By Barbara Rogoski, Professional Speaker
The Netherlands

Recently, in London, I attended an amazing personal development seminar called, “Train the Trainer”, from T. Harv Eker and Blair Singer. I enjoyed it very much and learned alot that will benefit my business. There was one significant thing that bothered me, as an up and coming powerful female speaker in Europe. It hit me as soon as I saw it.

This photo shows me in front of a large poster with 46 of the top personal development program leaders in the world today. Anthony Robbins, Alex Mondossian, Robert Kiyosaki and many more. Many more MEN, primarily.

There were only 3 women shown out of 46 total. Only 3! I was incensed and grumbled about it the whole weekend to anyone who would listen…

I asked myself, Why only 3? I asked both the lead speaker (a man), assistant speaker (a woman) and prestigious event planner(a w0man).

The answer that was consistent am0ng all three responses was this: It is not that men are smarter, have more to say or have more talent than women. It is that they want to be on the stage more – they have larger egos and drive to make it to the stage and deliver their message. Women often are more among the people, and don’t have the big
ego or drive to get the great attention. Priorities change – often when children come, and less women have made it there. All three, said this has to change. But there are not many women speakers around – especially in Europe and Asia.

That means that we, as international women, need to raise our voices louder, reach higher to deliver our message to a wider audience and demand to be up on the stage as much as men. Demand it…

Develop your courage, speak your truth and make a difference, so that the 3 will become 10 and 10 will become 100,and so on, and then things will really get interesting…

Barbara Rogoski is an American professional speaker living in The Netherlands. Her new business “Successful Speaker Now” is a training company for speakers and ” She Speaks with Passion” is her own professional speaker platform and site to inspire women to reach for the stage.