Women’s History Month: Building Our Legacy Today

What I Hope My Daughters Learn From Watching Me Build a Business

March is Women’s History Month.

It’s a time to reflect on the women who came before us. The ones who pushed doors open, challenged expectations, built businesses when they weren’t supposed to, and led in rooms where they weren’t always welcomed.

But this year, what’s been on my heart is something simpler. Deeper.

History isn’t just something we look back on.  We’re building it in real time.  Right now.

As a female founder and a mother of two daughters, this is deeply personal.

Since I opened Blackmere’s doors in 2011, when my youngest was just three years old, my daughters have quietly watched everything.

How I lead. How I handle stress. How I recover from disappointment. How I treat people. How I talk about money. How I talk about myself. What I tolerate. What I believe I deserve.

It’s a lot of responsibility. And, some days it’s deeply humbling.

I Want Them to See What Becoming Looks Like

Building a company as a woman - especially in technical spaces like executive search, cybersecurity, AI, and nuclear - has stretched me in ways I wasn’t prepared for.

There have been seasons of growth.  Seasons of contraction.  Moments of confidence.  And moments where I’ve found myself sobbing on the closet floor.

Entrepreneurship isn’t just about revenue, placements, or contracts.

It’s about becoming.

Becoming more decisive.  More resilient.  More comfortable with risk.  More grounded in your values.  More clear about your direction.  And more honest about your limits.

I don’t want my daughters to see a perfect woman (they already know that’s not possible).

I want them to see a woman who knows what she wants - and keeps going. Even when it feels impossible.

Women Belong at the Table

In many of the rooms I sit in - especially in the technical and government sectors Blackmere serves - women are still underrepresented.

But here’s what I hope my daughters absorb:

You do not need permission to lead.  You do not need to shrink to make others comfortable.  You do not need to apologize for ambition.  And you do not need to choose between strength and kindness.

You can be analytical and empathetic.  Strategic and intuitive.  Direct and mindful of your impact.

Leadership isn’t something you’re simply born with. It isn’t a personality type.

It’s built. In the small, daily decisions about where you choose where to direct your energy.

It’s choosing to speak up.  To make the decision.  To take the action.

Over time, these decisions become leadership. And, how you make them becomes your leadership style.

Courage Can’t Be Outsourced

There have been years that tested everything - financially, emotionally, personally, professionally.

What I’ve learned (often the hard way) is that no one is coming to rescue you.

It’s your job to build.  To pivot.  To ask for help.  To get back up. Again and again.

Courage is not loud.

Most days, it looks like opening your laptop again.  Making one more call.  Sending one more proposal.  Having one more hard conversation.

If my daughters learn nothing else from watching me build this business, I hope they learn this:

You are far more capable than you think.  

History Is Built on Ordinary Tuesdays

When we think about Women’s History Month, we often think about trailblazers and firsts.

But most history isn’t made in headlines.  It’s made on ordinary Tuesdays.  We’re making it today.

It’s made when you walk into a room, even when you’re unsure or don’t feel entirely welcomed.   When you negotiate fairly.  When you choose not to shrink.  When you lead with both conviction and empathy.  When you try again.

History is shaped by women who keep going.

This Month - and Beyond

During Women’s History Month, I’m reminded to honor the past.  Recognize that women have only been allowed to carry a mortgage for the last 50 years in America. It reminds me how lucky I am to the women who have come before me, making the path easier for my daughters and me.  It asks us all to honor the past.

But it also challenges us to consider the legacy we are actively creating.

In our companies.  In our teams.  In our homes.  In the next generation watching us.

If you’re building something - a company, a career, a family, your character, a second act - you are part of that living history.

Even when you don’t realize you’re being watched.

This month, I’m grateful for the women who came before me.

And I’m deeply aware that, in my own way, I am building the history my daughters will one day look back on.

I hope when they do, they don’t just see a business.

I hope they see a mother who was brave.

And I hope they know they can be brave too.

—

Domini Clark Founder & CEO 

Blackmere Consulting