Someone asked him this down the thread. He replied that it was said to him. So it’s a first party account.
I'd love to see/hear the words that people actually say when I hear stories like "they said they wouldn't [invest/buy/etc] from me because i'm a woman".
At the company Christmas party that year (which had clients invited, for reasons I do not know) - that client merrily said to my face "boy, I thought the project was going to fail with a woman in charge, but you sure proved me wrong!"
Apparently I had murder written all over my face, and coworkers who overheard were impressed I didn't deck him.