as we celebrate International Women’s Day gratitude is a word that comes to mind (#mahalo if you’re a @jasonmomoa__official fan ; ) The quote, “It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy” captures a feeling on cultivating a mindset and culture of gratefulness as women, and especially as women founders. We have a burning passion for our business but we also have incredible depths of gratefulness. To other female founders, to our customers, friends, mothers, grandmothers, advisors, mentors.

There has never been a better time to be a female founder. These high emotions of support left us wondering - what are the effects of this gratitude? Are we really aware of the benefits of gratitude on ourselves and workplace? 

Being grateful can lead to a more optimism and happiness, more alert, alive, and awake and even physical benefits such as a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure & lower stress symptoms.

A summary of the science of gratitude by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley explains that being grateful can improve culture. It makes sense right? Someone does something for you, you want to pay it forward. It’s what social scientists call “upstream reciprocity.” And it echoes! 

When someone is nice to us, we return the favor. People who are the recipients of thoughtfulness, and who feel grateful, are also more likely to help a third person! 

The ripple effects is real and we at See ROSE Go are feeling its effects as women entrepreneurs in the plus size fashion industry. From influencers to buyers and customs and advisors we are so grateful for thoughtful and generous support. What a powerful tool for more female founders to utilize to build off the momentum happening today with entrepreneurship, fundraising, and entering more c-suite roles. So as it turns out, feeling gratitude is not only a natural female attribute, it’s also a strength! 

Robert Emmons is the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. As he points out, feeling grateful is a two-step process. First, we recognize the presence of something positive in our lives. Second, we acknowledge it comes from an external source, often another person. Gratitude involves a humble recognition that we are interdependent, that we need one another. And we know it. This IWD2020 we acknowledge we couldn’t be here without you. Thank you!

Read more on the science of gratitude here.