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Maci’s stomach lurched. It seemed like they were always coming up. Every week it was something new. She really didn’t want to deal with it right now, but she knew she had to.
“Thanks Ava,” she said, her voice strained. “I’ll be right down.”
Maci hung up the phone and stared at the piles of paperwork on her desk. She had worked her entire career for this opportunity, and now it was finally here. She was finally able to make a difference, to make her mark. She had to be ready.
Maci took a deep breath, stood up, and grabbed her briefcase. She straightened her navy-blue power suit and put on her three inch black pumps from underneath her desk, making sure she looked professional. She ran her fingers through her curly brown hair, took one last look at the papers on her desk, and walked out of her office with purpose. It was time to face the boardroom and make her mark.
As Maci made her way towards the conference room, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being a fraud. She worked hard to get here, but she still felt like an outsider among these elite members of the business world. It didn’t help that they were all men. and looked at her with skepticism. With each step forward, Maci reminded herself of why she was there: to prove herself as an equal in this cutthroat industry.
When she arrived at the conference room, John was already there waiting for her.
“Maci,” he said with a nod when he saw her enter. “They’ve been waiting.”
John understood how tough it could be for women in their line of work; he had seen it firsthand with his own wife’s struggles. He respected Maci’s ambition and tenacity even if some board members dismissed them.
Together they entered the lion’s den dominated by select few executives who thought themselves superior to others just because of their wealth status.
The board member on top started speaking about something irrelevant - as usual - while having cocktail drinks amidst scrutinizing looks on every face around him.
In the midst of all this chaos, confused thoughts and skeptical gazes staring right back down at him, Maci took up courage- she stood tall holding onto confidence inside not letting anything deter her. “I think we are far away from our main agenda here. I suggest we refocus ourselves, strategize accordingly, and you will find the answers.” And indeed, the conversation slid directly into achieving what needed attention, rather than beating around the bush unnecessarily.
Everyone looked stunned yet impressed.
“Honestly, I’m surprised you are even here today,” Mr. Jones said, looking square into her eyes.
Maci didn’t miss a beat; instead, she gave him an easy smile and responded coolly: “Well, sir, it is my job after all.”
The man grunted but couldn’t deny her logic. He spoke about the merger exploration between two conglomerates.
“You raise valid points.” one finally spoke out, breaking silence from across the table where they had paraded for over half an hour.
Maci didn’t let the recognition go to her head, even though she knew it was a challenge for women like herself to be taken seriously among this crowd. She had worked too hard for too long to have anyone doubt her capabilities.
As the conversation went on, Maci took strategic notes and analyzed every suggestion being made. She saw potential flaws in some of their ideas and knew exactly how they could be fixed.
“So, what do you suggest we do?” Mr. Jones asked, looking expectantly at Maci. This would never work if they didn’t trust in her ability to do the role they chose for her. Being the Chief Financial Officer meant they needed to listen to her concerns.
She straightened up in her chair before answering: “I propose we explore alternative strategies such as expanding our market into emerging economies rather than solely focusing on mergers.”
The room fell silent as everyone looked at each other with uncertainty but after hearing detailed implementation plan laid out by Maci, the board members finally nodded acknowledging that change was necessary if they wanted their firms to thrive amidst changing dynamics of ever-changing global economic scenario.
It wasn’t just about proving herself now, it was proving that strides were possible outside established norms; patience, endurance, determination were virtues valued, not gender or race or ethnicity - something which defined humanity better- was key takeaway from today’s ordeal.
As they stood up to leave, one board member pulled Maci aside.
“I have been skeptical about your abilities,” he said bluntly."But today I saw something different in you - something special."
His words surprised her but also ignited within her a new sense of confidence and motivation. “Thank you,” she said firmly, meeting his gaze without hesitation. “I’m glad I could prove myself.”
With newfound respect earned, Maci walked out feeling invigorated, ready for whatever challenge comes next.
Maci made her way back to her office to dwindle down the rest of her paperwork and emails before she left for the weekend. Some people like taking vacations and being away from work, but when having a job like hers, it was only a hassle. She just ended up coming back to twice as much work, so vacations were never really vacations.
Ava knocked gently on the wooden door of Maci’s office. When she heard the muffled reply, she opened the door and stepped in cautiously. She found Maci looking intently at her laptop, her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun and her brow furrowed.
“Ah, Ava. Come in, please.” Maci said, finally looking up from her laptop. “I’m almost finished. What are you still doing here?”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just wanted to confirm what time your flight leaves tomorrow morning,” Ava said, leaning against the doorframe.
