Barbie Was Everything – And So Are We

By Sonya Locke

When the Barbie movie came out, it reignited a cultural conversation that had been simmering for decades. It wasn’t just a nostalgic callback to the dolls we played with as kids, it was a sharp, insightful reflection on the impossible expectations placed on women.

So, when my brilliant friend decided to throw an epic Barbie-themed party, it was more than just an excuse to dress up in pink (though we definitely did that, too). It became a celebration of who we are: powerful, accomplished, multi-faceted women who refuse to be put into a single box.

Each of us came as our own version of Barbie: CEO Barbie, Disco Barbie, Country Club Barbie. But this wasn’t just about playing dress-up; it was a reminder that women don’t have to choose between identities. We can be glamorous and strategic. We can be nurturing and competitive. We can lead boardrooms and dance under the neon lights of a roller rink.

But amid all the fun, the Barbie conversation took on a deeper meaning for me, one that made me reflect on my daughter and the world’s expectations of women like her.

Barbie was everything, but what does that really mean?

Barbie has always been a paradox. She was everything: a doctor, a scientist, a CEO, a pilot, and an athlete. She was proof that women could be anything they wanted.

But that’s where the contradiction begins. Barbie was expected to be everything, beautiful, accomplished, successful, kind, firm but not intimidating, independent but nurturing. And that expectation isn’t just fiction. It’s real life. It’s the same impossible balancing act women are expected to maintain every single day.

It’s the contradiction my daughter faced growing up.

More Than a Stereotype: Strength Beyond the Surface

By all conventional standards, my daughter is the perfect Barbie prototype: blonde, blue-eyed, and stunningly beautiful. But what people don’t immediately see is that she is also fiercely competitive, incredibly disciplined, and intellectually unstoppable.

She was a competitive cheerleader and gymnast, pushing herself to the limits of athleticism with the same drive and precision that she also applied to her academic career. She graduated from the University of Michigan with honors, not in some “soft” major that people might expect from someone who fits the stereotypical blonde cheerleader image, but in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, pre-med.

Despite all of her accomplishments, I have watched the world underestimate her time and time again. People see the beauty and make assumptions. They don’t immediately see the grueling hours of training, the late nights studying complex neurobiology, the ironclad discipline it takes to achieve at the highest levels.

Her journey is a mirror of the struggle that so many brilliant and ambitious women face; the expectation that we must choose between being beautiful or being taken seriously, between being feminine or being powerful, between excelling in one space at the cost of another.

And that’s why the Barbie movie, and specifically America Ferrera’s speech, hit so hard.

“You have to be thin, but not too thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You have to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line.”

Every woman, in one way or another, has felt this weight. The feeling of being too much and never enough all at once.

Redefining Success On Our Own Terms

As a female CEO in a male-dominated industry, I’ve spent my career not just pushing against, but actively dismantling these contradictions. I heard the constant directives: ‘Be assertive, but not aggressive,’ ‘Be firm, but not emotional,’ ‘Be bold, but not too bold.’ I tried to navigate these unspoken rules for years, stifling my instincts and feeling like an imposter. Until I realized that true power isn’t about conforming to a narrow definition of leadership but about embracing our authentic selves and trusting that that is enough.

I embrace empathy as a core strength, patience as a mark of resilience, and collaboration as a powerful engine for innovation. Success isn’t about choosing between being powerful or graceful, but in recognizing that grace is a form of power.  We don’t have to trade in one piece of our identity to earn credibility in another.

My daughter and this next generation of leaders are proof that women don’t have to be either/or.  They can be stunning and brilliant, athletic and academic, soft and strong, and walk confidently in a dress with sneakers, redefining what power looks like.

Owning Every Version of Ourselves

The best part of that Barbie party wasn’t just the outfits or the nostalgia, it was the realization that we don’t have to pick a single version of ourselves.

We are CEO Barbie. We are Disco Barbie. We are Country Club Barbie. We are mothers, daughters, athletes, leaders, dreamers, rebels, and visionaries.

And we don’t owe anyone an explanation for how we choose to show up in the world.

So here’s my takeaway for every woman reading this: You don’t have to be everything for everyone. You don’t have to shrink yourself to make others comfortable. You don’t have to fit into anyone’s idea of what a leader looks like.

You already are everything you need to be. And that is more than enough.

#AuthenticallyMe #PowerAndGrace #LeadershipUnfiltered #FeminineAndFierce