Melissa D. Smith’s Post

As part of Women’s History Month, I’ve been reflecting on the role models who shaped my own path. My greatest leadership inspiration came early – not from a boardroom, but from my mother. A working mother with three daughters, she often cheered us on at our respective athletic endeavors in a business suit, fresh from work. She instilled in my sisters and me that education and a career provide indispensable independence. And whenever we talked about something we couldn’t do, she would simply ask: “Why not?” That single question – Why not? – reframed some of my most pivotal professional decisions. It gave me the courage to forge my own path in situations that lacked a blueprint. My mother’s lesson challenges me to this day not to shy away from trying something new or uncomfortable, and I’m trying to pass that same attitude on both at WEX and to my own children. You can do hard things. As individuals, we will always face obstacles and will never have all the answers. That’s why community, mentorship, and advocacy matter so profoundly. We all benefit when we continue to support one another and keep challenging the status quo by asking, “Why not?”