Welcome to the Boss Babe Network!
I’m so glad you’ve made it here. Not to sound like I’m diminishing my own work, but it’s hard not to call Boss Babe Network my passion project. This term seems to have a negative connotation, because it insinuates that there wasn’t a lot of time and effort put into it. However, Boss Babe Network was born out of finding my passion for helping and connecting other women!
To the surprise of most, I would say I’m an introvert. I’m talkative when I need to be, but often times in the past, I found meeting new people awkward and uncomfortable. I absolutely HATED networking throughout my undergrad, but quickly learned networking was the name of the game if I wanted to develop professionally at a quicker pace.
So, I started to put myself out there more in my masters program by attending small events or meet ups that my professors would recommend. I realized the great thing about networking is that you add lots of new knowledge to your arsenal every time you meet some new!
Yet, what no one tells you is that the more you network, the more “woke” you become. You get to hear of other’s experiences on a more personal level and listen to their professional challenges that you often times can relate to. Through living, learning and attending a variety of events, I became WAY more comfortable with coming to terms with the fact that:
Women are under-appreciated, under-valued, and under-paid.
As a woman who’s had her fair share of wonderful men mentors, it felt like betrayal to say such a thing. Yet, this didn’t seem to change the truth. To keep it short and sweet, it is statistically proven that:
Women get paid less.
Women aren’t accurately represented in upper management roles, especially women of color.
Due to the way the work culture is, some women have grown a scarcity mindset to believe this concept that we all can’t win, creating a larger divide amongst us all. After all, we’re shown by society that there’s limited spaces for powerful women. So, can you blame them?
Aside from killing it in our jobs, women are expected to maintain a strong face, wear proper attire to not offend our male counterparts, and take care of house and home at the end of the day! I mean, after all, when do men stress about getting their jobs back after maternity leave? Or, if their job even offers maternity leave at all.
From here, the concept of Boss Babe Brunch grew overnight in January 2020, and it took off from there! I was set out to unite like-minded women, so THEY could also believe that we can all win too. The overwhelming support I received from Boss Babe Brunch (rescheduled to July 2020) made the concept of Boss Babe Network rather easy!
So, what is Boss Babe Network? Well, there are 3 main purposes of the Boss Babe Network Brand!
1. SHOP: We’re boss babes go-to for office supplies, stationery products, and merch! A good portion of our products are CUSTOM and won’t be found anywhere else! In addition to that — A LOT of the products sold have been created or designed by other boss women across the U.S. Products made from other boss babes are noted in the product descriptions.
2. LEARN: Boss Babe Network will be a place where you can learn from other boss women. As I mentioned — we can all learn something from each other! Each month, I will have blog contributions from notable women across the U.S. so they can share their advice with YOU!
3. CONNECT: Boss Babe Network will hold a variety of in-person and virtual events that all stem from the purpose of empowering boss women in their lives + careers! Networking is a great way to not only score some amazing boss babe friends, but it’s also a great way to put money in your pocket! You know what they say... it’s not about what you know, it’s who you know!
Lastly, our promise to you is that as a brand, we remain dedicated to uplifting women and using this platform to empower as many woman-owned business as I can. In addition, I promise that BBN will be a brand who stands up for women’s right issues, as well as minority issues. After all, this IS a woman-owed business owned by a young woman of color.
Please take time to explore the site and products. I hope you enjoy!
Sending all my love,
Mariah Oliver