Empowered by Words.

Today’s Marketing Cookie are the first words of a poem called “Nobility” by Alice Cary in 1854.

True worth is in being, not seeming,—

In doing, each day that goes by,

Some little good—not in dreaming

Of great things to do by and by.

For whatever men say in their blindness,

And spite of the fancies of youth,

There’s nothing so kingly as kindness,

And nothing so royal as truth.

(Read the full poem)

Alice Cary’s story is one of resilience and creativity, marked by the challenges she faced and the impact she made. I inteneded to talk today about the need for brands to be authentic with their messaging and actually matching their practices with their claims. However, the more I learned about Alice, the more I wanted to share her story. I hope you'll allow me this one indulgence. 

Born in 1820 in Ohio, Alice was one of twelve children, growing up in a bustling household. Her mother was a pillar of support, encouraging Alice's writing from an early age. However, when her mother passed away, Alice’s world changed dramatically. Her father remarried, and her stepmother did not share the same enthusiasm for Alice’s literary pursuits, believing writing was not appropriate for women. Denied candles for writing after dark, Alice and her sister Phoebe resorted to using a saucer of lard and a rag for light after their stepmother had gone to sleep.

She never stopped writing.

In 1850, Alice took a daring step for a woman of her time and moved to New York City. It was an audacious move, considering the societal norms restricting women from entering legal contracts, renting an apartment, opening a bank account in their own name and barring them from owning property. Despite every obstacle, Alice made her own way and carved out a name for herself through her writing. She was featured in well-known publications like The National Era, Putnam's Magazine, and Harper's Weekly. These opportunities helped establish Alice as a respected writer in a male-dominated literary world.

Her sister Phoebe, also an aspiring writer, came to live with her in New York. The Cary sisters hosted a popular literary salon in their home, which became a hub for thinkers, poets and reformers. Among their regular guests were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who came to brainstorm ideas in their fight for women’s rights. Anthony and Stanton found inspiration and camaraderie in the Cary home, and in the first volume of “History of Woman Suffrage”, published in 1881, they acknowledged the Cary sisters, for contributing to the women's rights movement through their "earnest lives and fearless words."

Alice Cary's life serves as a beacon of inspiration, illuminating the path for generations of women who dare to dream beyond societal constraints. In a world still grappling with inequality and representation, Alice shows how the power of perseverance and the transformative nature of the written word can have a powerful impact. 

Her resilience in the face of adversity, her unwavering, authentic commitment to her craft, and her role in effecting positive change demonstrate that she truly lived the words she wrote, proving today's fortune for all of us that "True worth is in being, not seeming."