Is That Marketing Anti-Feminist..? - with Kelly Diels

Selfie Reflective

Kelly Diels is a feminist marketer, writer and culture-making advocate ~

When I launched Monday Hustle, I’d bought into the idea that if a young woman quits her job to forge her own path, it's inherently feminist. The responses I received to this decision, and my subsequent branding and marketing, definitely followed the same vein: break the glass ceiling, blaze your own trail, they said - so, before I'd learnt about systemic workplace issues; before I understood why the idea of hustling at all costs wasn't necessarily that positive; before I'd figured out how I might bring other women with me; I started working towards my own individual success. You see why my idea of feminism might have been a little misguided..?

Of course, regardless of gender, there are a tonne of cultural forces and influences at play, and no individual can expect to understand every invisible force that shapes the decisions we make or the way we present - all we can do is do our best with the information we have. Even with the best of intentions, while our businesses, visions, marketing and branding might seem feminist in appearance - sometimes, they could be anti-feminist in practice.

The person whose work kickstarted my journey to start unpacking this stuff was writer and feminist marketer, Kelly Diels - who happens to be today’s guest! As part of her work, Kelly writes about some of the damaging marketing strategies that women in particular are taught to use when we’re building businesses and why they’re not always serving us - nor the communities we hope to help. In this conversation, Kelly generously chats to us about a phrase she coined called the Female Lifestyle Empowerment Brand, or FLEB. She explains to us reasons why we should think twice before buying a course by Tony Robbins... She helps us understand why marketing tactics that many female-lead online businesses and brands use aren't always serving women - and, she also explains how we can step into our power and create the type of culture we want to be a part of.

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To keep exploring this topic visit Kelly's website for a library of articles and resources. There, you'll also find information about her feminist marketing coaching, courses and workshops. Don't forget to sign up to her newsletter and follow her on Instagram.

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