC, there are always new impressive things you aren’t fully prepared for! Here’s what “Be prepared” means in this case:
Know your value and show your value
Remember this because when you interview with the Head of Staff in the bonkers gorgeous art filled townhouse office, you won’t be thrown off, you’re ready. Being sought after made it easier to mentally chill out. A mentality I’d suggest adopting in all interviews– show desire for the job but don’t sweat them! Tell of all the ways you are excellent and wonderful in your work. You belong there. Demonstrate you value and be a delight. However, don’t let that stop you from preparing a bunch of probing exacting questions to show them you’re an expert who knows what is required in this job and they need you. Once you are valuable and they like you there’s a better chance you can later negotiate your role and salary.
Be ready to negotiate
Even though this is the first interview, the minute you walk in, be ready to be asked about money. Before you show up to the interview, start with calculating your worth how much you are worth. Find out how much someone in this new role is worth, what they get paid, how many hours per week, and role expectations. Understand the definitions of the role. What they are asking you to do versus what will be done. Ready to negotiate means you have researched the role and the salary and you have negotiation tactics.
You’ll need it when the Director of Creative comes in to “bad cop” interview you and asks blank faced and repeatedly for your range, you give no number and repeat yourself “I consider my salary fully negotiable based on the requirements of the position and the other benefits available." Write this down in your notes beforehand so you can stare at it if need be. That way when they start at $30K less than what you are making and $40K below what the position should pay you can hit them with “That’s a place to start.” BUT...
Don’t Budge
Even when you are called in again to meet the billionaire businessman and he loves your style and is excited about you. Don’t accept what seems good or be pressured into what you don’t want. Ask when they needed to know by and then give yourself time to evaluate. Even when days later they up the salary offer $20K and said they would tack on a $20K signing bonus? Sounds right, no? NO! Bonuses are nice but they are not salary. Base salary is queen. A bonus this year does not roll over to the next year, which means you have cut your salary. Before I got back to them by end-of-day, the Head of Staff called an hour later, another candidate accepted their initial offer. That was that.
This is a negotiation success story. By asking for what I wanted, I avoided what I didn’t want. Which would be to leave a solid job for the promise of a better job that locked me into a contract to a boss who doesn’t value my work and yells at me daily. (The candidate who accepted the initial offer left the position two months later. Cough! Cough!)
In Short
A key to getting what you want also means not taking what is wrong for you.