She Said, "My VP Looks Like Me!"
She beamed with surprise, joy, excitement, and an awareness of a whole new world before her. What a gift for a child. Her world became full of wonder right then and there. I took that wonderful impression from a social media post this morning, …
“All the emotions today. 🧡😭 #MyVPLooksLikeMe”.
I like scanning my favorite feeds for positive things and quick reads each morning, you know, to start the day on a gratuitous foot. This post made my heart sing.
The funny thing here, this post, it’s from Henna Merchant Pryor’s inner child! She’s an incredible woman, not quite to her 40’s yet. A remarkable professional coach. Her world changed when Kamala Harris became VP, and she’ll forever dream anew now! Yes, even at this point in her life! Just like her, her daughter and son will dream anew also. And for that matter her husband too. (And, yeah, I know Henna, you're not old- especially compared to me.)
“My VP Looks Like Me!”
This is so, so, important. We're visual beings. If "My VP looks like me” has that kind of impact on a near 40-year-old, imagine, and I mean, really imagine, what it can do for person in a lifetime, from childhood.
We're neurologically set to see similarities and patterns to help us navigate our way through life. And we don't do this alone, we do it as individuals in belonging, in our social environments, in tribe. Where we belong in the tribe either helps or hinders us by what we see and experience, and that influences how we craft our own story. I've been known to say this, “The story we tell ourselves is the story we live. Make sure you and the contributing editors you allow in, belong together.” I've had the blessed fortune of getting to know Henna in 2020, and I can't wait to see the edits she comes up with. Thank you for this marvelous post my friend!
In a lifetime from childhood
Our children live and imagine their story from what they see and experience. They write, edit and rewrite their story as they take in everything around them. This is why the representations we get from efforts in DEI are important. We need it for our children, so their stories will be better than our stories, go beyond them. We don't need DEI for increased performance, fixing past wrongs, or making things fair… all that naturally happens when people dream beyond the past and the now, and are given the means to travel there in belonging.
Her daughter got to say, my mom the CEO, she looks like me.
VP’s that look like She
Back when I was a VP of people and culture, I had the pleasure of working with three women VPs. Their daughters got to say, “my mom the VP looks like me.” Now, they're not all going to follow a similar story to their moms, but, they know it's possible for them. It's in front of them every single day. They'll write their own story for sure, even to their mom’s great angst. In one of the proudest mom moments expressed to me, a woman COO, (soon to be CEO then and now is) had her young daughter come to work with her, and, even do work related projects that helped the company. (Don't worry, child labor laws weren't violated.) Her daughter even set up a desk for herself. She was so proud to contribute, venturing into the adulting world. As as her daughter writes her future story, maybe she's a CEO. She knows it's possible for her to belong in her world as one, well, thanks to mom and many other brilliant and talented women.
Trails were blazed with each herstory
Just this week, in conversations with some phenomenal women, I listened to a “herstory” from one, where she had to quit being a commercial pilot because it was seen that a pregnant woman would be to emotional to fly a plane. Yes, she's thankful that that's no longer a regulation. In another woman's herstory (quite successful in sales!), her daughter makes her own choices that sometimes drives her nuts. Both moms paved the way for their children. And their children, well, they’ll choose their own way. What matters though, that their daughters (and sons) now have more opportunities because of them.
Our children will compose their story where they see and imagine they belong. The story they'll write is the story they'll live. There's a lot being said about our new vice president being a woman, black and Asian. I personally believe, it's wonderful because what is possible, in the eyes and hearts of so many, just got bigger.
Imagine, if we pursued DEI for our children, instead of profits, sins of the past, and fairer numbers.
Hey Henna, our new VP, she looks like your daughter. Imagine the story she’ll write because of this day.
Thanks for reading. Catch ya, Paul
Oh, and no my new VP doesn't look like me. Maybe the old one from 4+ years ago did 😏.