"My inspiration for becoming a woman entrepreneur back in the day when most women were secretaries was my father, who was himself a serial entrepreneur branching out from the legal profession. My dad not only told me it was all right to be "a little different" -- he told me I HAD to be a little different. Most women are not brought up that way. They are brought up to fit in, to build consensus, and to avoid conflict. They are also brought up not to take risk. This orientation is so deep in our societal roots that many women come to middle age feeling unfulfilled, unwanted, and under appreciated. They then do stupid stuff like leave long marriages to seek the love of yet another man. Still no real risk; one marriage to another. For women, dating means presenting yourself in a manner that helps you fit in. For a man, dating means showing up and hoping someone will love you as you are. Women climb slowly up ridiculous corporate ladders, showing excessive loyalty to companies that underpay..." - Francine Hardaway