Do you ever feel like you struggle to #StandUpForYouself?

Do you ever fear the consequences if you simply #SpeakYourMind?

Well, here is a little #StoryTime

I've honestly been going back in forth in my mind deciding whether I should write this post. I feared my point would be misconstrued, I feared people might label me as something I am not. But then I realized that if they did, it would tell more about them than it does about me.

A while back, I started collaborating with *insert name* as a conference #interpreter. In the beginning everything seemed fine except there was something bothering me but I couldn't seem to figure out what it was.

As time went on, I obviously had multiple conversations with them, and most often than not, with one person in particular.

Here comes the good part:

I believe that in a professional collaboration, both parties should feel more than free to discuss a numer of things such as: work conditions, expectations, quality and of course #rates.

It started with a few snarky comments here and there, some distasteful remarks and in the end I realized what was bothering me.

Anytime I'd disagree on something, to them, it wasn't because I was a professional expressing my opinion or stating my expectations;

it was because - you guessed it - I was a #woman, not even, I was just a girl, having her period, waking up on the wrong side of the bed that morning... I was nothing more than an explosion of hormones with whom it is "impossible to have a conversation at the moment".

And all for what? Because I had the courage to stand up for myself? Because I had the courage to put my money where my mouth is and stand up not only for me, but for the values and beliefs of a profession that I adore?

So please, especially if you are on the younger side, talk to people around you, share your experiences because you might not know it just yet, but some things are unacceptable. Please don't let people take advantage of you, of your willingness to accept things just for the sake of getting started in your career.

I guess what I'm saying here is: If you don't know, just ask. Some colleagues will be more than happy to give you their two cents.