Keep paving the road…

Last night, I was invited to play pickleball by a colleague. As I walked into the new facility, I was greeted by the nicest woman in the world—so kind, so excited to show me her new business. She looked at me and said, “Oh, I wanted to meet you!”

I laughed and asked, “Oh, okay, how come?”

Her reply? “You’re the only woman signed up for that group.”

Me. In a group of 11 men.

She smiled and added, “I hope to be at your level one day. I’m just so happy there’s a woman in your group.”

It made me laugh, and I replied, “It’s really the world I live in...” but what I really wanted to follow up with was, “…and I’m so tired right now.”

The game was interesting. Playing with new men who were clearly testing me, trying to see if I could hold my own. And after some back-and-forth, I decided to prove it—took it straight at one of the new guys and won the point.

But let me tell you—it was hard.

I’m tired. Tired of spending my work day living in a man’s world, then showing up in my recreational time and doing the same. It’s exhausting to keep holding your own in spaces that weren’t built with you in mind.

But here’s the thing—someone is noticing. Someone is seeing me. And while they don’t see the exhaustion that comes with this journey, I know this: I don’t take the easy road. I never have, and I don’t plan on starting now.

To all my GRL bosses: we see you. You’re walking a path that brave women before us carved out, and together, we’re paving that road wider and stronger for those behind us.

💥 Don’t give up. Take the rest when you need it, and surround yourself with a community that honors and uplifts strong-ass women. The road isn’t always easy, but we were built for this.

#GRLInitiative #TrailblazingWomen #PickleballPower #WomenWhoLead #WeSeeYou #StrongWomenStrongWorld