Future Nostalgia

One of the most unexpected things I've discovered while building For All Daughters is the reaction women have when they hear the combination lock click open.

More than once, I've watched someone stop mid-conversation, smile and say:

"Oh, I remember that sound."

Almost invariably, what follows is:

"It reminds me of my dad."

What strikes me every time is that they're not really talking about the briefcase itself. They're remembering the person who carried it. The life he built. The example he set. The quiet significance of watching someone leave for work every morning and understanding, even as a child, that what they were doing mattered..

It has made me think differently about professional legacy.

As more women become leaders, founders, partners, CEOs and decision-makers, I often wonder what future generations will remember about them.

What will become the symbols of their careers?

What will remind their children of the lives they built and the example they set?

Perhaps one day, a daughter, or son will look upon the well-worn briefcase that belonged to her mother.  The leather softened by years of use.  The corners marked by meetings attended, opportunities taken and challenges overcome.  The lock still clicking open exactly as it did decades before.

And perhaps, with pride, affection and nostalgia, they will simply say:

"That was Mum's."