Like A Mother

Alaina Shearer faced sexism throughout her media career. In her early radio jobs, male co-hosts complained when she didn't laugh at their sexist jokes. Then she was fired without cause. In an interview, a hiring manager at a big radio station asked if she planned to get pregnant soon. Why? Because pregnant hosts got great ratings, he said. The big boss at a marketing agency came on to her — then asked via email that she stay silent. HR did nothing — despite the documented transgression — and Shearer was required to keep working under the man. Then she was demoted. A couple years after founding Columbus, Ohio digital marketing agency, Cement Marketing (which will do $3 million in business in 2017, Shearer says), Alaina's husband Seth Gray urged her to apply for Women Owned Business status from the Small Business administration. She refused. "'I don't need it!' she recalls arguing with her husband. "I wanted to build this business on my own merits." Her husband pointed out how often she was discriminated agains