How Much Do Your Words Matter?

A few weeks ago I created a course and podcast for Brand Disruptors called Make Time Your Bitch. I created it because some of my clients were feeling overwhelmed by the modules in Brand Disruptors and all of the content I have in The Freedom Lounge Membership Site. I was sharing this sentiment with one of my fellow coaches and she mentioned having the same issue. So I offered it to her as well. I even told her about the provocative name and had a photo that was perfect for the cover of the workbook. We were both excited to be sharing this content with our clients. 

And then this happened…

The Sunday afternoon after the email went out announcing the course to my friend’s list, she received an email that basically said she was impressed with my friend and her work but was disappointed by the use of the word BITCH, especially how it is used in our culture. My friend forwarded this to me with nothing else.

My mind began to race. She’s impressed with my friend but disappointed that she would associate with someone like me, who would use that word? What does my friend want me to do about this? Who is offended by this word? Was I missing something? Do we change the name? Does she still want me to present in her group? What was this client of hers making up about me? What was I making up about her? How does my group feel about it? Then I got quiet and asked myself, how do you feel about it? This was the question I should have been asking all along.

Oftentimes we change ourselves, the way we act, the way we move about the world, to please others. Don’t get me wrong, there are times that we should check-in , maybe do some research so that we are grounded in our decisions to do something. Just as she felt that it was important for her to send her email to let my friend know she was disappointed, I was well within my right to use it. Let me break it down.

I have no energy on the word bitch. I also thought that using the word would catch the attention of the readers and make them more apt to pay attention to the module. I also wanted to use a provocative photo to disrupt the pattern of seeing the same old branded photos. It was perfect for what I was up to. Part of my brand is to disrupt the status quo and I guess this module certainly did that. 

You can listen to the Make Time Your Bitch podcast episode here. You'll also be able to see my presentation as a video here.

I am also testing the waters for myself as a person who does conform to the social norms that are out there. Long gone are the days that I don’t speak up for myself and continue to push boundaries. One of the beautiful things about being a business owner is that I get to write my own damn rules and name my programs whatever I like. I am not writing this from a place of arrogance, but a place of certainty. Certainty in who I am, certainty in how I want to show up and certainty in form of creativity.

This incident has definitely made me a bit more curious about how you feel about the word bitch? Do you think that if women use it that it changes its negative connotation? Have you ever changed who you are to please someone else? How much do your words matter? Hit reply and let me know about the times you’ve questioned yourself and what you did about it.