As you may know, April 17th is #EqualPay day, the day that women's salaries from the previous year catch up to their male colleagues.  Here at Ms. JD, we believe it's high time for that to change.  We want to see it change by empowering you to ask for more.  To do so, we've teamed up with our friends at the Levo League and a number of their partners to provide you with tools for the first ever Ask For More Day. 

We've heard it over and over: women don't earn as much as men do for the same work. The meme-like ratio of women earning 77 cents to a man's dollar is one that is both 1) scary and 2) evidence that we should all take action.

There are indeed institutional factors behind this date - our country's organizations and laws have plenty of room for improvement. But so do we. That is why today we've come together with a number of organizations to stand together to start the first annual #Ask4More day.

#Ask4More is all about what each of us can do to change the income ratio of women's earnings to men's. We've brought together a bevy of organizations dedicated to elevating women - to hear from other women who have successfully negotiated a raise, those who are willing to share their hesitations and experts who can give you advice. Together, we've built a tool that helps you identify your salary goals and give you perspective on what it will take to meet those aspirations.

We hope that you will join us as we come together to support one another to #Ask4More this year and pledge to do just that - ask for more. Plan for more. And fight for more.

You can show your support for this movement by sharing www.ask4more2day.com with your twitter followers and Facebook friends using the hashtag #Ask4More.

Don't forget, Ms. JD is also working with Queens Bench in San Francisco to offer you an Equal Pay Day Event.  Check it out here.  You can also learn more about your own negotiation style in October at Ms. JD's Annual Conference.  We'll be offering a negotiation workshop there, aptly titled, "She Negotiates." 

To empower one another, we have to look beyond the numbers. Let's celebrate Ask For More Day by sharing our stories in the comments here! Have you ever negotiated your salary? How did you feel? What did you do? How did it turn out?

Have you never negotiated your salary? Why? What are the barriers that are preventing you from asking for more? Let's share and talk and learn because an educated woman is a powerful woman and Ms. JD is here to help!