In honor of International Women’s Day this Sunday, March 8th, I asked some of the women who inspire me most to share advice they wish they had received when they were just starting out in their careers. Regardless of where you are in your journey, we hope you read something that helps and inspires you.
“Don’t give fear a vote in shaping your future. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by self-doubt or intimidating situations, find your courage and stay true to yourself and your path. Also, give people the benefit of the doubt. You’ll be surprised how often their intentions are in the right place.”
Jackie Orlando Director, Product Management, Tealium
“Remove ‘just’ from your vocabulary i.e. ‘just saying”, ‘just a thought’ … it undermines the power of your opinions and ideas.”
Catherine Ballantyne, RVP, APJ Solutions Consulting, Tealium
“Be kind to yourself. Apply the same empathy and care that you give to others to your own sweet badass self.”
Maltie Maraj, Senior Counsel, Tealium
“Ask: for the raise, the account, the job, the deal, the business. It can only help you and if you never ask you won’t get the shot. Don’t worry about coming off as too pushy, always put your name in the hat for anything that can better you.”
Bridgette Doig, Senior Enterprise Account Executive, Tealium
“Make that little voice in your head stop being your biggest critic and instead be your biggest advocate and cheerleader. You are not an imposter. You deserve this and MORE. You worked for it. Take it and own it. And then tell this to all the women around you because I’m sure they need to hear it too.”
Theresa Pham, Director, Product, Tealium
“It’s ok to ask for help. Asking for help doesn’t mean you don’t know what you’re doing; it means you’re interested in learning to do it better.”
Elizabeth Valenta, Strategic Account Director, Tealium
“Design your life with curiosity, passion, and courage. It is never too late to explore, to prototype, to dip your toes in new waters. Your story evolves; embrace it.”
Brittany Tracy, Manager, Account Management, Tealium
“Think big and be true to yourself. Have the courage to always find your voice, share your thoughts and be part of the conversation.”
Laurie Schrager, VP, Global Revenue Operations, Enablement & Education, Tealium
“Find a mentor – someone who knows you well and will be honest with you. ‘You can do anything!’ is lovely, but ‘You’re really good at X, you should use that’ and ‘You will be more successful if you develop your skill at Y’ are more useful.”
Angela Boswell, Senior Corporate Counsel, Tealium
“You can’t control everything and stressing about achieving perfection or avoiding mistakes won’t result in a greater sense of control, only needless heartache. As things outside of your control can and will still go wrong and you can’t plan for everything.”
Sarah Sambell, Digital Strategist, Tealium
“Help others – there is room for everyone – by boosting others up – everyone wins. And be open to and ask for feedback – hearing hard things makes you better.”
Heidi Bullock, CMO, Tealium
“Don’t take yourself too seriously. Always keep the good humor and self-irony!”
Nina Dimov, Senior Product Designer, Tealium
“Be accountable to yourself and the decisions you make – you will make mistakes, it is okay.”
Kate Garcia, VP, Human Resources, Tealium
“Don’t hold back on sharing your ideas. Just because you only have X years of experience, don’t have a business degree, or are not a manager does not mean your ideas don’t hold weight. Never underestimate your worth and ability to contribute!”
Linsey McFarland, Account Executive, Tealium
And what’s the advice I’d share?
“Making everyone else happy is impossible. You will only make yourself unhappy trying. If you want to solicit opinions or feedback, focus on the individuals that are most important in your professional and personal life. Someone told me once that if you wouldn’t take advice from a person, don’t take their criticism.”
Meredith Albertson, VP, Marketing, Tealium
Empowered women empower women and we’re stronger together, so lets keep encouraging each other, together.
