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Investor and Advocate, June Angelides MBE is best known for starting the UK's first child-friendly coding school for mums, Mums in Tech, while on her second maternity leave from Silicon Valley Bank. She is also one of the very few black women in Venture Capital. She was recently recognised on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 and awarded an MBE for her services to women.
Dear June,
I want you to know that everything works out. It works out because you never forgot where you came from. You never forgot about all the sacrifices your mother made to ensure you had the best start. You remembered when she said, ‘Make Papa proud’.
Continue to stand up for what you believe to be the right thing, even if it means you standing alone. Your unwavering values will lead to you achieving more than you ever dreamed of.
Looking back, I wish I had said yes to more things. Don’t let fear hold you back. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realise that word failure needs a makeover. Don’t think of it as the end of the road, but rather as an opportunity to make changes and keep learning. You know that chemistry class you really want to take? Take it. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it just because you didn’t make the grades.
I’m going to fill you in on a little secret. ‘Grades aren’t the only factors to success’. You actually don’t end up getting that first class and you didn’t let that stop you. Your superpowers are understanding people and your resourcefulness. You don’t end up studying psychology, but it is so innate in you. Tap into it. Get comfortable with embracing your superpower.
I know you. You love to be everywhere, speaking to everyone, planning and making the impossible happen. Slow down a little bit and take stock. I wish someone had told me that I didn’t need anyone to recognize my achievements. I wish I’d known that life is not a competition with others, with celebrities. We should be aspiring to be better versions of ourselves and the only way we can do that is to take stock. To acknowledge the things we have done well and the things that maybe didn’t go as well as we hoped. To know yourself is to love yourself. And self-love is something I want you to know, to understand and to feel.
The world is complicated and messy, and I know you want to fix it. You want to see everyone happy. This is you. You will want to give all of you all the time. I want you to know that it’s ok to say no sometimes. You can’t give from an empty glass. Look after your health – eat right, exercise and pray. Make time for loved ones. Family first. Remember what Mama said, ‘ Charity begins at home’. Don’t burn out trying to please everyone. Make time for yourself too. Time to relax, time to heal.
I know you have always felt a little out of place, not knowing where you belong. Not fitting into any one definition of culture or nationality. That’s ok. Embrace it. Don’t hide any aspect of your heritage. That is what makes you unique. You can embrace it all.
My last message to you would be to remember that you were put on this earth to help people. That is your calling. Let that be your guiding light. Always make sure that whatever you do aligns with that and you will be happy. You grow up appreciating the power of community. The power of a movement. You end up starting your own movement for mothers. You fight for equality. You fight for flexible working. You become intentional about your life. You become a role model. Your children are very proud of you. Their mummy can do anything she puts her mind to and so can you.