Choosing to Prosper

CHAPTER 10Proudly Black, Female, and Successful

You work hard. Acknowledge yourself and celebrate your successes.

The path of my life has led me to this place, right here, where I can describe myself as proudly black, female, and successful. All of my experiences, whether good or bad, have made me the woman I am today. Over the years, I've built up my confidence, defined who I am as a woman, gotten clear on my purpose, and chosen to prosper…on my own terms—and it's been quite the journey.

Does it sound arrogant of me to describe myself as proudly black, female, and successful? In my opinion, no. Not at all. I've worked my butt off to get here. It's been hard work, sweat, and tears, so I'm giving myself my own roses, and I encourage you to do the same. You deserve all the bouquets, and you don't need to wait for anyone to hand them to you.

There was, however, a time when I thought talking about success and achievements was equivalent to being arrogant and bragging. In fact, when I first started Clever Girl Finance, I described myself as self‐employed, and that was it. When it came time to update the LinkedIn profile I set up for myself as a business owner, I was not entirely comfortable using the words CEO or founder. Looking back, I think it was part imposter syndrome and part feeling like those titles were reserved for other people, not women like me.

Yes, sometimes talking about success and achievements—depending on the motivations of the person speaking and how they come ...