The door swung close as the conference began. Fifty people sat round the table while ten stood. Out of the fifty seated only two were women. Out of the ten standing only one was a man. Lydia made a mental note. One day I will be one of those seated, she thought.
Mrs Joyce was observing the people around her and her eye locked onto to Lydia. This girl has ambition, she thought. It would not hurt to provide her with more opportunities.
Someone knocked at the door and a chariot was pushed in bearing drinks. Manuela was worried that the service would not be up to par if left to others, so she decided to serve the clients personally.
Laura standing next to Lydia scoffed as she whispered "I can't imagine ever lowering myself to such menial task."
Lydia frowned at that and was about to respond when Manuela beat her to it. "You must feel exalted carrying shoes and papers for others instead of tea."
Manuela then ignored Laura and served tea to the fifty seated. Then left the chariot in the corner and turned to the ten stranded. "Feel free to take from the leftovers if you wish." Then excusing herself walked out of the room.
Who would dare walk to the chariot after such a remark. Laura did not repent but instead laughed whilst asking "What's there to be proud about as a waitress?"
Mr Ian Taylor the chair of the meeting and CEO of A Better You looked over at Laura and shook his head. "It's a shame to be muddled and unaware at such a young age. You just met one of the most remarkable businesswoman of our city but you are attempting to belittle her."
He signaled his secretary over and called the meeting to a start, not forgetting to add it would not hurt to stay updated of current events.
Mrs Joyce laughed. Not many were able to achieve what Manuela had. With no high school diploma in hand, a young cleaner had moved from one area of hospitality to another, gathering years of knowledge and experience to open up what is now the leading enterprise for hospitality and care.
What Manuela had built in Etiquette Essentials and Hospitality Personified, EEHP for short was a one stop shop for many businesses. The fact that Laura was not aware of who she was, displayed Laura's ignorance.
Lydia turned to Laura, " That was Manuela Pascal, owner of EEHP."
Karen who had little tolerance for Laura, quipped in "No one would have confirmed you are an idiot if you had remained silent."
Laura was embarrassed and annoyed. Not knowing how to or if to respond, she simply lowered her head. This would be the beginning of a long journey of reflection and self improvement.
The idea that a person can achieve anything she sets her mind to has become a common thought extolled by society. Yet, the road blocks encountered by women give rise to the question "can we really?"
In the business world the image of the woman makes for excellent marketing. Yet in that boardroom, the three seated were a signal of hope while those standing served as a reminder of the norm.