The Manure Preneur

I follow a brilliant woman in Ireland, Lorna Sixsmith, who manages home, farm, kids and her own successful business of teaching others how to promote their business via the Internet. In a nutshell: She blogs about blogging.  On a recent Face Book post she asked followers their opinions of the terms "mumpreneur" and "dadpreneur" in regards to men and woman who run their own businesses. See it HERE

My opinion: utter silliness.  No, not Lorna, I already told you she's brilliant, see her blog Here, I'm talking about the pop vulture terms that are being thrown out there. She asks if we think the wording is degrading, especially in regards to women. Well, no. The terms are ridiculous whether you're wearing chore boots or chore heels

Our society is overflowing with titles while sorely lacking in actual workers. Calling a hard working woman who juggles home, children, husband (I can so juggle him, he's on the light side) and maybe an outside job...a "mumpreneuer" does not award her any more respect or dignity than she already has earned independently.

 Titles can not award those attributes, just look at the goofs we call President , (present leader included) and if we hang our hats on the name badges instead of on the work accomplished, what will we do when we accidentally toss  the name badge in the Maytag with the rest of the uniform?

It's not that I am so up on the high road I have never sloshed around in the title pond, no, in fact I have coveted titles for many a year but to admit the following is a required part of my recovering manager therapy. Embarrassing as it may be, here goes.

In 1988 at the raw age of 28 I was hired for my first nurse management job. The title on my office door (yup, had my own desk and black speaker phone too) read "Hospice Patient Care Coordinator" I thought I was very hot stuff. And I was quite happy with the name given since I understood much of my job did indeed involve the coordination of patient care. Seemed logical huh?

Then, about 6 weeks into the job, after filling out numerous application forms for State Licensure  and them Medicare Certification  of the program, and then becoming even more empowered (HATE that word, every time I hear a woman say it I visualize a long power cord coming out her tush and being plugged into a wall with sparks flying out and about) when I hired and fired the same person in 24 hours, I realized I was actually engaged in the responsibilities of a  program DIRECTOR.

I approached my boss about a name change. She  wasn't too thrilled with my request since she was already DIRECTOR of Nursing. We couldn't really have two directors now could we? It's embarrassing to admit how much I whined and moaned and groaned about that silly title until I got my way and my new name tag. My salary stayed the same, my duties were the same but my TITLE...now that was different.

Big deal.

So now nearly 25 years later I am reduced to more work and responsibility than I have ever had, since Keith and I own and OWE everything and ironically, I am without any official title. Unless you count the "Barn Goddess" name given to me by our accountant who puts the same thing under my name on our tax form every year. Who am I to complain?

It looks a whole lot more attractive  than the other farm wife option, "Manure Preneuer."