Kelly Diels and the Pastel Pink underbelly of the Patriarchy

<p>Picture this. </p> <p>Your life and business are <em>both</em> stuck in a rut and you know you need someone’s guidance to get out of it.   </p> <p>Someone who looks, talks, and acts like you and who’s been through similar struggles. </p> <p>So, you decide to get the help of a female lifestyle coach and log onto their website. </p> <p>And are immediately greeted by:</p> <ul> <li>A website with a background of pastels</li> <li>A slim, white woman in a sheath dress and with shiny white teeth at the centre of it</li> <li>A background of a perfect, sunny, customized kitchen in a large, airy house</li> </ul> <p>As you continue to browse, you see something odd - at every page you’re being sold empowerment and are being advised to ‘embrace who you are’.</p> <p><em>But,</em> all of that is coming from someone who is wealthy, attractive, and socially acceptable. </p> <p>Someone who shows none of the physical or emotional flaws that they’re teaching you to embrace. </p> <p>That is what Kelly Diels calls ‘The Female Lifestyle Empowerment Brand.’</p> <p>Kelly is a feminist marketing consultant and coach who helps people build businesses that break age-old oppressive cycles. </p> <p>And defining ‘The Female Lifestyle Empowerment Brand’ archetype is her life’s work. </p> <p>Kelly clarifies that most women who embody the archetype aren’t always inherently misogynistic, or even aware of the conflicting messages their branding is putting out. </p> <p>However, they are ultimately selling patriarchy in a pretty pink bow.</p> <p>After all, the archetype involves wealthy, conventionally attractive women leveraging their white privilege to exert power over other women by making them feel inadequate or lesser than. </p> <p>And buying into it isn’t going to do much to help other women (especially those from minorities).</p> <p>We <em>all</em> need to check ourselves (and who we choose as role models), take a deeper look at how businesses operate, and analyze what kinds of messages we’re sending out into the world. </p> <p><em