“Cue the Sparkles? I Don’t Think So.”
Reflections from someone who's played the game—and chose a different one.
This week I read a paragraph that made me pause.
It was from a women’s business awards announcement.
On the surface, it sounded empowering. Celebratory. Inspiring.
But then I read this line:
“These are the businesswomen we are inspired by, the women we want to seek out after a networking evening, the women we want in our corner and the women we wish to support and to celebrate.”
I just may have rolled my eyes.
Not because I don’t believe in celebrating women.
But because I’ve been in those rooms.
I’ve been shortlisted.
I’ve seen how curated, how polished, how performative it all becomes.
I once had a judge ask what my revenue was.
When I said it was private, she told me she could look it up anyway—and suggested that if I wasn’t willing to share it, I clearly wasn’t proud of it.
And that moment never left me.
Because here’s what I know now:
Awards like this don’t always celebrate the women who're building quietly, rebuilding body, or leading with depth.
They don't seek out the woman who:
- Burned it down to rebuild in alignment
- Chose peace over constant scale
- Isn’t trying to be liked
- Walks into a room quietly—and shifts the entire energy of it
- Challenges the status quo
They celebrate the woman who fits the brief.
Who sparkles on cue.
Who plays centre, stays nice, and doesn’t shake the structure.
That’s not empowerment. That’s pageantry.
This is not about tearing anyone down.
I believe authentic power comes in many forms...
And most of them are still overlooked.
This is about telling the truth...
Especially for the women who feel like curating themselves to fit in just doesn’t sit right anymore.
If that’s you?
I’m here to celebrate YOU.
Not the polished version. Not the palatable one.
The real one.
I work with women who don’t want to be picked.
They want to build something that’s so deeply theirs it doesn’t need permission.
Women who’ve hit success ... but know they’re still holding back.
Women who are quietly powerful ... and ready to be fully seen.
No performance. No peacocking. No sparkle required.
Just real presence. Real authority. On their terms.
Mary x
www.marygrant.com