Success breeds success.

Back in the day, when we had a real home phone (landline and all), my sister and I weren’t allowed to just answer it with a plain “hello.” Nope. My mom had a script. We had to say, “Riley residence, Jackie speaking,” clearly, politely, and with a smile you could hear through the phone. It felt so official, like we were working at a front desk instead of just trying to talk to our friend from school. I remember thinking, Why is this such a big deal? It’s just the phone.

But my mom didn’t see it as just the phone. She saw it as practice. Practice for speaking clearly, for being polite, for presenting ourselves with a little confidence. It was one of those small things that, as a kid, felt unnecessary, but now I see how it shaped me. That tiny routine taught me how to greet people, how to sound sure of myself, how to represent something bigger than just me, our family, our home, and eventually, my own future.

As our mom often reminded us, “Success breeds success.” And I get it now. Every little moment where she asked us to step up, like answering the phone with purpose, was a building block. One small success leading to the next. All those tiny “extra” things she made us do? They added up. And funny enough, I still kind of say that line in my head when I pick up a call today.