LadyTitans Work to Empower Women to Succeed in Male-Dominated Industry

LadyTitans learn to say ‘no,’ and mean it

With that empowerment goal in mind, LadyTitans formed its Facebook group in November 2020 and started conducting regular meetings to share ideas and help members develop their own personal brands. In August, the group expanded its resources for the women of ServiceTitan with a private self-defense webinar hosted by Krav Maga experts Matan Gavish and Viktoria Makarova.

Krav Maga started as a military self-defense and fighting system used to train the Israeli Army in the 1950s and evolved into less-combative fitness training in the 1970s. Gavish, owner of Krav Maga Academy FIT HIT in New York City, is a former Krav Maga officer for the Israeli Defense Forces who has trained hundreds of Special Ops soldiers, Navy Seals, Army Rangers, and even the New York Police Department. Makarova, a professional MMA fighter, learned Krav Maga from Gavish and became the first female Krav Maga Academy instructor.

Gavish opened FIT HIT to allow women and "non-fighters" to learn Krav Maga in a fun, fitness-first environment, and today FIT HIT is 90% female. Matan believes empowerment through training is key to success—not only in violent situations, but for any stressful curveball life may throw our way. It’s simply about building a strong and sharp mind along with a strong body.

As ServiceTitan’s longest-tenured female employee and someone who believes physical and mental fitness work hand in hand, Herman decided to host a Krav Maga webinar for LadyTitans. Not only did members get a good workout and a chance to bond, they also learned an important life skill, she says.

“Giving people the confidence to say no and the skills to mean it,” Herman says. It’s a message that resounds not only in cases of sexual assault or self-defense, but in the professional world as well. 

“There's a lot of pressure on sacrificing your own safety potentially to make other people feel comfortable. I think that’s probably the most relevant part to LadyTitans,” she adds. “If someone does get into your space or worse, will you actually do something about it? There's a mental component to that as well.”

What boundaries are you setting at work, for instance? Are you holding people to that? If you tell your boss you can’t work late or on weekends, do you stick to your guns no matter how much they beg or plead? Or if you’re the female owner of an HVAC or plumbing company, do you provide clear directives to your employees with no room for negotiation?

“We make all these excuses for other people. And that isn't healthy, in my opinion,” Herman says. “There's a lot of value to setting boundaries.”

Practicing soft aggression leads to “I can and I will.”

According to this article in Forbes, there’s a world of difference between being “aggressive” and being professionally assertive. Where an aggressive male leader may be viewed as confident, intelligent, and decisive, a female leader must show strength and authority while also communicating compassion, kindness, and support.

Herman says women are conditioned to make sacrifices for others’ comfort and to play into stereotypes. What some might consider a matter of semantics actually holds women back in their careers, especially those aspiring to become leaders in the trades.

“It takes intentional effort to unlearn these seemingly subtle double standards and to actually feel comfortable saying and meaning ‘no,’” Herman says. “We want everyone to feel comfortable doing so, regardless of their company position, tenure, or gender.” 

During the LadyTitans’ Krav Maga session, Gavish explained the concept of soft aggression.

“Aggressive, assertive, confident, in control. It’s important to stress that these qualities are not a function of how you see or treat others, but rather how you see and treat yourself,” Gavish says. “If you found yourself going along with something you preferred not to go along with, because of how you thought it would affect others, or because of how it would reflect on you—you need to start practicing soft aggression.”

Gavish says soft aggression is the ability to consciously decide and control every aspect of your life. It’s deciding what to do as well as deciding what not to do, what to give, what not to give—without feeling guilty, uncomfortable, or awkward.

“Just say ‘no.’ Be firm and unwavering,” Gavish told the group. Then you can start engaging in the power of ‘I can and I will’ to overcome any hardship, be it financial, entrepreneurial, medical, professional, or athletic.

“If the ‘no’ is your shield, ‘I can and I will’ is your spear,” he says in a blog posted on his website. “It’s the mantra that will crack through any difficulty, shatter any fear, and eventually propel you to the heights you desire.”

From a practical standpoint, Herman says Gavish’s message is relevant for all workers in the trades, no matter their gender. Because, sometimes you just need the permission to say “no.”

“Do your technicians, do your employees understand that they can hang up on someone or they can walk out the door?” Herman asks. “It's not worth the thousand dollars or whatever you're making from that call to compromise their safety.”

When you give others that permission to say no, you’re empowering them to be better at whatever they do.

“It’s seriously the best feeling ever to feel like you can take charge of any situation. And to not be sorry,” Herman says. “That’s my wish for anybody in their work environment—the ability to have that open line of communication and to have a boundary that's supported. That's what we're trying to create for our customers.”