It is more than 30 years since women were granted the right to equal pay in the UK and it is generally accepted that there is still more work to be done to redress thousands of years of imbalance.
However, when I look at how much we have achieved in that comparatively short space of time, it makes me so excited about what more we have the power to do in the years to come. That is the message that I am proud to see in the achievements of so many incredible women who are a shining light both for myself and younger generations.
In our efforts to strive for more it is sometimes easy to forget to celebrate how far we have all come both collectively and individually, and this is where the Women of The Future awards in November provides such a fantastic opportunity to take note of a type of hard work and dedication that is uniquely and fantastically feminine.
I work with a team of more than 40 people at Spabreaks.com, a whole mixed bag of characters who inspire me every day because of their personal talents and perspective on the world and their work. Naturally, many of these are women, and it is true that they bring something to the proverbial table that I simply wouldn't be without. I am a firm believer that it takes all sorts to make a company work and I don't think that any one individual can take the credit for a successful venture. I do however think that a world that encourages women to be a part of the working environment and helps them to aim for the top of whatever field it is they seek to conquer, benefits us all.
I am an admirer of the Sheryl Sandbergs, Arianna Huffingtons, and Tamara Mellons of the world, and I am proud of the individuals who have helped to make my own team shine over the last five years. These are the people I point my own little girl towards as role models and reminders that she lives in a time and place where she can do whatever she wants to do.
Last year I had the great privilege of being nominated for a Women of the Future award and going to the event in London was not only an honour because of the acknowledgement it represented, but also because it was a chance to meet so many other women who had achieved things in a variety of different fields from industry leaders to academics, entrepreneurs to sporting heroes. So I can't wait to see who is among the names on the shortlist this year. The more women there are like them, the better, and the more we recognise what they are doing then I am confident that even more people will be inspired to achieve some unimaginable goals.
With that possibility the future is a very exciting place but the best part about those women and these awards is not what they are going to do in the future, but that they are real women who are actually making a difference today.