Today, we’re diving into a conversation with leadership expert Christy Rutherford, who’s on a mission to empower corporate women, especially Black women, to secure higher salaries.
Her secret sauce? It’s all about self-care. Yep, you heard it right. By prioritizing self-care, Christy’s clients are seeing remarkable results – we’re talking about doubling and even tripling their salaries within just six months.
But why self-care, you ask? Well, according to Christy, many high-achieving women are burning themselves out by working harder and harder, hoping for that elusive promotion. However, what they don’t realize is that this cycle of overwork often makes them seem “unpromotable” in the eyes of their leaders.
Christy’s approach is refreshingly straightforward. She helps her clients break free from these habits, teaching them to advocate for themselves and negotiate their worth effectively. And guess what? It’s working. Since 2020, she’s helped her clients secure over $14 million in salary raises – now, that’s impressive!
But Christy’s not stopping there. With a goal to get 10,000 women a whopping $1 billion in salary raises by 2025, she’s on a mission to rewrite the rules of the corporate game and empower women to thrive in their careers.
So, grab your coffee and let’s learn how self-care can be the key to unlocking higher salaries and greater success in the corporate world.
Empowering Women to Prioritize Self-Care
As organizations dial back their DEI programs amid industry-wide backlash, women’s leadership expert and executive coach Christy Rutherford remains committed to her mission to help Black women receive higher salaries in the corporate world.
Her approach revolves around prioritizing self-care, a crucial factor in her clients’ ability to double and triple their salaries within six months.
“The most significant change I get my clients to make…is prioritizing their self-care,” Rutherford told Black Business. “This may not be the popular opinion, but holding high-achieving women accountable to taking care of themselves is no easy feat.”
Breaking the Cycle of Overwork and Undervaluation
The Harvard Business School alumna emphasized that women’s actions to secure promotions often render them “unpromotable.” She explained, “Women exhaust themselves from working harder, getting multiple advanced degrees, volunteering for extra projects…When leaders look for people to promote, they overlook the tired and task-laden woman and give the role to a less qualified person who can handle more work.”
Rutherford found common mistakes among women who seek promotions, such as not asking for promotions or saying, “What do you think is fair?” when negotiating salaries. She believes such habits will continue to result in salary disappointments for women who give their leaders the power to determine their value.
Remarkable Achievements in Securing Higher Salaries
Rutherford’s remarkable achievements starkly contrast to the sluggish progress made by companies in their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts despite spending approximately $7.5 billion on related initiatives. Since 2020, the leadership expert has helped her clients secure over $14 million in salary raises, including seven Black women who received seven-figure compensation packages.
Rutherford revealed a goal to get 10,000 women $1 billion in salary raises by 2025, further solidifying her commitment to empowering women and breaking the cycle of overwork and undervaluation in the corporate world.
