What It Really Costs to Navigate the World as a Marginalized Woman

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this solo episode, Faith Clarke breaks down the invisible labor so many of us carry—especially women with marginalized identities—and how it shapes our leadership, health, and humanity. From the exhausting calculations we make to stay safe, to the unspoken emotional labor of managing other people’s comfort, Faith exposes the quiet toll this labor takes on our bodies and businesses.She offers clear, actionable practices for naming, tracking, and shifting these patterns—both within ourselves and our organizations. This is an episode for anyone who’s ever felt like they had to soften the blow, hold the bag, or clean up the mess… and for those of us building feminist businesses that promise to do better.Discussed in this episode:The invisible labor required by people with marginalized identities to simply exist in and navigate the worldWhy women often "hold the bag" in group dynamics—and how that connects to patriarchy, power, and perceived belongingThe unspoken calculations women make to avoid seeming “difficult” or “aggressive” at workHow safety, identity, and marginalization intersect in workplace dynamicsThe emotional labor of navigating men’s feelings and the constant threat of backlash when setting boundariesThe “man vs. bear” thought experiment and what it reveals about how women assess risk in everyday interactionsOngoing systemic violence like Canada’s “birth alert” policy and how Indigenous women are criminalized during childbirthHow Black women’s emotions are policed and misinterpreted as aggressionThe physical, emotional, and mental health toll of invisible labor—especially on women ages 25–55The compounding effects of time poverty, caregiving demands, and self-neglect on women’s healthThe trap of drawing boundaries but still being asked to "soften the blow" for those with powerFour practices to begin addressing invisible labor in your life and business.Resources Mentioned:“Man vs. Bear” essayCanada’s “birth alert” policyJay Asooli🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE