Is the glass ceiling still around?

As the advancement of women is pushing new boundaries, many are wondering if the “glass ceiling” still exists. While it’s true that women are breaking the glass ceiling in some careers far more than others, such as real estate for example, they have a long way to go in other fields. Women make up 46.5 percent of the workforce, but they represent only 12 percent of all corporate officers. Those are figures that can’t be ignored. However, according to an article on AOL, some of the professions where women are earning more than men include sales engineers, statisticians, legislators, aerospace engineers, advertising managers and more. As you probably know, many women are also turning to entrepreneurship as an alternative. By establishing their real brands, they’re learning that they can make it to the top on their own terms.

Turn your Passion into a Business

With companies being pulled in every direction and employees clinging to their jobs, it seems like women all around me are becoming entrepreneurs. According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, women are starting businesses at more than twice the rate of men—maybe even more. In fact, a woman starts a business every 60 seconds. They are employing one of every seven workers in the U.S., and the majority of women-owned businesses continue to grow about two times faster than other firms.

Now that I’ve wowed you with the facts, let’s talk about why this is happening. Well, for starters, women are tired of being held back. Many view entrepreneurship as the only way to break the glass ceiling because other, more traditional channels have not yielded the desired results. Also, with our changing economic times, women are taking the time to step back and evaluate their lives. Finding that they are unhappy with their current jobs, women are focusing on their passions. All around the country women are realizing they should love what they do and are turning their passions into actions: businesses! They’re approaching entrepreneurship in a way that is truly genuine—and real.

Are you doing what you love? Tell us about it!

Women Out-Earning Men in Some Professions

We have been waiting quite some time to see the pay gap between women and men shrink. Well ladies, in some professions the tables are turning. Here are a few current careers where women are earning more than men:

• Sales engineers
• Statisticians
• Legislators
• Automotive technicians and mechanics
• Baggage porters
• Financial analysts
• Aerospace engineers
• Advertising managers

According to an article on AOL, women tend to verbally outpace men and are excellent with details and follow-up, and it is these characteristics that enhance their workplace performance. Currently, women are also receiving college degrees in larger numbers than men. After graduating, they are moving to large urban cities, where, in the past few years, there has been an increase in women earning more than men.

The glass ceiling is getting thinner. Become a pioneer in your field, and begin paving the way for future generations!

To learn about women who change the world, check out Life Lesson 20 in Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs.

If you want to go for it, you can. And you will.

It all starts with you—and your dreams. That’s what got you thinking about owning your own business in the first place. You want to do it right. You want to make a difference. You want to call the shots. And you’re not alone. Women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men (maybe more), leaving corporate jobs because of inflexibility, frustration with the good old boys’ club and the glass ceiling, lack of creativity in the workplace and pure boredom.

Mary Kay is one of my favorite success stories.

Frustrated with the way she had been treated in a male-dominated world, a retired Mary Kay Ash used her life savings of $5,000 to launch a cosmetics company in 1963. Initially, she had only nine independent beauty consultants and a 500-square-foot store in Dallas, but she was equipped with a plan—and a passion. During her 25-year career, she had taken notes about both the good and the bad principles of business that she encountered. Much of what she learned from previous employers became the backbone of her business. For Mary Kay, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, it wasn’t too late to go for it—and she was determined to make it work. Mary Kay passed away in 2001, but her company continues to empower women today.

Get started now! Visit RealYouIncorporated.com for more inspirational stories of women who have followed their entrepreneurial dreams—and made them real.