I am not a writer or blogger - in fact, I hate to write,  but...   I found myself compelled to comment on Kelly Ripa's brief departure from and return to Live with Kelly & Michael show this week.

I am so proud of Kelly as a fellow professional woman.  She stood up for herself to a HUGE network which is owned by an even BIGGER  company.    Kelly handled herself with  dignity and professionalism while advocating for herself and demanding the respect that she earned and deserved!   As women, we all walk a fine line between being assertive and aggressive: between speaking up and running the risk of being called a nasty word and remaining silent and being considered inconsequential or a push-over.

When Kelly first emerged in public leaving her NYC home, she was seen holding the book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and The Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell.   Without uttering a word, Kelly made it clear that she was not to be ignored or disrespected.   In her opening dialogue on her first day back at the show, Kelly stated  "what transpired over the course of a few days has been extraordinary  in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and most importantly respect in the workplace".   

Of course we realize that Kelly had lots of leverage in this "negotiation" due to her and the show's popularity and the media firestorm that ensued.  I'm sure her employer wanted to settle this quickly and quietly.  As employees we do not always have this leverage but I hope that Kelly's resolute moxie will inspire other women to stand their ground, find their voice and demand respect in the workplace!