How to Be a Woman in a Male-Dominated Industry

I’m going to make a statement that some of you won’t agree with: 𝐌𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥. This is a beautiful truth, not a negative one. We have different opinions, strengths, and ways of thinking: this fact can’t be disputed. 

For nearly a century, women’s rights have been alive in the US. So why do so many women still feel inferior in business? I never have. 

I’m a woman who made a career in an insanely male-dominated niche: I work in e-commerce. Specifically, I’m a consultant for Amazon sellers. I solve problems for sellers when they have an account issue. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗿 – a mediator, a voice of reason, or a black cloud.

The Amazon space is very niche. The path that led me here was not smooth. Everyone who operates in this arena has a story for how they got here: we didn’t grow up wanting to be Amazon experts. For some reason, this niche is almost ALL men.

They aren’t your average brokers or tech bro’s – Amazon sellers are gritty, unapologetic, straight-shooters who love loopholes, gray areas & chaos. I thrive within this crowd because I am the same. 

I work with serious sellers with big profits & bigger egos. Most of the time, I have to deliver bad news. Intimidation may be a natural reaction, but I have no problem saying “You screwed up & you’re being penalized. Here’s what I can do to fix it, and here’s what can’t be done so don’t ask. You’ll pay for the value of my help, not the amount of time it takes me.” 

I’ve never once considered the fact that I was the only woman in the room. My clients didn’t, either: none of them thought twice about it when their account was suspended.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒. One stereotype about women is that we talk too much & say too little. I had an embroidered pillow when I was a kid with the quote: 𝘈𝘊𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘚 𝘚𝘗𝘌𝘈𝘒 𝘓𝘖𝘜𝘋𝘌𝘙 𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘕 𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘋𝘚.. 20 years later, it’s still true. If I tell a client my plan & get pushback, I just say, let me try it. 99% of the time I’m right. 

𝐁𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃. As a woman, I’ve had the bar set higher for me. That’s fine. I set the bar way higher for myself than anyone ever could. I’ve developed a profound mastery of how my industry works, allowing me to command the level of respect I do.

𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. As a woman, I already stand out. Never use your femininity to drive attention. I demand the right kind of attention based on my ability to get a job done: nothing more, nothing less. 

𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂. I’m confident, but sometimes I’m wrong. You’ll never see me making excuses. I’m brutally authentic in every fiber of my professional being. 

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝. As women, we have an innate ability to connect and empathize, which are invaluable to any business.