Enriching children's experiences of science beyond the curriculum increases their own personal 'portfolio' that they will carry with them through life (ASPIRES Research, 2020) and which can help them make informed choices about subject and career choices when the time comes. Conversations with family are vital to children's thinking, aspirations and decision-making processes, and those lucky enough to have a range of professions represented in their family can access these conversations readily. However, others rely on the spark created in school settings to seed these thoughts, and for them to start the conversations at home. In this article, Joy Parvin shares the stories of four female scientists working in industry.