The Most Powerful (True) Story I’ve Read in Years

I was going to post the next installment in the Great Commandments series today, but I read a story today that made me change my mind.

James Chartrand runs a respected web design and copywriting company called Men with Pens, in addition to maintaining the company blog, which has been named one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers two years running.

But today, James dropped a bombshell, revealing in a post on Copyblogger that he … is actually a she.

The only thing more amazing than the sudden revelation was the story behind it. James writes:

“Once upon a time … I had two young daughters to take care of. I was single and alone, having left an unhealthy relationship, and I was living in a crappy, tiny apartment. I’d used up my savings trying to make ends meet, supplementing as best I could with the money I earned from a dangerous part-time job that gave me all of 4 hours pay a week at minimum wage.”

She goes on to recount how she tried desperately to make a living as a writer, only to be frustrated at every turn … until she made one simple change: she adopted a pen name. A male pen name.

And as a result of that simple change, other things changed as well:

“The pen name opened up a new world. It helped me earn double and triple the income of my true name, through the same work and service. No hassles, higher acceptance, and enormous respect for my great talents and round-the-clock work ethics. Business opportunities fell into my lap.”

For three years, she worked and wrote under the name James Chartrand, becoming one of the most well known writer-bloggers on the internet. Only a trusted few knew that she was a woman.

Today that changed.

Today, James decided to share her identity with tens of thousands of Copyblogger readers – of which I was but one. I was amazed at both her story and the community’s response. As I write this post, her confession has attracted over 330 comments and been shared on Twitter nearly 1400 times.

Clearly, James has made an impact. But her message isn’t an easy one to hear.

Truth is, discrimination and prejudice – whether based on race, sex, or any other factor – affect people even today. We do not live in a post-racist or post-sexist society. James’ story is a vivid testament to that fact.

Last week, the United Nations marked Human Rights Day by calling on people around the world to fight discrimination, especially in the developing world. But those of us living in developed nations ought to remember – while we often find ourselves trying to fix the human rights violations of other peoples – that we are far from perfect. That we, in fact, now face a challenge just as difficult as do the developing nations of the world. We have made sweeping legal reforms promoting civil rights and equality under the law.

But we now face an enemy which cannot be defeated by legislation alone.

Discrimination in our societies is no longer publicly condoned or permitted, but like a guerrilla army, it has not disappeared; instead, it has gone underground. It lurks in the back of our minds, sometimes influencing our actions and decisions in ways of which we aren’t even aware. Would James have earned the respect of her clients without posing as a man? Perhaps – or perhaps not.

And because the nature of the battle has changed, the tactics we normally associate with civil rights advocacy: speeches, protests, rallies are no longer effective. In fact, they serve only to desensitize us to the problem. We don’t need more speeches.

What we need is more people like James.

You see, what truly touched me about James’ story was the choice she made. Instead of complaining about her situation and the gender prejudice she faced, she took action. She took ownership and control of her life, choosing to act, to succeed anyway, despite the obstacles in her way.

And in doing so, she has created a story more powerful than any survey of wage disparity or disproportionate representation. Her personal story is making an incredible impact – as it should. Studies makes things scientific, but stories make things real.

James’ story inspires me because she didn’t play the victim. Too many people play the victim nowadays, serving only to muddy the waters and drag down those who are truly victims of discrimination and stereotype. We’ve learned to doubt people who play the gender or race or nationality card.

But James shows us that the best way to fight a stereotype is to defy it in action. Not in speeches or papers or protest signs – in what you do and how you live. That’s what I admire most about James – and why I think she’s making a difference. It’s because she didn’t complain, didn’t demand reparations or special treatment.

She just showed, day after day, that being a woman makes her no less of a writer or entrepreneur.

That’s a powerful statement. It’s a true statement. It made an impact on me today, and I hope it makes an impact on you as well. What can you do today to break through barriers?

James, on the very small chance that you’re reading this post, please know that I have the greatest respect for what you chose to do with your life and your work. Keep it up!

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