By Elizabeth Ventura
I always say that of all the titles I have, “mommy” is the one that I am most proud of. While some might think that motherhood is a hindrance to becoming successful as a leader in the workplace, I actually think it’s the opposite.
Being a mom has helped me grow in ways that go way beyond the boardroom. Watching my daughter learn and grow over the years has made me more patient, more empathetic, and even more intentional about the way I lead and work.
Here are just some of the lessons that my daughter has taught me:
Traveling is one of our favorite ways to make memories and have new adventures together
Stay Curious and Have a Sense of Adventure
Like any child her age, my daughter approaches the world with an unshakable sense of wonder. She constantly asks questions and shows enthusiasm for things that she is experiencing for the very first time. Especially when we travel, she is always so eager to see these new places and excited to taste new food, meet new faces, and try new activities. She meets all of it the same way, leaning in with genuine curiosity instead of hesitating.
And her energy makes me feel just as excited to experience them, too. Watching her, I’m reminded that curiosity is something that consistently needs to be cultivated. It’s easy to take it for granted when you’ve been in an industry long enough to think you’ve seen it all.
In business, the leaders I admire most are the ones who’ve kept that same openness and sense of wonder. Those who truly stand out are the ones who treat a new market, a new idea, or a new change as something worth being excited about – not something to be wary of.
Failure is part of progress
Failure is a normal part of life – especially in a highly competitive field like sales. Some opportunities don’t work out, some ideas fall flat, and sometimes a deal you worked hard for falls through. Learning to accept failure with grace and start over is an important part of growing.
I see this in my daughter more than I expected to. Like many kids, she is still learning how to pick herself back up after a setback – whether it’s an exam she could have done better on or a school project that didn’t go her way. I make sure to give her the support she needs, but it’s encouraging to see how she stays optimistic and tells me about how she plans to do better.
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us pick up the habit of dwelling too long on our mistakes. She hasn’t yet, and I hope whatever I’m doing right as her mother helps her hold onto that a little longer.
Elyse with her close friends from school
Empathy and kindness build relationships that last
Watching my daughter form friendships is something that brings me great joy. Her natural ease for connecting with those around her is a true gift. And she never performs kindness for the sake of getting anything in return – she simply extends it to those around her because it doesn’t occur to her NOT to be kind.
In sales, it’s easy for every interaction and every connection to become transactional. But relationships should be more than just closing a sale. The clients who end up trusting you for years aren’t necessarily those that were the easiest to close. They’re the ones that you treat with the same childlike kindness. They’re the ones who you listen to and show up for, without a strategy or an agenda. Just empathy and genuine care.
What I Want My Daughter (and other Women in Business) to Know
As my daughter grows, I want to share with her the same wisdom that she’s imparted to me, whether she realizes it or not. And it’s my hope that other women – whether they’re moms themselves or not – will find these valuable as well.
I want her to know that she never has to become anyone else to succeed. I want to help her get to know her strengths, nurture her unique talents, and encourage her to have confidence in what she brings to the world.
Some may tell us that our kindness, empathy, and curiosity make us soft. But I’ve learned that it’s these qualities that can become our greatest strengths, especially in a world that constantly tells us we need to be louder, tougher, and more guarded.
My daughter reminds me that these qualities that we are often encouraged to leave behind as we become adults are the very ones that can help us be better people. And perhaps that is the greatest lesson she has taught me: that no matter how old we get, we never really stop learning and growing.