By Caroline Taylor, M&F Bank
As Women’s History Month draws to a close, people remember and celebrate those who broke barriers, pushed boundaries, and opened doors that once seemed firmly closed. As we should. The bold stories of those who have gone before us are important and remind us how far we’ve come.
Women’s History Month also causes me to reflect on the quiet moments of women around the globe who rarely make headlines. They are not overtly bold. They are not inherently heroic. They haven’t single-handedly changed policy, shifted perspectives, or started movements – but they are no less important than those who did.
I think of women like me who brave the early meetings where you’re not quite sure your voice will carry the same weight as everyone else’s. The late nights finishing a presentation after the house has finally gone quiet. The split-second decisions about whether to raise your hand, ask the question, or offer the opinion you’ve been turning over in your mind.
Micro-Moments Are Where Growth Begins
The small things are rarely groundbreaking, but they are meaningful. And the micro-moments filled with uncertainty and personal sacrifice are often where growth begins.
Early in my leadership journey, I experienced one of those defining micro-moments. I was a young African American woman in a strategy session with senior leaders discussing how to scale our SBA line of business. Finance has long been a male-dominated field, and at that table, most voices were louder, more established, more confident.
When I offered my perspective, it seemed to land quietly until a colleague echoed my exact suggestion, this time attaching my name to it. “As Caroline mentioned…” he began. It was a small gesture, but it shifted something in me. That moment taught me what true advocacy and allyship look like, and it marked the beginning of my journey toward finding my own voice at the table.
At the time, it would have been easy to feel intimidated – and I felt some of that – but I wanted to be part of the conversation. I had to speak up. And I had to trust that the perspective I brought to the table held value. In that moment, I learned that confidence isn’t always something you’re given or born with. It’s often something you must cultivate — one meeting, one challenge, and one opportunity at a time. After all, progress rarely happens without persistence.
Success Defined By a Working Mom
Of course, careers don’t unfold in a vacuum. Professional growth happens while life is taking place. In my case, that meant building a career while raising children and trying to be present in both worlds. Some days that balance feels manageable. Other days, not so much – more like the cacophony of a symphony as each instrument warms up before the show.
For me, success has never been about a perfect performance. It’s been a carefully choreographed juggle between career and motherhood. My children are deeply involved in competitive athletics, which means weekends often revolve around travel tournaments, airline schedules, and packed coolers for AAU basketball or track meets. It takes intentional planning, careful budgeting, and an ongoing effort to protect our family time.
I’ve had moments that tested that balance, like taking a red-eye flight home so I could be on the sidelines the next morning, or joining a team call from the track with one eye on the field and the other on my laptop. I’ve rearranged my schedule to make it to cheer practice and even found myself spotting my daughter as she practiced her back handspring – still in heels, straight from the office. To burn the midnight oil, catching up on things for work. Over time, I’ve learned the power of discernment: knowing when to close the laptop, cheer the next play, and be fully present for the moments that matter most.
Defining Success
My personal experience as a mother, blended with my professional experience as a career woman, has reshaped how I think about success.
The workplace tends to frame success in narrow terms like titles, milestones, and corner offices.
Motherhood can do the same – but with conversations centered around nursing, school options, grades, and sports.
But the more time I spend in both worlds, the more I believe that success isn’t defined by any single measure. It isn’t about perfection in any one space. It isn’t about constantly proving you can do more of whatever is being measured. And, it certainly isn’t about competing with anyone else’s version of achievement.
Success is about setting meaningful goals and then using the skills, gifts, and talents you’ve been given to pursue them. It’s about doing work that matters to you — and supporting others as they do the same.
For some women, success looks like leading teams or running companies. For others, it means mentoring the next generation, strengthening their communities, or quietly innovating in their field. Still, for some, it means pausing or even abandoning a career to raise a family.
There isn’t one blueprint for success…and that’s something worth celebrating. It’s also one of the reasons I’m proud to work for M&F Bank.
Our work is intentionally rooted in people — not just numbers or single metrics of success. Our team understands that the individuals and families we serve are entrepreneurs, parents, community leaders, and neighbors. We respect that they are building businesses while raising children, supporting employees while strengthening communities, and living full lives that cannot be neatly separated into independent categories.
That perspective shapes how we think about opportunity. Opportunity for women. Opportunity for men. Opportunity for families. Opportunity for business owners. Opportunity for access to capital. Opportunity for wealth. Opportunity for growth.
Final Thoughts from One Woman to Another
As a mother, I often think about what my children see as I work. I hope they see dedication and responsibility. I hope they see grit and integrity. I hope they understand that meaningful work and a meaningful life outside of work can coexist. But more than anything, I hope my children see that I stood tall in my faith, set boundaries around them, and didn’t do it alone. My husband and I make a great team, and their dad not only supported but also encouraged my career growth. I pray that my sons would do the same for their spouses and that my daughter will have this level of support from her husband.
My hope is that women entering or re-entering the workforce today see the possibility that they understand their voices belong in every room where decisions are being made. I hope they feel empowered to pursue leadership in ways that reflect who they truly are now and who they want to become in the future.
Organizations like M&F Bank have an important role to play in that future.
Businesses that intentionally invest in female leadership, create flexible environments for working parents, and recognize the value diverse perspectives bring don’t just support women — they build stronger, more resilient organizations.
Every generation benefits from the progress of those who came before them. I currently stand on the shoulders of women who pushed forward when the path was far less clear, and it is our – MY – responsibility to make that path even clearer for those who follow me.
As I think back to my younger self sitting in that meeting room years ago, quietly noticing she was the only woman at the table, I know exactly what I would tell her. It wouldn’t be complicated. Just this:
Success is rarely linear, easy, or uniform. Press on. Achieve. Do work that matters to you. But do it with your version of success in mind. And do it not only for yourself—but for those who will run their race long after you’ve finished yours.
And remember—it’s all going to work out. Trust your faith. Know who you were called to be. And always keep God and your family at the center of all you do.