Discrimination the Most Common Forms of Discrimination

Discrimination

The most common forms of discrimination occur along the lines of race, gender, social status, or similar superficially derived groupings. In my life, I have definitely experienced discrimination on the basis of my age, gender, and financial ambitions. As a young female entrepreneur I was commonly judged unfairly from others in the business world. Overcoming such prejudices was definitely one of the defining themes that have been present in my personal development.

As a young business owner I would face many challenges due to stereotypes. I used to go out and give bids on jobs and when the client would see me the first thing they would say is "YOU!!!, You own Spic and Span? You're too young." Some clients easily dismissed me on my age alone. One such potential client did not believe I could handle their account of a 20,000.00 sq. ft. building because me being young gave them the perception that I was not experienced and thus incapable of providing a quality service.

Being a female also was a source of discrimination. Many people do not trust a female entrepreneur to do the same job as their male counterparts. Although I have never really known a father, the one brief interaction that I did have with him was one in which he provided some advice on owning a business as a female. When I told him I started my company he told me not to even tell anyone I was the owner. He said I can start telling people about owning it after the 2-year mark and I can officially brag after owning for 5 years because I needed to become established before letting people know that a female owned the business.

My entrepreneurial ambitions at a young age were also subject to discrimination. Most of my peers would wonder why I would work so hard and not be able to relate. My siblings and I were panhandlers on the streets of Boston before being rescued by Massachusetts Department of Social Services at fourteen experiencing multiple placements in foster homes, group homes and detention facilities. I believe my humble origins provided an extraordinary ambition in which hard work was no stranger. However, many people found this type of drive alienating.