{"id":6731,"date":"2013-11-04T21:23:44","date_gmt":"2013-11-05T03:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/?p=6731"},"modified":"2013-11-05T08:37:41","modified_gmt":"2013-11-05T14:37:41","slug":"my-so-called-alt-ac-feminist-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/2013\/11\/04\/my-so-called-alt-ac-feminist-life\/","title":{"rendered":"My So-Called Alt-Ac Feminist Life"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/VB_green1-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-6732\" alt=\"Victoria Bartiz\" src=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/VB_green1-1-237x300.jpg\" width=\"114\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/VB_green1-1-237x300.jpg 237w, https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/VB_green1-1-809x1024.jpg 809w, https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/VB_green1-1.jpg 887w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 114px) 100vw, 114px\" \/><\/a>Victoria Baritz (pictured here), a non-profit professional and political activist in New York whose work has focused on educational access and women&#8217;s empowerment, emailed me recently with questions about my career path, and the feminist nonprofits I\u2019ve worked with along the way. I thought I\u2019d post my responses to her questions as this month\u2019s column, in the hope that sharing my story might be helpful to others following \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/11\/03\/education\/edlife\/finding-life-after-academia-and-not-feeling-bad-about-it.html?_r=0\">alt-ac<\/a>\u201d (as in alt academic) and or\/feminist paths. And speaking of following, you can follow Victoria on Twitter <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VictoriaBaritz\" target=\"_blank\">@victoriabaritz<\/a>. She&#8217;ll be one to watch.<\/p>\n<p><b>VB: What skills have been most helpful in building your career?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>DS: <\/b>My journey has been a bit atypical. Unlike many writers I know, I\u2019m extremely social. An extrovert. Networking is something I\u2019ve always done, without necessarily calling it that. I find people and their stories fascinating. I think that curiosity has served me.<a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/DSC_0046+med_r.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-6740 alignright\" alt=\"DSC_0046+med_r\" src=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/DSC_0046+med_r-199x300.jpg\" width=\"95\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/DSC_0046+med_r-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/DSC_0046+med_r-680x1024.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 95px) 100vw, 95px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Also, I have a hunger to learn new tricks. Eight years in graduate school left me with the ability to get smart fast on topics that seem foreign or overwhelming. That quality deepened over time. When I left academe, I got excited about embracing new technologies. These days, I\u2019m all about embracing new modes for disseminating ideas\u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/jM-PNwUHEQ8\">TEDx<\/a>,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/deborahsiegel\/tots-in-genderland\/\"> Pinterest<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/cowbird.com\/deborahsiegel\/\">Cowbird<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/deborahsiegel.tumblr.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tumblr<\/a>, more.<\/p>\n<p><b>VB: Could you tell me a little bit about <i>how<\/i> you developed your career? \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>DS: <\/b>Before getting into the nitty gritty, here\u2019s what I\u2019m up to these days. After 20 years translating specialized knowledge for popular consumption, I\u2019m now working one-on-one as a<a href=\"http:\/\/www.deborahsiegelwrites.com\/about\/consulting\/\" target=\"_blank\"> thought leadership coach and consultant<\/a> while working toward my next book. I recently lead a webinar hosted by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shewrites.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">She Writes<\/a>, called Thought Leadership for Writers, which shows my approach to it all. (A sampler is below.)<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hUI9gVIrbr8\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nI\u2019m sharing what I know as an author and platform creator by teaming up with emerging and established thought leaders wishing to differentiate or amplify their written voice, migrate \u201cthink-filled\u201d activities to the web, and connect passionately through words\u2014on the page, on the TEDx stage, and online. (New logo, below!)<a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/DS-logo_new.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6735 alignright\" alt=\"DS logo_new\" src=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/DS-logo_new-300x68.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"68\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/DS-logo_new-300x68.png 300w, https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/files\/2013\/11\/DS-logo_new.png 321w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been a consultant for over 15 years, but my primary focus on coaching individuals is more recent. On other fronts, I\u2019m currently a Visiting Scholar in Gender and Sexuality Studies at Northwestern University and Director of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theopedproject.org\">OpEd Project\u2019s Public Voices Fellowship Program<\/a> for faculty at DePaul University, now in its second year. I\u2019ve been an author and professional speaker from 2007 on, when my first two books appeared. I\u2019m one of those people my friend Marci Alboher describes as having a <a href=\"http:\/\/heymarci.com\/book-slash-careers\/\">\u201cslash career,\u201d<\/a> meaning one that integrates multiple passions, like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.deborahsiegelwrites.com\" target=\"_blank\">author\/speaker\/consultant<\/a>. I\u2019m a multi-tasker, for sure, but one of the most important lessons I\u2019ve learned over time is that multi-purposing is far more effective (not to mention sanity-inducing) than multi-tasking.<\/p>\n<p>My current vocation is all about multi-purposing, in other words, repurposing knowledge, content, and skills. I\u2019m helping others forge the bridge to a public voice, even as I continue to learn new skills to further my own. I\u2019m multi-purposing life&#8217;s content in that my next book is about my boy\/girl twins, or rather, it\u2019s a graphic memoir about the gendering of childhood in the earliest years. I sense multi-purposing might be a helpful quality to develop early on, if you plan on living with slashes. Make sure your various roles feed each other. Otherwise, you burn out. There are only so many hours in a day.<\/p>\n<p>So that\u2019s where I\u2019ve ended up. How\u2019d I get where I am now? It\u2019s a longer story, and not a linear one, so I\u2019ll share the bulleted version. It sounds something like this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>After college, still hungered for knowledge. Needed to immerse in world of professional work first. Interned and then worked at the Center for the Education of Women in Ann Arbor, where attended college. Was generously mentored (thank you, Carol Hollenshead), and landed a life-changing job at the National Council for Research on Women, an umbrella organization of women\u2019s research and policy centers based in New York City.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Hired by Council short-term to draft a report on sexual harassment, on the eve of Anita Hill\u2019s charges against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Ended up staying two years. \u00a0Generously mentored once again (thank you, Mary Ellen Capek, Debra Schultz, and the late Mariam Chamberlain, otherwise known as fairy godmother to Women\u2019s Studies). Side note: While interviewing at Council, was simultaneously looking for editorial job at women\u2019s magazine. <em>Ms.<\/em> seemed like Mecca, but was also interviewing at glossies, where would have ended up penning sex tips instead of synthesizing research on sexual harassment. Life funny that way.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Inspired by Council colleagues, thought might like to be nonprofit leader one day. Higher ups at Council and member organizations had PhD\u2019s. Decision to pursue doctorate confirmed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In graduate school, remained passionate about writing for broader audience than academic. But struggled. A lot. Sought out opportunities to gain skills, in addition to teaching, that might transfer to realms outside academe. Apprenticed with and generously mentored by editor of <i>American Literary History<\/i>. Interned at university press. Gained professional editorial skills. Generously mentored by feminist academics (thank you Susan Stanford Friedman, Susan Bernstein, the late Nellie McKay), who ultimately supported me in pursuing an alt academic path.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>New York City beckoned. Again. Took leave of absence, moved, worked as Content Strategist (dot com language circa late 1990s for someone with editorial skills) for various tech start-ups in Silicon Alley. Joined Webgrrls. Learned basic html (pre-Wordpress). Pseudonymously\u00a0 launched \u201cDottie and Jane\u2019s Adventures Beyond the Ivory Tower\u201d with friend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Finished dissertation. Became Visiting Fellow at Barnard Center for Research on Women, where helped launch webjournal, <i>The Scholar &amp; Feminist Online<\/i>. Became Visiting Scholar at Center for Education of Women. Reinvented as feminist journalist. Rewrote dissertation into more commercial book, after apprenticing self to friend, Katie Orenstein, who helped whip prose into shape. Joined WAM! (Women, Action, Media), then just starting. Invited to be part of first class of Women\u2019s Media Center Progressive Women\u2019s Voices training program. Sharpened media skills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Returned to Council, working closely with member centers (think tanks, policy centers, advocacy orgs) and on communications and reports that drew on network at large. Generously mentored by Linda Basch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Left Council the year first book pubbed. Launched Girl w\/Pen blog. Began career as author\/speaker\/consultant, working with thinkers in nonprofit and business sectors and helping think tanks, advocacy and policy organizations deepen public impact through written word. Developed first workshop, \u201cMaking It Pop: Translating Your Ideas for Trade.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Tech and entrepreneurship beckoned. Again. Joined visionary Kamy Wicoff to create a social network for women writers, She Writes (now 23,000+ members strong).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Katie Orenstein beckoned. Joined The OpEd Project, helped bring programs to the Midwest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Left New York City for Chicago in 2012, when toddler twins hit preschool.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Again, my journey hasn\u2019t been linear. I\u2019ve ricocheted between New York City and the Midwest, multiple times. I\u2019ve reinvented, then reinvented again. I\u2019ve tried to live by that Eleanor Roosevelt quote that\u2019s on the back of my current business card: \u201cYou must do the thing you think you cannot do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The other quote I live by: E.B. White wrote in <i>Here Is New York<\/i> that a requirement for success in that city is the willingness to be lucky. I like this statement because it combines serendipity and will. You have to believe in yourself to the extent that you feel entitled to make your own luck. I credit my parents for that.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a fair degree of luck, I think, in finding good mentors. But a willingness to be mentored is a quality I encourage for those just starting out. And mentoring works best when it\u2019s a two-way street. Many of those I\u2019ve mentored have since ended up mentoring me back. (Thank you, Courtney Martin.)<\/p>\n<p><b>VB: What organizations that work with women&#8217;s causes in New York do you admire? \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>DS:<\/b> So many. I adore the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.womensmediacenter.com\/\">Women\u2019s Media Center<\/a>. Their <a href=\"http:\/\/www.womensmediacenter.com\/pages\/progressive-womens-voices\">Progressive Women\u2019s Voices training<\/a> is top notch. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncrw.org\/\">National Council for Research on Women<\/a> will always be close to my heart, and I\u2019ve long held an affinity for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.feministpress.org\/\">The Feminist Press<\/a>. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.catalyst.org\/\">Catalyst<\/a> is outstanding; their research grounds so much of contemporary debate about glass ceilings in business, and work\/life. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.girlsinc.org\/\">Girls, Inc<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.girlswritenow.org\/\">Girls Write Now<\/a> are two of my favorite organizations servicing girls. And <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theopedproject.org\">The OpEd Project<\/a>, of course, is a social venture of which I\u2019m honored to be a part.<\/p>\n<p>Here in Chicago I\u2019ve become an admirer of <a href=\"http:\/\/womenemployed.org\/\">Women Employed<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cfw.org\/\">Chicago Foundation for Women<\/a>, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.juf.org\/women\/jwf.aspx\">Jewish Women\u2019s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago<\/a>. And I\u2019m still learning about new organizations out here all the time.<\/p>\n<p><b>VB: What are some of the challenges involved in working at a feminist organization? <\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>DS:<\/b> So many feminist nonprofits are financially challenged; they\u2019re doing the best they can with scarce resources. It constantly amazes me how much even the most challenged organizations can push out. But when an organization is fighting to stay alive, the atmosphere can be that of a pressure cooker. Also, there\u2019s often the expectation, going in, of a nonhierarchical structure, which, for practical purposes, is frequently not the case. Generational tensions arise, as they do anywhere, but at feminist organizations these tensions can be intense, in part because of the outsized expectations we have going in.<\/p>\n<p>I generally advise people interested in feminist organizational work to enter it with eyes open, just as they would any other line of work. I think it\u2019s important to talk to people currently working at the places you\u2019re interested in, to learn about the culture and the financial health of the organization overall, because these factors set the tone.<\/p>\n<p><b>VB: Are there any professional or volunteer organizations that you would recommend joining?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>DS: <\/strong>I\u2019ve benefited hugely from networking organizations where a main focus is women helping women. Some of those I belonged to in the past no longer exist, but newer ones on my radar right now include <a href=\"http:\/\/www.suwn.org\/\">Step Up Women\u2019s Network<\/a> (with branches in New York, Chicago, and LA). Also, it\u2019s important to join professional organizations in your field \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.womenactionmedia.org\/\">WAM!<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jaws.org\/\">Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS),<\/a> if you\u2019re a woman journo; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.womcom.org\/AWC-Home.asp\">Women in Communications<\/a>, if that\u2019s your deal; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.webgrrls.com\/\">Webgrrls<\/a> if you\u2019re a woman interested in learning more tech; and so forth. Personally, I\u2019m finding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbdc.org\/\">Women\u2019s Business Development Center<\/a> to be an enormous help, at this stage in my path.<\/p>\n<p><b>VB: What publications do you read to stay informed?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>DS:<\/b> It changes. These days, aspirationally at least, the list includes The New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Bitch, feministing, Racialicious, RH Reality Check, The Hairpin, Jezebel, The Juggle (WSJ blog), ForbesWoman, Women\u2019s eNews, Women and Hollywood, Truthout, DoubleX, Salon, Buzzfeed, Upworthy, Brain Child.<\/p>\n<p>And the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.contemporaryfamilies.org\/\">Council on Contemporary Families<\/a> briefing that goes out to members is something I can\u2019t live without. (To those interested, you can join CCF, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.contemporaryfamilies.org\/forms\/Membership-Form.html\">here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><b>VB: What are some of the developments that you see in women&#8217;s activism?<\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>DS:<\/b> There\u2019s way too much going on to do justice to here, so I\u2019m going to answer this one in list form, a-z, with links. The organizations and initiatives below represent some of the developments I\u2019m most excited about, with the caveat that this list is partial, and that I\u2019m, of course, partial to causes in which I\u2019m currently engaged.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.adiosbarbie.com\/\">Adios, Barbie<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bravegirlswant.com\/\">Brave Girls Alliance<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/changetheratio.tumblr.com\/\">Change the Ratio<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/dayofthegirl.org\/\">Day of the Girl<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.endangeredbodies.org\/\">Endangered Bodies<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/foundingmoms.com\/blog\/\">Founding Moms<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.goldieblox.com\/\">Goldie Blocks<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hghw.org\/\">Hardy Girls, Healthy Women<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ladieswholaunch.com\/\">Ladies Who Launch<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ladydrawers.wordpress.com\/\">Ladydrawers<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.makers.com\/\">Makers<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.momsrising.org\/blog\/?q=momsblogging\">Moms Rising<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/shewritespress.com\/\">She Writes Press<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparksummit.com\/\">SPARK<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.taketheleadwomen.com\/\">Take the Lead Women<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ted.com\/pages\/tedwomen\">TEDWomen<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theopedproject.org\">The OpEd Project<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.womenmovingmillions.org\/\">Women Moving Millions<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Follow Deborah on Twitter<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/deborahgirlwpen\" target=\"_blank\"> @deborahgirlwpen<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Victoria Baritz (pictured here), a non-profit professional and political activist in New York whose work has focused on educational access and women&#8217;s empowerment, emailed me recently with questions about my career path, and the feminist nonprofits I\u2019ve worked with along the way. I thought I\u2019d post my responses to her questions as this month\u2019s column, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1902,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22444],"tags":[25806,25807,25780,21241,25800,21276,245,25805,21355,25798,25799,21639,25803,21844,25802,21967,25801,22487,25804,21929,21930],"class_list":["post-6731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-coach-is-in","tag-alt-ac","tag-alternative-academic-careers","tag-brave-girls-alliance","tag-catalyst","tag-chicago-foundation-for-women","tag-council-on-contemporary-families","tag-feminism","tag-feminist-activism","tag-feminist-press","tag-girls-inc","tag-girls-write-now","tag-national-council-for-research-on-women","tag-she-writes-press","tag-tedwomen","tag-the-oped-project","tag-thought-leadership","tag-wam","tag-women-employed","tag-women-moving-millions","tag-womens-leadership","tag-womens-media-center"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1902"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6731"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6744,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6731\/revisions\/6744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}