Setting aside anything political, there was a lot that didn’t feel great about the present or future of femininity, and I was struggling with philosophical questions.

Is the new huge focus on weight loss and weight loss drugs going to boomerang us back into unhealthy diet culture?

Are we moving away from body positivity and setting unrealistic expectations for the female aesthetic?

Did the super bowl ads suggest that we’re tiptoeing back into objectification and misogyny lite?

Is Zoom making us all appearance-obsessed narcissists?

Did my daughter really just express affinity for trad wife culture?

But – as so often happens when we hit spring – the last few weeks have brought some blossoms of optimism (again, setting aside anything political). Optimism for me as a woman and a mom, but also as someone who helps consult on strategies for communicating effectively with people:

A recent Forbes article that highlights the spending power of women – in particular the finding that “women are estimated to control 75% of discretionary spending by 2028.” Spending power means respect – and this brings some light to the female perspective and ensuring we think about how to meaningfully talk to women, and how we represent them.

Case in point: another recent article a colleague sent that highlighted what women want from food and beverage – mostly because it acknowledges that this spending power means understanding women and what they need differently.

And a fun favorite – a new report from TV outcomes and data company EDO that shows women’s sports spiked to a 56% increase in ad effectiveness year over year, fueled by a 131% increase in viewership in 2024. Women’s sports ads also brought 40% more ad effectiveness/impact than the average primetime ad last year. I love this spotlight shined on the power and role of women – as athletes and as a draw. (Also – Quester’s offices are right down the road from where Caitlin Clark when to high school, so we have extra affinity.)

So here’s to Spring, and Women’s History Month, and rays of optimism wherever we can find them!