What Being Raised By a Badass Woman Did For Me

Hi loves! I’m sure as many of you know, it's International Women’s Day. Here at Intoxicated Cosmetics, girl power is one of our core values. We are a female-run company that wouldn’t be able to function without the baddest of baddies, Rachel Sommers. On top of that, the whole team is female. We love to lift each other up, bounce ideas off of each other, and most importantly, have fun together. I’m seriously convinced that female-owned & operated businesses bring a whole new level of collaboration and innovation to the table. Maybe I’m just saying that because I currently work at one, but the idea of girl power has always been a driving force in my life. Why, you ask? I was raised by a badass woman. 

Now I’m not saying that you need a strong female figure in your life to become a strong female, but my mother most definitely helped shape me into the person I’ve become. 

I was raised in a small, rich, white, suburban town. In elementary school, everyone was picked up by their moms and got to go home and spend more time with their moms. To those moms out there that decided to stay home and raise their kids - you guys are amazing. I can’t imagine the benefits your children reaped from this. However, my mom was always working. She immigrated from India at 26 with $200 in her pockets (she never lets us forget that one). She usually wasn’t around to take me to soccer practice or bring me to playdates. She came home at 6:30pm every day, managed to still be a great mother, and work her way up in the world. 

This world isn’t very kind to women, let alone non-wealthy women of color. The perseverance, dedication, and strength my mother showed to work her way up is astronomical. As a child, I resented her for deciding to be a working mom. She was, and still is, the bitchiest woman, but in the MOST AMAZING way (by the way, I think it’s important that we take back the word “bitch” and make it empowering! Ex: “I love you, bitches!”). She most definitely wasn’t a dolled up, polite, suburban mom. As much as I tried to change her into one, she never caved. She persisted and persisted and persisted until she became Senior Vice President of a huge company. When I look back on it, I wouldn’t change a thing about the way I was raised. I was taught to be independent at a young age. As I got a little older, I began to admire my mom for the sacrifices she made for us. This is when I began to discover the magic and power behind being a woman. As I continued to grow up, I took what my mother taught me into the real world. 

On top of having this lovely lady in my life, I have my older sister. She’s almost seven years older than me. When my mom wasn’t around, she was. I was ALWAYS surrounded by females. My sister is one of the smartest people I know. It honestly kind of pisses me off how someone can be that smart. She has the most amazing heart, and is on the path to becoming an insanely successful woman. 

There are three lessons I learned from watching her and my mom:

1. You don’t need a man to be something.

BTW, I do have a father present in my life. An amazing one at that, but this isn’t about him. My mother’s accomplishments aren’t directly linked to him.

2. Be the best person you can be. People will find a way to knock you down no matter what, but it’s how you see yourself that matters.

3. Never stop trying. Envision your future and make it happen. 

Now, I know these days, the word “feminism” has many negative connotations behind it. I don’t think it deserves that. Being surrounded by powerful women in turn has the ability to make you a powerful woman. There is no shame in wanting to be strong. If we’re not there for each other, who’s going to teach our kids that women are beautiful, resilient, and powerful? With a mindset that women can do anything and be anyone, one day it won’t be a pipe dream that we’re all equal, but a reality.