Let’s Talk Raises: Secret Speaks Up About Wage Gaps

FINALLY a company is addressing what many women are feeling!!! Wage Gap! Raises! The Conversation with Your Boss!

Secret  sold me right away on their ads regarding #stresstest last night on the Bachelorette. After that I couldn’t stop watching all their videos!

If you missed the commercial last night, a girl took the opportunity to ask her boyfriend to marry her instead of waiting for him to do it, how cool! Again, showing that if you want something go after it.

But what I want to draw your attention to is the equal pay, equal opportunity video. This campaign promotes the fact that Secret is “stress-tested for women” and depicts stressful situations.

In this video a young woman preps herself by talking to herself in the mirror to ask her boss for a raise.

So let’s get a raise of hands on how many other women have done this too? I have, I went over the scenario in my head when I wanted to ask my boss for a raise.

In the video, she agonizes over what she’s going to say before the mirror in the ladies room followed by a female colleague over hearing her and giving her a pep talk to “do it.”. Such great women power and encouragement right there!

But what struck me the most was the points the girl in the video made and how in so many ways as women we do the same:

• She belittled herself but feeling as though she had to ask a ‘favor’ to get a raise

• How she shared that she worked on a team that won a business and she well just “helped”. No she probably lead the project but didn’t want to sound like she was to stuck up so she used the word like “helped” instead of I was the project manager and did this and this!

• Then she goes to act casual because men are allowed to do that with each other and still get major respect

• She noticed how one of her colleagues that is a male received a raise way before her, which is something many of us notice but do not know how to share with our boss

• Then she tries to show off what she can actually do like being a leader…followed by a deep breath wondering if she will be able to compliment herself

Now think about it… think about all the times in your life where you belittled yourself because that is what society has made you think you needed to do. What are women still not really ‘allowed’ to do? What are the barriers we are still up against? What roles and situations still make us feel uncomfortable? There are so many areas where women really feel the stress. Secret used their brand to help women with stress and they did a great job at relating to so many things women feel. The ads promote Secret’s “Clinical Strength” formula, and hinge on the insight that stress actually leads to a particular, harder-to-fight type of perspiration.

Now let’s go back to the women telling her to “do it”. Women we need you, we need each other, we need your support and encouragement to actually take that step and make a change. Continue to help other women go against the norm and stop belittling themselves.

Society is trying to make a mark and I am so proud to have companies like Secret and P&G that are addressing the issues. We need you and you need us, so use our voices to help promote the change… we all need the #stresstest. Keep it up Secret!

So ladies what is your #stresstest! We need to hear from you to make the change, comment and share!