When Tess McGill delivered this line in 1988, I was one of the millions of teenage girls that fell in love with an image of my future self.
As it turned out, I never delivered that line and my 10-year career in IT Consulting never got me my own office (or Harrison Ford). I often think of Tess McGill in Working Girl - in the scene when she describes how she came up with a business idea. Like Tess, I dreamed up The Filled Stocking Company from a collision of a few things.
In 2016 my youngest daughter was in Year 1 and I was THAT mum. I wasn't just on the PTA, I was the PTA. And I hated who I was. I think I was trying to prove myself because the fire in my belly of 1988 was still smouldering. I had watched enough episodes of The Apprentice to know that I could start by the simple model of buying and selling. So, I booked myself into all the school Christmas Fairs in my postcode and spent my savings account on stuff that I was going to sell. My passion was (and is) finding small ethical brands. I stand by shopping small and local and so I went to various trade shows in search of amazing products that I could easily sell.
I amassed a rather random selection of gifts. When I enthused about sustainability credentials to my prospective customers at each Christmas fair, their eyes glazed over. In 2016, 'sustainability', 'low-impact' and 'social good' weren't the marketing buzzwords they are today, I just came across as nerdy and self-righteous.
My 2016 Christmas was a total flop. On Christmas Eve, feeling pretty low, I got the children to bed, sat on the sofa and poured myself a glass of wine. My husband arrived home from work, merry after a few drinks and giddy with excitement about the Peter Jones bag he was carrying. I invited him to join me for a drink but, instead, he held up his hands and gestured that he was heading into the kitchen and I was to stay put. While hiding the bag behind his legs and grinning he said three little words that I will never forget and hopefully never have to hear again 'Where's the Sellotape?'