Picture this: you’re sitting on your couch flipping through a magazine when all of a sudden, you see Doc with the DeLorean ready for you to take a trip through time.

Back to The Future style.

Would you jump in? Because I would.

And this time, we’re not going back to when Marty McFly got to meet his parents even before he was born, we’re going on a trip to see how different the world has been with women being recognized in the business world. And more importantly, in the hospitality industry.

We start our journey back in the 19th and early 20th century, when the idea of a female hotel worker, let alone a business owner, was more than unusual. Almost non-existent. And while some women were able to start their path into the hospitality industry as waitresses, or running small lodging facilities, it wasn’t until the eruption of World War I that created a significant opportunity for women to step in, since hotels and restaurants all around the world lost most of their male staff.

Women were needed. Wartime created not only opportunities for us, but it created a boom in the economy.

Now, we continue our journey to the 1920s when women were finally allowed to publicly vote. This meant that our voices were heard louder than before. This meant that it was time for a change. It took us getting the vote, another world war, and society’s changing attitude toward women’s role outside our homes to achieve what we have achieved today.

Sitting back in the DeLorean, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, we’ve come so far. Despite the hardships of time and society’s culture, we’re finally starting to be recognized for what we’ve always done.”

And you’re not wrong. But let’s set the year now to 2033, 10 years from today.

Hold on to your seat belts everybody, because this is going to be a ride!

What do you think we’ll see? What would have changed?

Well, my friend, this is up to you and me.

Visiting the past allows us to learn. It allows us to realize and see things that maybe, we didn’t see before. Knowing where we come from, and the efforts that have been made in order for us to be here, only makes us go forward.

Because the truth is, women have always been in the picture. We have been caretakers for years because that’s our nature. We have been administrators, nurturers, and leaders.

The only difference is that now our voices have become louder, stronger, and more powerful. Because the power of being a woman is the power of bringing more women with you.

So, what do you want to see in 2033?

The things we do and say today, are the things that will shape our future together.

Let’s keep applying for our dream jobs. Let’s keep creating opportunities where we don’t see them. Let’s show our future generation that we will always have a seat at the table.

Because whether it’s being a CEO, a hotel manager, a restaurant owner, or a business owner, now our voices will always be heard.

Let’s make sure that when somebody else jumps in Doc’s car and goes back to the future, they see a world where women are always present, recognized, and valued.

Let’s make women in hospitality be always our future.