Welcome to my stop on the book tour for Lady and the Tribe: How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles by Brenda Billings Ridgley. This book tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an excerpt from the book as well as an awesome empowering guest post from the author. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card and a Cape Diablo wrap bracelet. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more content. Enjoy!
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Author: Brenda Billings Ridgley
Publisher: Whole You Media
Publication Date: September 22nd 2021
Print Length: 234 pages
Genre: Self-Help
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Wives, mothers, and career women—we have all fallen victim to the silent epidemic that is, literally . . . letting ourselves go. Not the makeup free, yoga pants, weight gain routine. Little by little, we have allowed our preferences, interests, and individuality to slip away until we no longer recognize ourselves outside of our role as wives, mothers, or professionals. Who we are has become what we do.
In the process, our friendships have become the casualty of a “busy life” and lack consistency and depth. We have a gaping hole inside us that longs to be filled. How do we reclaim who we really are and fill this empty space that seemed to appear from nowhere? The answer lies in our Tribe. Our best friends see us more clearly than we see ourselves and are representations and extensions of our individuality. They are our companions, cheerleaders, and counselors—always in our corner. They are the branches of our tree of life that lift and support us, so we can flourish. Our Tribe is the family with whom we choose to live our life . . . with no strings attached.
Lady and the Tribe is a blueprint for building deep connections. As you read, you’ll be swept away on a journey of friendship as the author shares her own personal stories and those of other women. In the process, you’ll discover how to find, nurture, and deepen friendships and create a Tribe culture that is unique to you.
We can become whole again through the power of connection.
When three or more gather, we are Tribe.
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EXCERPT:
The Tribe
Traditionally, a Tribe is a social division in society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties. Some Tribes have a common culture and dialect, and typically they have a recognized leader. A customary Tribe is a face-to-face community, relatively bound by kinship relations, reciprocal exchange, and strong ties to place.
The term Tribe should be utilized only with great respect and consideration of its origins. It is with the term’s heritage in mind that I aspire to create that culture with my closest friends. This social division, group, or pack are linked by common social patterns, interests, and sometimes, goals. As the group connects together over time, they establish the Tribe’s personality, lingo, patterns, and rituals.
Your Tribal space feels like home when you arrive. It is safe, encouraging and makes you feel relevant because you are truly seen. Your Tribe cares about your opinions and what you have to say. They are proud of your talents and strengths and are not threatened by your success. Your Tribe will promote rather than ignore or diminish your wins. Although these close friends can be a great influence for you to be better and do better, there is no contest; you do not feel competitive with one another. The experience of finding your Tribe can be life changing. It becomes a mirror reaffirming who you are and where you belong.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
BRENDA RIDGLEY is an author, speaker, and girlfriend guru who loves helping women connect, find success, and discover joy through friendship. Her mission is to start a movement: women coming together to build thousands of new Lady Tribes around the globe. Through her workshops, vlogs, blogs, and book clubs, Brenda helps women connect and communicate with respect, love, and trust. She holds an MA in human resources and has spent decades cultivating her own Tribe.
A Colorado girl at heart, Brenda lives in the Carbon Valley area with her husband, Parker, two kids, Parker Jr. and Gillian, and pooch, Perry. She enjoys hiking and has conquered Longs Peak and several other 14’ers.
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GUEST POST:
No Contest!
by Brenda Billings Ridgley
by Brenda Billings Ridgley
For this piece I was asked to share my opinion of what is the most pointless advice that women are given. As I did my research and interviews on friendship for Lady and the Tribe, I heard over and over again things like “I just don’t trust other women,” or “I have more guy friends than girlfriends.” I even heard women say that they would much rather work for a man than a woman! What? That really hurt my heart. This mantra is not so much “advice,” but rather bad programming.
Women are born natural collaborators. We are nurturing, caring, and giving of ourselves… sometimes to a fault! So how did this happen? When did we turn on each other?
I suspect that this shift began during the women’s movement. Please do not gasp and throw stones at me just yet because of this statement. The women’s movement was an especially important effort for much needed change in the work environment. We are grateful for the efforts of the strong amazing women leaders that forged a path for equitable pay and opportunity.
In 1776, we as a nation declared that all men are created equal, endowed with inalienable rights, while women were left marginalized to fight for equal treatment. The History, Art & Archives page on the US House of Representatives site reports that the fight for women’s suffrage in the United States began in 1917 with the women’s rights movement. This reform effort encompassed a broad spectrum of goals before its leaders decided to focus first on securing the vote for women. Women continued to fight for equal rights, most significantly in the 1960s, when women fought not only the laws and stereotypes that limited a woman's role in society.
This is all good stuff! However, where we veered off course as a gender is trying to compete like men do in a man’s world. First of all, the notion that we must hold others back so that we may succeed is an absurd practice. Men see this competition as a somewhat friendly game and they can “leave it on the court.” For many women it goes against our nature, it hurts, and we carry it with us. It is only natural that we recognize this behavior as a betrayal because it is not who we are.
We can do better ladies. It will take a shift in our thinking and go against conforming to the man’s world in business practices. We can build on the heroic efforts of the women’s movement and make the work environment our own. This revolution will transfer from our work lives and enhance our personal relationships with each other. We can succeed and be notably more productive when we decide to return to our collaborative natures and lift each other up. We often share the same hopes, dreams and goals and there is enough for everyone. There really is no contest.
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GIVEAWAY:
Brenda Billings Ridgley will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card and a Cape Diablo wrap bracelet to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Good luck!
(US only.)
(All the Ups and Downs is not responsible for this giveaway, its entries, or the prize. Goddess Fish Promotions assumes all responsibility for this giveaway.)
