Good morning, readers! This week, Lady K conquers the K Street glass ceiling, the Occupy movement, and something even more important–footwear.
Do Occupiers have any influence over people on K Street?
Yeah, they can really mess up my commute.
I understand the Occupy movement’s motives but not its vision. I question whether it’s helpful for these guys to camp out in tents like Duke basketball fans looking for tickets, when it’s more effective to make change internally. Why aren’t Occupiers supporting a candidate that shares their beliefs, canvassing and fundraising for someone that can represent them once elected? Or, why aren’t they targeting the Hill, attempting to pass regulation that makes it more difficult for businesses to control the purse strings of government?
If the goal is for people to know who and what the Occupy movement is, it’s definitely worked. But if the goal is to make substantial, lasting policy change, this movement has much more work to do. At the moment, it’s more en vogue to listen to the needs of the 47 percent than those of the full 99.
Occupiers, help me out here–what do you see for the future of the group?
Occupy DC movement | AP Photo
Lady K, is there a glass ceiling on K Street?
The short answer: yes, but it’s fracturing.
A generation ago, you’d be hard pressed to find a woman at senior-level meetings, if she wasn’t the secretary pouring coffee. Today, you may find find a handful of ladies among company execs, with many women starting firms of their own. The lobbying industry is far from gender-blind, but even a few women in the boardroom is progress.
In the last ten years especially, more women have been leaving the Hill and heading to K Street. Maybe it’s the fatigue of the Hill, the chance to join in an industry that’s got the swagger of a business career without the 16-hour days of a Goldman analyst, but there’s more of us coming. Even more noticeable is the number of entry-level employees that are women. The culture itself hasn’t really changed–it’s rare to see family members at the office, dudes plan unofficial no-girls-allowed golf outings, and a work-life balance remains virtually nonexistent–but the faces in the office sure have.
I’m eager to see whether this culture evolves further as the women of the Millennial generation have children and reach middle age; if we’ll see a changing of values to better support working mothers when a larger percentage of senior staff are women. While I realize that’s assuming that the gender dichotomy of senior management will become more balanced (and that those entry-level women won’t leave the industry in 20 years), the fact that women are (very slowly) breaking into what used to be an old boy’s club is notable. And I’m humbled to be part of that.
I think flip-flop season is ending…what are your tips for a good commuter shoe?
Ah, and this is something dudes rarely have to ponder: work-appropriate fashion. Unless you are hitting up the New York Avenue Beach Bar after you leave the office, there is never a reason to wear flip-flops to work. And don’t get me started on the sneaker-wearing crowd. Don’t try to kid anyone–we know you’re not going to be running a marathon in that big necklace and pencil skirt, so what’s with your pumped-up kicks?
Your ideal pair of shoes should be the type that if you get to work and immediately have to meet with the president of the firm, you don’t have to scrounge around in your office shoe drawer first. At the same time, given DC’s walk-ability, you’re stuck trudging at least a mile or two a day for your commute. (That apartment that was “a 15 minute walk to the Metro” seemed reasonably close when you started renting, didn’t it?) I can’t help but grimace every time I see some fresh-faced DC darling trying to navigate the street grates on a pair of heels so tall they could step over a small puppy and still have a couple of inches of clearance.
My choice? Flats in the summer, ankle boots in the winter. These really shouldn’t be that expensive. You’ll wear through them in a year or two, but at that price point you can afford to buy a few pairs. Just make sure they’re comfortable first. The plus side of getting a pair of work-appropriate shoes that you actually like and feel comfortable in is that you’ll spend much less money on cabs when you head to the bars later in the evening. You’ll walk instead.
Need more inspiration? Check out Cloture Girl’s tips on work-friendly footwear.
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