PART ONE
WHY FIERCE MATTERS

The Need for Fierce

When was the last time you did something that astounded those around you, that amazed yourself, that was outside of your comfort zone? Has it been a while? Was it in your childhood, or at college? If it was recent, did you need the help of a drink or two to muster up that courage? That's pretty common. But when was the last time you felt intimidated, insecure, afraid to do something because it might be wrong? Or when was the last time you watched someone else do something bold and you thought, “That's amazing! But I could never do that?” Unfortunately, that's pretty common too. Why? Fear. We often hold ourselves back from our true potential because of all kinds of fears—fear of failing, fear of rejection, fear of being laughed at, and even the fear of being our most glorious self.

This lack of confidence shows itself most measurably in our work lives, especially in women as compared to men. In a study by Hewlett-Packard, women working at the company applied for promotions only when they believed they met 100 percent of the qualifications necessary for the job. The men were happy to apply when they thought they could meet 60 percent of the job requirements. The study showed that women felt confident only when they feel perfect. A 2014 U.S. gender parity study at Bain & Company looked at employees' career aspirations and their confidence in getting a top management position. Both men and women were equally confident about their ability to reach a top management position at the start of their careers. However, over time, women's aspiration levels dropped more than 60 percent while men's stayed the same. As they gained experience, women's confidence also fell by half, while men's stayed about the same. As both of these studies demonstrate, we women are holding ourselves back from our professional goals and aspirations because of our lack of confidence.

Marianne Williamson, a celebrated spiritual teacher, author, and lecturer, directly addressed this issue when she wrote:

 

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory . . . that is within us.

So let's release these inhibitions and fears in order to be the fabulous people we imagine we could be. What would your life be like if you could actually become that dazzling diva you dream of being? It would be shinier than all the sequins on a stage full of drag queens, that's what! It would be more powerful than all those nagging, negative voices that live with you and inside your head.

What would it be like to live your life boldly, vibrantly, barely giving notice to those inner and outer voices that constantly harangue you to step back, quiet down, and not take that risk? Imagine for a moment, though, what would happen if you and all the people you know were set free from their fears and were able to embrace a life of exuberance. Can you feel that energy simmering? That spark of excitement, of possibility, is actually power, plain and simple. It is the new meaning of an old word that is changing, and that word is FIERCE.

The Oxford English Dictionary still defines “fierce” as “having or displaying an intense or ferocious aggressiveness.” Violence is implied. It has been a bloody word, often used to refer to battle. But the word “fierce” is in the process of morphing into something else, something more refined. The Urban Dictionary serves up several definitions of “fierce,” such as “having exceptional quality, being bold, displaying chutzpah, cool, and eye-catching,” and being used to describe someone “who is on fire and possesses too much swag for the common man or woman to handle.” As we see it, the word “fierce” means bold, empowered, confident, fabulous, remarkable, outspoken, and strong. We want a world that's full of this kind of fierce. We want our friends to be fierce. We want you to be fierce.

And we've found a way to do that. We've found the fiercest collection of people on the planet, and we want to share with you what we have learned from them so that you can be your most fabulous and confident self by thinking like they do.

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you . . . THE DRAG QUEENS!