The 9-5 Was Built for Testosterone + The Difference between VC, Angel & Crowd Investing

Hi Sheconomist community 👋 It’s Thamina, Founder of The Sheconomist. This is your bi-weekly dose of celebrating the female economy where I help ambitious, purpose-driven women like yourself flip the script on money, career & wellbeing conventions so you can live life on your own terms.

TLDR:

• ♻️ How convenient that the traditional 40-hour work week and 9-5 perfectly align with men’s hormonal cycles (but NOT women’s)

• 🌶️ Ready to be hot, smart & rich? If so, I have a recommendation for you

• 💰 What’s the difference between a VC fund, Angel Investing & Crowd Investing?

• ♀️ $1B towards advancing women’s rights

Quick Ask: If this newsletter doesn’t hit your regular inbox but your spam/promotions instead, can you please do me a favor and move it to your regular inbox? Email providers have gotten increasingly aggressive and I want to ensure you always receive my tips & resources moving forward. 🙏

🧪 Freedom Formulas

Did you know that the traditional 9-5 workday schedule was designed to accommodate men’s testosterone levels?

Our Women@ LinkedIn team recently hosted an incredibly insightful workshop on hormonal health (thank you to our speaker Alison Acerra!).

And it’s about time we talk about women’s physiological needs in the workplace.

Let’s dissect what most of us have ignored for years and decades.

During the 24-hour cycle, men experience a surge in testosterone & cortisol in the morning, which boosts their energy, focus, productivity, and communication.

In the afternoon, their testosterone levels decrease, making them more inclined to socialize.

Think happy hour.

By evening, testosterone levels drop further and estrogen becomes more prominent, leading to a desire to relax and unwind.

This daily rhythm aligns well with the typical 9-5 work schedule, which was designed with men in mind.

🩸🩸🩸

Women/menstruators, on the other hand, have a ~28-day hormonal cycle that significantly influences their energy levels and mood.

Each phase of the cycle brings different strengths and emotional states.

The menstrual phase encourages rest, reflection, and decision-making.

The follicular phase sparks new beginnings, planning, and creativity.

The ovulatory phase boosts energy and social interactions.

The luteal phase enhances focus, productivity, organization, and a desire for solitude.

Unlike men, women experience only one significant testosterone spike during ovulation, which is when they feel most energetic and social.

(and let's not forget about all those symptoms former menstruators experience throughout menopause)

This mismatch between women's natural cycles and the standard work schedule can lead to stress, anxiety & burnout, as women are forced to adhere to a rhythm that doesn't align with their biology.

Societal norms have long ignored this fact, affecting the emotional and mental well-being of half the population.

Don’t get me wrong: Women are MORE than capable of working the conventional 9-5.

But during some days of the month, it likely costs them more energy, which brings us back to the question of workplace equity.

🩸🩸🩸

Despite the unlikelihood of changes to the work structure in Corporate, it's important to acknowledge that women/menstruators are often working against their natural physiology.

Embracing and understanding our hormonal cycle, rather than resisting it, can be beneficial.

I encourage all women to become more proactive in advocating for their needs.

During our Women@ LinkedIn hormonal health event, the chat was buzzing with women sharing resources and how they have normalized discussing their cycles with coworkers.

And I freakin’ love that.

❣️ Thamina’s Top Picks

🎙️ Hormone Expert, Alisa Vitti, Shares How to Biohack Your Hormones and Cycle Sync Your Life For Optimal Wellness (The Everygirl Podcast)

📩 Been really enjoying Maggie Seller’s Hot Smart Rich newsletter - Maggie is an early-stage consumer investor + creator and I love how unapologetic she is about carving out her own lane in the startup/Venture Capital ecosystem (low-key considering getting this HSR hat 👀)

📽️ This “5 minutes a day” habit has changed GenShe Founder Avni Barman’s life (and it can change yours too)

💫 I recently spoke at an event alongside Baddies in Tech founder Allie Joy Tsahey and love the community she’s built for underrepresented women of color in tech

✨ This week’s Moodboard

Post credits go to @femaleinvest, @femaleempire.co, The Aesthetic Shop, kristina m.

💸 Cooking up Wealth

What’s the difference between a VC fund, Angel Investing & Crowd Investing?

The world of startup investing can seem quite complicated, elitist and inaccessible sometimes.

In 2016, one of the few Black Venture Capitalists in Silicon Valley, Richard Kerby, analyzed the racial breakdown in Venture Capital and found that not only 70% of all VCs were white but also that 40% of them graduated from either Harvard or Stanford (sample size: 1,500).

At the time, only 18% of all VCs were women.

Luckily, the face of VC is changing - slowly but surely - and in recent years there has been a surge in funds founded by women and people of color.

Investment minimums have been lowered to make startup investing more accessible to the middle class.

As mentioned in the previous edition of this newsletter, I want more women to seriously consider getting involved in startup investing because I believe this can profoundly change the world of entrepreneurship as we know it.

That’s why I created this overview below to help you distinguish between Venture Capital, Angel Investing, and Crowd Investing, which are 3 different vehicles that allow people to invest in startups.

All 3 vary in process and investment amounts.

As I’m approaching my 30th birthday this summer, my goal for this next decade is to become a Limited Partner in several (female-founded) VC funds and start writing more angel checks as well.

After all, VC/angel is still a high risk asset class but diversifying in multiple companies & funds can significantly reduce that risk.

I will continue to share my observations and learnings along the way.

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice, it’s meant to be educational only, always do your own research.

🌊 Women Making Waves

• ♀️ Earlier this month, Melinda French Gates announced that she is stepping down from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this week she shared that she will be donating $1 billion dollars over the next 2 years in support of women’s rights including reproductive rights in the US

• ⚽ The Women’s Champions League final set a new record for audience attendance - 50,827 fans watched Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 this past Saturday.

• 🩷 Barbie honors 9 athletes including Venus Williams with their own dolls

Enjoyed this edition? Don’t forget to refer a friend (or five 😉) to start winning prizes. You can find your unique referral link below.

In abundance,

P.S.: If you want to work with me directly, you can do so here.

Please note that I may receive commissions for some but not all my recommendations. I will never recommend something I don’t actually genuinely believe in or haven’t used myself.

🤳 Social Media Recap