I have read and enjoyed your article "I'm Sorry to All the Mothers I Have Worked With." You write a resounding argument about how mothers are treated poorly in the workplace and how your company, PowerToFly, fixes that issue. In this letter, I will identify your strengths and weaknesses and your usage of rhetorical devices. Overall, your appeal to logic, credibility, and emotion were successful, and your argument convinced me.
To my understanding, you discuss in your article how you treated mothers in the workplace as well as how you saw others regard them the same. You and others were prejudiced against them because of their children and treated them poorly. You write on how you didn't realize how horrible you had been until you had a daughter of your own and feared losing the career you had worked so hard for. You then explain the startup that you and Milena Berry cofounded. You describe how the company gives moms the ability to be recognized and compensated for the hours and amount of work they put in, and not be judged by how much time they spent socializing with members of the company after hours. PowerToFly gives opportunities to mothers that other companies have not, and benefits from it. You state that supporting women and recognizing that they are all in different positions in their lives is one of the best things a company can do for itself.
Your use of ethos is a very compelling part of your article that draws readers in. You provide your credentials, which makes you trustworthy because the audience is more likely to believe your claims. By stating that you were a manager at The Huffington Post and The Washington Post, you allow readers to rely on your expertise as a journalist. These professional credentials show the audience that you are knowledgeable about the issues you discuss. Another way you appeal well to credibility is by including the fact that you are now a mother. Since your article discusses mothers in the workplace, other parents may be reading this and therefore may trust a fellow parent. You show that you didn't know the struggles of a mom until you had given birth, and that proves your awareness on both sides of the issue. Addressing both sides of an issue by stating the long list of infractions committed against mothers strengthens your credibility because readers are more open to fairness. You also address the opposing view and prove your credentials by stating that your "28-year-old self" had also slandered mothers and discuss how you changed that state of mind. Your respectfulness towards others and their opposing views by saying you "don't begrudge them" allows you more respect. By taking the time to acknowledge and respond to those opposing views, which you once held, you strengthen your claim.
Another productive usage of ethos that you included is your use of credible sources. You quote Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In and mention that you reread a piece on "Why Women Can't Have It All" by Anne Marie Slaught...
