I'm a huge bibliophile.  A self-admitted book nerd.  I read a lot.  Like, a lot, a lot.  I read so much most years I couldn't even tell you half the books I've read.  So this year, I'm going to try something different and list all my books in one place.

Here's what I've read in 2017:

January - 7 Books
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Rockettes, Rockstars and Rockbottom by Keltie Colleen

​The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Drinking & Tweeting by Brandi Glanville

Sorry Not Sorry by Naya Rivera

February - 5 Books
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrik

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Southern Education of a Jersey Girl by Jamie Primak Sullivan

The Regulars by Georgia Clark

Yes, My Accent is Real by Kunal Nayyar

March - 3 Books
Where Am I Now by Mara Wilson

Tony & Susan by Austin Wright

​Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple

April - 3 Books
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson

May - 3 Books
The Girl Before by JP Delaney

Searching for John Hughes by Jason Diamond

Beartown: a novel by Fredrick Backman

June - 2 Books
I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Garlic and Sapphires: The secret life of a critic in disguise by Ruth Reichl

July - 5 Books
The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story by Hyeonseo Lee

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

Good as Gone by Amy Gentry

How to Be a Grown-Up by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

The Forgetting Time: A Novel by Sharon Guskin

August - 4 Books
The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda  

Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales by Alexandra Wentworth

The Rules Do Not Apply: A Memoir by Ariel Levy

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

September - 2 Books
According to a Source by Abby Stern

The Girl with All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

October - 3 Books
You House is on Fire, All Your Children Are Gone by Stefan Kiesbye

Come Closer by Sara Gran

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

November - 3 Books
Always A Bridesmaid (For Hire) by Jen Glantz

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King & Owen King

December - 1 Book
Lucky Charming by Kate Chastain
​

Why do some women criticize and block other women at every turn?

We'll start with a quick story that inspired this blog...I was recently named Women in Consumer Technology's 2018 Woman to Watch (YEAH, GO ME!), an honor that both thrilled and excited me. My euphoria was almost immediately crashed when I heard through the grapevine, from multiple sources, that another woman was bashing me to industry associates saying "Megan's part of a group of girls that all just nominate each other for awards and that's how they win awards."

My immediate reaction was not one of anger, but one of sorrow. I'm sorry that this woman doesn't have any awesome group of women supporting her and building her up.

Do I have an awesome lady gang in the AV industry? ABSOLUTELY.

Do I nominate other women for industry awards? HECK YES. But do you know why I do it? Not because they're woman or they're my friends—I do it because they deserve it. And *spoileralert* if they weren't worthy, they wouldn't be winning.

I've been in this industry for almost a dozen years, and I've met a plethora of women willing to help build me up in all ways. They've been there to strategize on the latest marketing techniques, work together on making our industry associations stronger, talk me through countless career hurdles, and even to share personal stories of heartbreak and triumph outside the office. 

Now that I'm a little older, and a little wiser, I've had the privilege of being a mentor to younger women just beginning their AV careers. Getting a little corny, if they can believe it, they can achieve it, and I'm there to help them achieve it, not to take credit for them, or tear them down.

I guess what I'm saying is this: there's room for all of us at the top; let's build each other up instead of tearing each other down. We're in a male-dominated industry—we don't need discord and separations, we need to band together.

Next time you're angry about the accomplishments of another woman, turn that frown upside down, and be genuinely happy for them. Give her a call, text, e-mail, and tell her how amazing she is. Share her wins on your social. After all, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

P.S. If you haven't cultivated your own awesome girl gang, join one of the many industry groups that have formed. You'll meet some cool people who are happy to have you in their circle.

AVIXA Women's Council
https://www.avixa.org/about-avixa/membership/volunteer/committees-councils/avixa-women-s-council

Women in Consumer Technology
https://www.womeninconsumertechnology.org/

Women of Digital Signage
http://www.womenofdigitalsignage.org/

Women of the Channel
wotc.crn.com

P.P.S. Men are always welcome to join and support these groups!