LIFT AS YOU CLIMB: Women And The Art of Ambition

I don’t think I know many women who find ambition a comfortable thing. Even the most super-confident and successful women seem to experience a certain distaste at the idea of aiming high and being obvious about it. Unless we were lucky, as kids we didn’t have access to the tools and information that would launch our careers. Now we have it all at our fingertips, the prospect can be overwhelming – and as a result of being constantly told that ‘no one likes a show off’, there’s a tendency to play small. Maybe you do it, maybe you wince when your friends do it, but as women we have a horrible tendency to put ourselves down.

This book really captures that discomfort with success, and shares realistic, practical advice on tackling our own inner-cringe while helping remind those self-deprecating girlfriends around us how great they are. Lift As You Climb is about helping friends dream big and nurture their ambitions while holding each other accountable. It’s a reminder of that whole ‘together we are better’ ethos which is so very valuable in a world where we can end up spending a lot of our time alone. It repositions networking as simply getting to know people and then building on those connections. By networking generously and helping other women, we share the love and open up the routes to success.

There’s loads of wisdom about acceptable ways to pursue ambitions. This book really speaks to any woman who struggles with the agonies of ‘putting yourself out there’ while remaining authentic and credible. Self-promotion without being insufferable takes practice and Groskop’s tips are excellent. Print out the section on getting comfortable with asking for the remuneration you want and fighting those ‘not good enough’ feeling. Stick it on the fridge and read it out loud every day. A book to gift to every self-deprecating woman and girl you know.

Words: Marina Gask

Looking for expert advice? The Audrey Members’ Club is a whole world of support, coaching and expertise for women through self-employment, changing careers, running a business or launching one. Join us to kickstart your future, whatever that may be.