Hey all, something I've been thinking lately is LVMs can have negative impact even when you're not near them in a romantic capacity. You gotta watch for it because they can cause just as much trouble as a horrid boyfriend, if not more.

I had an awful experience straight out of college at my first job where my male boss told me that the job takes talent and maybe I should consider doing something I'm actually good at (after me pulling 60h weeks and hitting every unrealistic deadline). This broke me for months and made me doubt myself.

For context, I was top of my class from a prestigious STEM uni, the boss wasn't, he was just older, so of course he knew how to do certain things that I didn't yet. I went on to work on multiple projects and another firm since, and have been quite successful, but I still think about that incident. I was the only woman on that team (which had about 10 people on it).

He frequently spoke over me in meetings and once screamed at me in a conference room alone. I didn't realize it was textbook workplace harassment and that I could speak up when it happened.

I spoke up two years later to another male superior since it still bothered me so much, and he completely shot it down and told me my previous boss was a very nice guy and I shouldn't judge a person just because they were "mean". It was the biggest catalyst for my job change, and the difference in how I'm treated at work is day and night.

Carry over the FDS mindset to work and always keep your self respect high. 👑