The Secret to Being an Ambitious Woman? Marry Rich. Just Not in the Way You Think.

When people talk about ambition and career success, the focus is usually on individual drive.

Work harder.
Be disciplined.
Stay focused. Those things matter. But along the way I learned something else that matters just as much. The secret to being an ambitious woman might actually be marrying rich. Not rich in money.

Rich in character.

Rich in love.


Rich in commitment.


Rich in belief.

When I was earning my MBA, there were days I studied for twelve hours straight. Long mornings turned into long nights. In the mornings my husband greeted me with coffee. In the evenings he greeted me with a glass of wine. Not because I needed wine to survive grad school, although some days it helped. But because he saw the work I was putting in and wanted me to feel supported. He is strong in the areas where I am weak. He motivates me.
He pushes me.
He believes in me sometimes more than I believe in myself.

And when life gets overwhelming, he picks up the slack.

That kind of support is wealth.

One of the biggest myths about ambition is that it is a solo journey. In reality, strong partnerships create the space for big dreams to grow. Support does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like taking care of bedtime so you can finish a project.
Sometimes it looks like encouragement when you are second guessing yourself.
Sometimes it looks like someone reminding you who you are on the days you forget.

So yes, one secret I have learned about building an ambitious life is simple. Marry rich.

Rich in love.


Rich in heart.


Rich in commitment.

Rich in shared ambition.

Sometimes the strongest foundation for ambition is not independence.

It is partnership.