The day I started watering my neighbors garden.

After graduating in law, I made a bold decision: I changed paths to chase my dream of working in fashion. I enrolled in a master’s program in product management in Milan—a one-year course entirely in English, which terrified me. To prepare, I spent a few months working as an au pair in the UK, just to make sure my language skills were up to the challenge.

The program turned out to be an experience that teetered between exhilarating and traumatic. I was surrounded by people from all over the world—multilingual, fashion-savvy, brilliant. They spoke with polished British accents and carried designer bags. You know that feeling of being the dumbest person in the room? Well, I wasn’t even in the room yet, and I already felt like the dumbest one there.

Months passed, and I finally started to find my footing. I was learning, growing, and becoming part of the group. One of my favorite subjects was project management. I’ve always had a knack for organizing and coordinating work—both mine and others’—so it came naturally.

Then one day, our professor split us into groups for an exercise. We had to brainstorm ideas, write them on Post-it notes, and organize them on a wall according to specific criteria. In my group, there was a girl I deeply admired. Let’s call her Catherine. She had a natural ability to command attention—energetic, proactive, confident, always smiling. A born leader.

As we worked, the professor wandered around, observing each team. When he reached ours, Catherine took the lead, explaining our logic and execution. But I, threatened by not being the leader, interrupted her. I contradicted her in a way that made her look bad—almost ridiculing her. My fragile ego needed to feel big, and the only way it knew how was by making someone else feel small.

The professor sided with me, even praising my “shark-like” assertiveness. But I felt guilty for days. Still, I never found the courage to apologize. I was too ashamed to face how bad I had been and what my actions had done to Catherine. Admitting my mistake would have meant confronting the ugliness of my own insecurity, and I wasn’t ready for that. So, I avoided it, hoping the situation would fade away. And to this day, I’m ashamed of how I acted.

The program ended, we all graduated with excellent grades, and then life happened. The pandemic hit, and we all lost touch.

A year and a half later, after completing my internship and experiencing a disappointing job, I found myself back on the market, searching for a role that excited me. And then I found it—the perfect job. A small company, about 30 people, specializing in high-quality women’s apparel. Love at first sight.

I aced the first interview. It felt surreal—my dream job materializing before my eyes. Out of curiosity, I checked the company’s LinkedIn page. And there she was. Fate, with its sharp sense of irony.

Catherine had been working there for a year and a half.

I know what you’re thinking. “You deserve this, you jerk.” Karma was coming for me. But here’s the real plot twist: Catherine, without anyone asking her, vouched for me. She put in a good word, saying I was the best choice they could make.

They hired me.

I thanked her endlessly. But I never had the courage to apologize for that day. Part of me hoped she had forgotten.

Since then, I’ve made a promise to myself: to water my own garden daily, instead of pouring weed killer on someone else’s just to make mine seem greener. In fact, I’ve vowed to water my neighbors’ gardens, especially when they’re away. Because walking through a neighborhood full of blooming gardens makes the whole place more beautiful.

Moral of the story? It’s never too late to be a better person. We all have moments when our insecurities get the best of us, but it’s how we choose to grow from them that matters. It’s time we create a world where women uplift each other, rather than feeling threatened by each other’s brilliance. Because when one woman rises, we all rise.

Let me know if something similar ever happened to you, and if you struggled to apologize - here to read you 💕

Marti