Description
“In the future, people will be able to work from any location, at any time, and live life completely on their own terms. What if the future is now? [Erin] Wildermuth lets thirteen women who found success as freelancers tell their encouraging stories here.” —Booklist
“A stellar collection of stories from women around the globe who bucked nine-to-five jobs to go into business for themselves….This inspiring collection makes a strong case for how women can design their work lives to meet both personal and professional needs.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Get out your pen and paper and prepare to take notes on Erin Wildermuth’s short volume WOMENTALITY, a collection of stories from thirteen women who abandoned the traditional workplace and reclaimed the reins to their lives.” —Foreword Reviews, Lit Hit: Indie Books That’ll Blow You Away
WOMENTALITY: Thirteen Empowering Stories by Everyday Women Who Said Goodbye to the Workplace and Hello to Their Lives (ISBN: 978-1-94110-84-3; Trade Paper; 212 pages; October 8, 2019; $17.00) is a collection of powerful, personal essays by enterprising women from around the world who came to the same realization: work shouldn’t have to be painful and demeaning. Armed with an internet connection and plenty of creativity and ingenuity, they prove that it is possible to redefine the 9-to-5 work paradigm and create a flourishing career that is flexible and fulfilling outside the corporate structure.
The thirteen women—from diverse countries such as Uganda, Venezuela, Poland, Palestine, and the Philippines—approach independent work in different ways but are all motivated by the same impulses—to escape the drudgery of office life, to have control of their time, and to enjoy the freedom of working for themselves. Importantly, many discover that—outside of the office—it is possible to triumph over global pay disparities that favor men.
WOMENTALITY is not a book about people who do not work—on the contrary, these women work hard and their stories illustrate how they overcame challenges to achieve their goals—whether they sought freedom to travel, to spend more time with the family, escape demeaning office politics, or simply to control their career.
The essays in WOMENTALITY prove that a life of independence is not reserved for elite, American workers. It is possible for anyone. As Amelia Earhart said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is mere tenacity.” The contributors to WOMENTALITY are proof of this: they made the tough, risky decision to take control of their lives and careers. Escaping the 9-to-5 life isn’t easy—it takes guts and persistence—but as these women prove—and inspire, by example—it is absolutely worthwhile.
WOMENTALITY: Thirteen Empowering Stories by Everyday Women Who Said Goodbye to the Workplace and Hello to Their Lives, edited by Erin Wildermuth; Trade Paperback Original; 212 pages; ISBN: 978-1-94110-84-3; October 8, 2019; $17.00
High Praise for Womentality
“A stellar collection of stories from women around the globe who bucked nine-to-five jobs to go into business for themselves. . . . This inspiring collection makes a strong case for how women can design their work lives to meet both personal and professional needs.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“In the future, people will be able to work from any location, at any time, and live life completely on their own terms. What if the future is now? [Erin] Wildermuth lets thirteen women who found success as freelancers tell their encouraging stories here. . . . Striking out on your own can seem imposing, but women seeking a professional change may find a biography that resonates in this book.” —Booklist
Lit Hit: Indie Books That’ll Blow You Away! “Get out your pen and paper and prepare to take notes on Erin Wildermuth’s short volume Womentality, a collection of stories from thirteen women who abandoned the traditional workplace and reclaimed the reins to their lives.” —Foreword Reviews
“The women come from different backgrounds and are diverse … Each essay is thoroughly engrossing.” —Life of a Female Bibliophile
“In Womentality, editor Erin Wildermuth calls attention to a burgeoning trend for workplace independence with essays from 13 women who’ve all said, “Enough is enough!” to their jobs. These are not professional writers—they are nurses, accountants, teachers and IT specialists, who speak plain and write with passion, whether they’ve given up a long commute or are fleeing from a failing economy. The book progresses from accounts of the initial “aha” moment to step-by-step advice on how to forge self-employment without much more than pluck and a strong internet connection. Their courage is inspiring.” —Karen Hildebrand, former HR director, author, Crossing Pleasure Avenue
“Women are often expected to sacrifice for and adapt to a world that seems designed around the needs of someone else. In Womentality, Erin Wildermuth has collected essays that show how the sometimes-maligned “gig economy” has empowered women, giving them choice and control through self-employment. The essays demonstrate that this is not an option only for women in rich Western countries, but a universal opportunity. Breaking away from the traditional role of an employee is instrumental even—maybe especially—in countries where women fight discrimination and poverty.” —Janet Bufton, Co-founder and Program Coordinator, Institute for Liberal Studies, Ottawa, Canada
“Womentality‘s topic is so important. It is eye-opening and empowering to read about these women harnessing technology to take charge of their careers and their lives. They show us possibilities for women around the world and for ourselves.” —Jessica Bacal, M.F.A., Ed.D., Director, Smith College Narratives Project, Editor, Mistakes I Made at Work
“These essays are particularly relevant in the #MeToo Era, where women are more empowered than ever to stand up for themselves. Even though each essay recounts a unique story from women across the globe, I found myself strongly identifying with the frustrations and setbacks they faced in the workplace. This collection left me inspired by their courage and full of ideas on how to reclaim power in my own professional life.” —Lisa Gailloud, Community Organizer
About Editor Erin Wildermuth
Erin Wildermuth is an economic philosopher with a master’s degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics. Her thesis concentrated on how the digital divide impacts global decision making and international labor markets. She has been intent upon shedding light on how global trends and technological advances can help people rise from economic exploitation into economic independence ever since. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, American Spectator, and Scuba Diver Magazine. She personally left the 9-to-5 in 2011. Within a year she had moved to Thailand and quit her job to work as a freelance underwater photographer and videographer. She lived in Thailand for three years and has since built a successful career as a freelance writer. She currently lives in Baltimore, MD.