I dunno what each of you really defines as an "independent woman", I think I was (and still am) "Spectacular Woman"! :iconbiggrin: Fer instance, after my two male partners had bombed at all things financial I took that over. Salesmen & bankers were not used to nor keen on dealing with women owner/managers in the seventies. Strewth! Were they not! :roll:
Anyway, I well remember gallumping my wellie booted way into a large boardroom past the protesting secretary, "They're meeting an important client in there, you can't go in there!", scattering a trail of potting soil on my way... Seated at the board room table were three commercial business development bankers, a couple of F.B.D.B. types (Fed. Industrial Bank), a Farm Credit Finance Manager and a couple more suits for ornamental &, I assumed, intimidation purposes. All looking a tad miffed as I'd kept 'em waiting a wee bit. They asked when the owner who managed the finances was going to get there. "She's here," I cheerfully announced and slid three printed out copies of full Financial Forecasts for the next three years to each of them. "Three versions," I explained to the frowning male faces, "one for those of you who feel that a woman cannot run a company that shows us running at a slight loss as the possibility of a potentially good working relationship is nil. One for those of you who feel that the two male owners and partners should be involved in the financial negotiations, that one shows us running at a break even balance. The one that shows us running at a profit is for those of you who feel confident we know what we're doing & worth a half million backing no matter who is managing the finances and sales. All the figures are fact based and not tweaked and the different results are based on how good you are at your jobs and whether I choose to stay with the company or not."
Looong pause, during which the FBDB suit merely glanced at the reports & then said he had full confidence in anyone who could do that with financial forecasts and we had a deal. I wiped the potting soil off my hand (great stuff for the fingernails ladies!) on the butt of my jeans & we shook on it. After which I said I'd leave it with him to draw up the details & we'd negotiate tomorrow as I had to leave to prepare a birthday party for my youngest daughter.
The rest of the suits hadn't said a word!
Is that independence? Or???