Did you hear? Over the weekend, Ladies Get Paid Member-turned-global-power-woman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave us a shoutout from the stage at the Women’s March. We were so inspired, we commissioned an illustration to commemorate the occasion. We hope you’ll share it to celebrate great women, and ladies getting paid.

Alexandria is a shining example of what you can achieve when you have the courage to  push the limits of what you think is possible for yourself and for the world around you. “Women like me aren’t supposed to run for office,” she said in her now famous campaign ad, the same sentiment she shared in a room full of Ladies Get Paid members almost two years ago. But by leaning on her community, she reached for power and she won it.

I’m sure many of you have felt the same way about your own careers. “I’ll probably sound stupid if I speak up during this meeting”, “I’m not qualified for that position”, “I’m no expert here.” Women are so often locked out of positions of power, many of us never reach for them. That time is over. The only way we’ll be truly equal in our workplaces is if we have an equal place in leading them.

The next time you doubt yourself, think about AOC. You might not get what you want on your first try, but you must keep asking (or sometimes don’t ask, just take it! It will not only transform your life, but those around you. Who knows, maybe you’ll get an illustration of you next time.

Now go get paid.

Ashley

PS: Thank you to our talented illustrator on this project, Frances Smith. Frances is an Afro-Hispanic illustrator and Founder & Creative Director for Careluu, a charity driven branding agency for small businesses and non-for-profits. Frances uses her illustrations to promote women’s empowerment and representation.