The Beauty Myth
Can an ugly entrepreneur be successful?
Not according to women entrepreneurs. At least that’s the findings of a recent study of female business owners.
It’s like we’re living in the 1950s. Women dolling themselves up to in order to get society’s approval.
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| David James / NewLine |
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I know, I might be a bit naïve here because study after study shows that attractive people are more respected and tend to get the big gigs. But when will this end? It definitely won’t if women themselves perpetuate the myth.
According to a recent survey of nearly 1200 women business owners by Open from American Express:
-- 81% of women said they’d would rather sacrifice exercise or sleep than their appearance when push comes to shove and time is short.
-- Nearly all women surveyed (97%) feel that their personal appearance impacts their business success – including nearly two-thirds (64%) who put energy into looking their best, and 33% who agree that appearance impacts success but who admit they don’t put much energy into it. Only 4% feel that appearance does not impact business success.
-- 80% of women under 35 say they pay attention to the latest fashion trends, making them the fashion-conscious. While they do so more to please themselves than for any other reason, they are much more likely than other respondents to say they keep up to date with the latest fashion trends because it fits with their company image.
-- A daily beauty routine is on the docket of 68% of Latinas and 59% of African American respondents – placing them at the top of those who say, “when I look good I feel good.”
There is definitely something to feeling good when you look good, but I would argue that a not so attractive entrepreneur could be highly successful.
Let’s face it, Bill Gates comes in low on the attracto-meter but look what he’s accomplished. His unlovely looks are probably more a function of his hairdresser, but he doesn’t seem to be spending hours in front of the mirror.
Don’t worry I’m not going to point out a homely female business leader. Why? Because women can’t take it. To be honest, I would probably crumble a bit if that happened to me. But I’m part of the problem.
Why can’t we get over this look-good-at-all-costs mentality?
As the population ages, we’re going to see this beauty problem only intensify as our collective butts and skin starts to sag in big numbers.
I’ve chosen not to dye my hair and I’ve already gotten hell for it. My aunt in Athens, Greece, yelled at me last time I went to visit her. “This is a disgrace,” she said to me in Greek.
Look, there is nothing wrong with looking your best, but women need to get this Aphrodite chip off their shoulders.
And to all my sisters out there who were polled by American Express, if you sacrifice sleep and exercise you’re ensuring a fast trip to ugly town.
