Equal Pay. Local Power. Tiny Rebellions.
So far, August, like July, has me under a relentless, blue rainless sky. There’s been no monsoon relief in sight. One kid is back and school, my bandwidth has freed up a bit, and there are fewer crumbs on the floor. I’ve been reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Francie Nolan’s family’s struggle to feed the family nags at me: if SNAP benefits and free lunches vanish, will entire neighborhoods slip back into that kind of hunger? I don’t know about you, but sometimes my thoughts are heavy.
But August is here, whether I’m ready or not, and here are three things we should be thinking about.
Women’s Equality Day (Aug 26) - proof that change can happen when women refuse to shrink
Black Business Month - Let’s funnel our dollars toward resilience and community
National Wellness Month - Let’s find some time to rest
When equality feels personal
Maybe you’ve never marched with a sash, but you’ve marched into a meeting determined not to let your idea get washed into some pastel colored egg. That is suffrage in real time, baby!
I watched my manager land a 90% raise when just a month earlier, I was told 20% just wasn’t doable. I documented my impact, pushed back, and when the answer was met with a shrug. After I found out about that raise, I made a plan and left. Joke’s on them: they had to re-hire and bring in contractors to cover my work at a premium. Mark the 26th by doing one bold thing: apply for the bigger role, ask for the raise, or correct the person who mispronounces your name. Tiny rebellions keep the door open for the next woman. Mark the 26th by doing one bold thing: apply for the bigger role, ask for the raise, or simply correct the person who mispronounces your name. Tiny rebellions keep the door open for the next woman.
Quick reality check: Since January, over 212,000 U.S. women have left the workforce as five‑day office mandates snapped back into place. Over the same stretch, the share of Fortune 500 employers demanding full‑time attendance has nearly doubled—from 13 % to 24 %. Those numbers prove what we have been talking about: policy pivots ripple straight into our paychecks.
Money with intention
Every purchase is a vote. This month, vote for the women‑owned bakery that labels allergens clearly, the Black‑owned design firm that hires local teens, or the gym owner that offers sliding‑scale rates. Spending with care is activism you can do in leggings.
In Phoenix, I love Bunky Boutique and The Merchantile, and I’m extra proud of Greenwood Brewing woman-owned and thriving. And there’s the neighborhood brewery down the street: trivia nights, local sets (our neighbor’s sax solo was so impressive!), petitions to sign, running groups dropping in. It’s a hive of good and it’s walking distance. Places like that remind me why we vote with our dollars: I want them here next year, too.
When the safety net frays
Lawmakers keep floating cuts to SNAP. You know the program that kept 38 million Americans fed last year, most of them kids and their caregivers? Equality and wellness collapse without nutrition. If you have capacity this month, call your representatives, stock a community fridge, or kick into the school meal fund. Economic empowerment starts with a full stomach.
Rest as a strategy
With the kids occupied and the calendar filling up, practice saying, “I’ll get back to you.” The pause is powerful. Light a candle, get a massage, walk at dawn before the sun declares a heat advisory. Your nervous system is the CEO of everything else you want to build.
The AI elephant in the conference room
You’ve heard the stories: AI is taking over our jobs, writing cover letters in seconds, and completing tasks with a click. Early data shows a gender adoption gap: by late 2024, men were about nine points more likely than women to use gen‑AI at work. In 2025, surveys still find women adopting more cautiously often because of trust/ethics concerns, even as analysts expect usage to reach parity by year‑end.
Instead of fearing the robot future, I invite you to treat the tech like a new coworker, curious, often wrong, and potentially game‑changing once you get the hang of it. Spend ten minutes a day playing with a tool that trims busywork so you can focus on strategy (or on cheering at your kid’s marching‑band showcase).
Two feel-good moves for August
Speak up! Name what you need at work: flex hours, uninterrupted time, or credit on the next client deck.
Play with AI. Ask ChatGPT to draft an agenda for your next meeting, or to summarize a dense document so you can move on with your life.
August in AZ is still excruciatingly slow - the dog days are here. I’m doing my best to embrace the slow (I’m not good at this at all) as we round the corner, to fall everything will speed up.
Take the next breath, and keep going.
Need backup? We have coaching, courses, and a podcast ready when you are. We’re cheering and strategizing right alongside you!
