Beauty pays, and handsomely for that matter. If you want to run the world, make a name for yourself or build an empire, the likes of Kylie’s cosmetic company„, look good, dress well, slay Mami, stay in shape, be beautiful and then use it to your advantage. Don’t believe me? According to economist Daniel Hamermesh, a good looking person earns 13% more than their less good-looking counterpart and as you know, numbers do not lie.

Some people think having large breasts makes a woman stupid. Actually, it’s the opposite. A woman having large breasts makes men stupid😵. The above quote is by one Rita Rudner. I’m not saying having large breast is a mark of beauty. Heck, I don’t even have large breasts😂 but you get my point don’t you? In a society littered with male privilege, young professional ladies have to work twice as hard to achieve the same milestones. It is for this reason that we should use every tool at our disposal to direct public opinion to favour us, including clothes and makeup.

Young boss babes trying to start businesses often downplay their beauty because they want to be taken seriously. We get seriously offended when a partner or a boss comments on our physique because we assume this means they think less of us, “wameona mboga🍩🍆” to quote one of my very close friends. Little do we know, by doing so we are making a big mistake. Beauty can give you everything you want. You just have to learn how to play your cards right.

The Science Behind Beauty for Power

We all know some pretty undeserving girl who gets whatever she wants right? She won’t even ask for it but boys will gladly sign the class attendance form for her. She gets invited to the fanciest places and gets all the cutest guys despite being a major player. Back in high school, she wouldn’t wash the class on Fridays as the rest of you would but she would get away with it with a simple smile and sweet words directed to the teacher on duty. Why? Because beauty is one of the greatest tools of persuasion. If you have beauty, coupled up with intelligence, charm, humility, and authenticity, you will be breaking more than glass ceilings and there is science to back it up.

When people see an attractive person, it creates a very powerful impression. Unknowingly, they make assumptions about the person based on their appearance. What assumptions? They are successful, they are smart, they are kind, they are interesting, they are rich, they are respectable etc. Weird considering most people think pretty girls are blonde right?

According to studies, when people see a beautiful girl, they automatically assume they are more competent, trustworthy and intelligent. They want to associate with them or lend a helping hand. It is the reason why cute male defendants are more likely to avoid jail time compared to ugly ones. Disclaimer, I’m not calling anyone ugly, you get my point though. If you are beautiful, you are more likely to get a job according to Forbes. It’s unfair but it is our truth. It, therefore, goes without saying that if you want to build a billion-dollar business, aside from being smart, and strategic, being beautiful is an attribute you need.

Powerful Women In History Who Used Their Beauty for Power

If you are still not convinced beauty is instrumental in growing your business, allow me to take you down memory lane to some of the most significant women in history who used beauty to get whatever they wanted. To start us off is a Bible story we all know; the story of the little, beautiful girl, Salome. She danced at King Herod’s birthday banquet. So charmed was the King that he promised her she would get whatever she wanted and I quote, “Ask me for anything you want and I’ll give it to you.” Of course, if you found yourself in such a position, you wouldn’t ask for John the Baptist’s head. Capital to fuel your business or an endorsement deal would suffice.

Second enters Queen Nefertiti of Egypt who started the kohl cat-eye trend so popular among millennials today. She was from a very humble background but used her beauty to climb up the ladder, where she ruled alongside her husband, Pharaoh Akhenaten during Egypt’s most prosperous period. Her name once translated means the beautiful one has come. Her intelligence, industriousness and especially her physical appearance enabled her to achieve such an influential position that even after her husband died, she continued to rule. She would attack enemies, ride chariots and perform rituals, all activities reserved for the male Pharaohs because of her influence through beauty. Her portrait is up to this day, the most iconic image from ancient Egypt, forget their gold jewelry and pyramids.

Cleopatra, Ptolemaic Egypt’s Pharaoh, is another example of women who used their beauty to advance their agenda. She, of surpassing beauty, beguiled Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar after which she stroked them to their knees. She used her influence and beauty to rule over the country and improve its economy. Queen Elizabeth I’s instrument of choice was makeup. Aside from influencing fashion during the Renaissance period, she would heavily powder her face until it appeared arsenic white. She would then have countless painters capture her. The powder, she believed, made her look ageless and staying beautiful gave her an edge in the then patriarchal society.

Using Beauty to Advance Your Business or Career

It’s high time we stopped seeing beauty as a means of being objectified and sexualized. When used together with intelligence and charm, it could be a great tool to grow our businesses. If you could get stock at a discount, close that important deal, get free delivery, bag endorsement deals, score investments, or even get visibility because you are pretty, then by all means do. I mean, pretty people get paid to post a picture on Instagram. How cool is that? Beauty is not vanity. Not in the 21st century anyway. So do those squats and get that ass, hydrate, work out, exfoliate, invest in your hair, dress to kill. It will pay tenfold.