By Shane Svorec
Growing up, I learned how to stretch a dollar on a shrinking budget. There was never any discussion about financial health or future savings. It was paycheck-by-paycheck living, along with a lot of prayers.
Today, society often portrays smart women possessing or practicing smart money habits as the epitome of success. Sharp-dressed, financially independent, and those deemed worthy by the discerning powers are at the center of the spotlight. We easily and quickly become enamored by prominent positions, sparkly titles, and fancy perks.
Our culture of personal branding and promises of easy or quick pathways to success portrays beautiful women doing big things while simultaneously achieving many goals at work and at home. This popular message permeates every age and socioeconomic status, lulling women to believe this is what we should all aspire to. If we haven’t followed this path or achieved similar goals, we must be doing something wrong. We must not be smart. Imagine the little girl from a single-parent home living with a fixed income and a budget that doesn’t always fulfill necessities. How much hope does she have for future success when bombarded with messaging like this?
Defining success on your own terms.
How we portray success and describe smart women is a message so powerful that it can inspire women to believe in a world of possibilities or become paralyzed by the fear of impossibilities. Intelligent women build other women up and lead future generations to know their worth and see their potential. To maximize the success of all women, we must acknowledge that we all have unique stories and diverse journeys. There is no “one-size-fits-all” path to success, and intelligence is only increased by becoming lifelong learners.
How do I know this? I have seen ordinary women do extraordinary things. I have watched victims of circumstance become victorious against all odds. Examples include the single mother working two jobs to provide for her family and making sacrifices to give her children a better future. I’ve watched the struggling college graduate working full time to pay off student loans and upcycle wardrobes to look her best at the job interview, which changed everything. I’ve witnessed newly single women learning to secure financial wellness and piece their lives back together when a marriage fails or the loss of a spouse leaves her overwhelmed with uncertainties. I’ve celebrated the ambitious entrepreneur who gave up the cushy corporate job and invested everything she could to fulfill her dream.
Winning from the losing.
The path to success isn’t always a straight line. It seldom is. Smart women achieve success and develop intelligent financial habits not just by winning but by failing, losing, learning, sacrificing, and starting over, sometimes again and again. Many financially savvy women will tell you that not having money as one of the greatest motivators it’s to become smart about using, saving, and investing it.
As we share new Smart Women Smart Money editions, we speak to ALL women as we tackle tough questions, provide valuable tips, and share real-life experiences. A source for practical advice and attainable financial solutions, SWSM’s mission is positive, achievable growth for all women. We know that a woman’s intelligence isn’t quantifiable only by earned degrees or titles but also by how she survives, overcomes, and strives to reach goals (regardless of challenges or weaknesses). Intelligent women are resourceful, clever, quick, and crafty. We find a way, or we make one. Pay attention to the underdog. There is power in the overlooked and underestimated. These women inspire others and, contrary to popular belief and cultural messaging, demonstrate that meager beginnings and unconventional pathways can also lead to success.
Smart Women Smart Money magazine is turning the tables and redefining what smart women and healthy financial decisions look like. As we strive to deliver empowering messages, we recognize that our audience is diverse. The time has come to meet women where they are, celebrate achievements of many kinds, and showcase the many faces and stories of smart women. Smart Women Smart Money invites and encourages all women to shine.
If you are new to this publication, WELCOME! My name is Shane Svorec, and I write about real women and true stories to inspire and encourage others to find their power within.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shane Svorec is a Sales and Marketing Professional who, during Covid, pursued her long-time passion for writing, published her first book, and became an award-winning author. Her work includes Broken Little Believer: Finding Purpose in All the Pretty Painful Pieces and The Busy Bridge That Got Its Break. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, three children, and rescue pets.
