Fearless Girl - A letter to my daughter

Dear Ava,

When I found out over a year ago that I was having a baby girl, I was over the moon with excitement. I was praying that I would have a girl. Why? Because I feel there is no better time to be a woman than today and I wanted an opportunity to pass down to you all that I’ve learned in the hopes that you can learn from my experiences and reach your full potential. You overcame many obstacles to be a part of my life and you are my “Fearless Girl.”

State Street Global Advisers, the investment firm behind the "Fearless Girl" statue, announced earlier this year that of the 787 all-male boards in the United States, Britain and Australia that 152 are adding women to their boards and another 34 said they plan to in the near term. While women still have a long way to go to get to gender parity, we are starting to make progress. Companies are emphasizing the importance of women in leadership positions and are making conscience efforts to ensure we are represented. There are more women in positions of power than ever before; such as CEOs, mayors, and even Presidential candidates. When I first started my career in technology sales, I was the only female field sales rep on my team and the youngest. In fact, I was the only female they had ever had on that team. Women are now starting to be more represented within technology and finance and other previously male dominated industries.

This year will mark the 1 year anniversary of the “Fearless Girl” statue in New York, and as we approach your 1st birthday, I felt there was no better time to write you a letter to let you know what you mean to me and my hopes for you. There are 3 things that I hope that I can impart upon you: 1) Run your own race, 2) Stand up for your convictions and be fearless, 3) Persevere through challenges because when doors close, you can always find a window to open, and there is always greatness on the other side.

My hope for you is that you find your passion and persevere through obstacles to reach your full potential. When I ran track in high school I use to look behind me in the race and my Father would always say to me, “Amber run your own race. When you look behind you are losing valuable time.” I’ve applied this same saying to business. I chose a path in life that was my own. It wasn’t the easiest path and I faced many challenges on my journey. There were not many women in software sales when I chose that as a career and I moved from a small town in Canada to California to take a role, when I knew no-one in California. The obstacles I faced along my journey turned out to be stepping stones to greater opportunities.

Through your journey, always stand up for your convictions, be fearless, and have the courage to do what you believe is right despite what those around you are doing. This goes hand in hand with running your own race. The values that you have are unique to you and being unique is a gift from God.

There will be doors along your journey that will close, but persevere until you find a window because there is always greatness on the other side. There were several people on my journey that told me “No” or that I couldn’t achieve certain goals, but if you have passion and persevere, than you can accomplish more than you thought possible. I will always be proud of all you do and will be your biggest fan. I will try not to spoil you, as I believe that hard work, grit, and old fashion hustle are the ingredients to success.

You are the best thing that has happened in life. You wake up every day with a huge smile on your face and a zest for life. It’s very possible that I’ve learned more from you in your short life than you’ve learned from me. You’ve taught me to cherish every moment and appreciate the little things. Having you has made me a better business leader, wife, daughter, and human being. I still have a lot to learn and I hope that we can continue to learn from each other and grow together. You have such a bright future and I’m excited to be on this journey with you to see you grow from a “fearless girl” to a “fearless woman.”

Love,

Your Mom