Women have grown up in a society with silent expectations. They are expected to take care of everything in the home, in their family’s lives, and in their own lives. As MySherri’s founder, Ashley Butler, says, “I saw my grandma do it, I saw my mom do it; why can’t I do it?”
Women have been internalizing stories for so long, and it’s partially because of what we’ve seen other influential women in our lives—like our mothers, sisters, grandmothers, and aunts—do before us. It’s difficult to admit that you can’t do it all and you don’t want to.
MySherri exists to change the story that women tell themselves. We are deserving of help, and we need it. But how can a company change the narrative?
Ashley believes that the answer requires two critical things: the first is empowering women to feel comfortable to ask for help, and the second is actually receiving the help (easier said than done!). Asking for help is difficult from the stories we’re told, but receiving the help takes on a whole new level of vulnerability.
MySherri creates a welcoming space to ask for help
Most women want help, but it isn’t talked about enough to become normalized.
It’s difficult to open up about a problem that doesn’t appear to exist in anyone else’s life. Social media captures the picture perfect living room, but what’s behind the spare bedroom door? MySherri is working to change the message that social media sends and show the mess behind the door—and that it’s ok to have it.
MySherri invites clients in to show other women what can happen when they feel ready to break the habit. There is no judgment coming from our team. The first step is talking about it. “Much like a doctor relationship, if you’re not willing to talk about what’s broken it is difficult to fix it,” says Ashley.
MySherri cares for our clients
Receiving help is typically the vulnerable step. This means that a woman has to open that door that’s been shut to the world, breaking the seal on the picture perfect house and life.
Vulnerability is hard to give to a stranger, but MySherri shows women—even before someone is a client—that they are cared for by our company.
MySherri asks clients to not clean up before a Home Coordinator comes in. “We are professionals and have seen it all,” says Ashley. MySherri recognizes that it is difficult to make the adjustment after internalizing a story for so long that it becomes reality. We know there will still be clients that clean up before we come or apologize for not doing so. In those instances, MySherri reassures the client that it’s ok, because at the end of the day what these women need is support.
Breaking this cycle and a willingness to be vulnerable is hard to do alone, but this company provides women with support over time.
MySherri is breaking that spare bedroom door one story at a time and one woman at a time. “We are helping the home, changing lives, and changing people’s minds and hearts in terms of vulnerability.” Ashley built this company with the goal of changing the internalized story, but it’s a process. If you’re tired of these expectations and ready to change the story, contact MySherri to help.