At Clear Path, we work with clients to help them build resilience so that they can more effectively respond to change, adversity and other challenging circumstances. Researchers like Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth have written extensively about the fact that the ability to maintain a growth (vs. fixed) mindset and build “grit” are attributes that most successful people share, as success is rarely achieved in a linear fashion, but rather by persevering through (and learning from) the inevitable setbacks we encounter along the way. Whether you’re working with a coach or looking for insights to help reinforce your own growth mindset, I find that hearing other people’s stories is always inspirational.
Today I’d like to share a success story from my own network. Denise Broady is Chief Operating Officer at WorkForce Software and an Advisory Board Member to several tech startups. She is a successful female executive in a male-dominated industry by any yardstick, but her trajectory from refugee to the C-suite, and her passion for women’s leadership, mentorship, and building a purpose-driven career, make her story a particularly compelling one.
Here it is, in her own words:
On overcoming difficult circumstances:
“My mother, brother and I escaped from Vietnam in 1979 when I was five, and we ended up in a refugee camp in Malaysia before getting sponsored by my great aunt to immigrate to Virginia. My mother had four children in Vietnam, but during the escape she only had two hands, so only two of us left with her. I did not meet the rest of my family until I was 21.
Growing up in low-income projects and the welfare system, I did not even think about going to college due to the opportunity cost to making an hourly wage. My mother thought my best career option was to be a beautician; ironically, I was not into aesthetics at all. I hustled to make extra money in high school and wrote for the Richmond Times Dispatch. This gave me exposure to the business world and helped me understand I could do anything that I set my mind to. I always loved to read and my favorite escape from my immigrant childhood was through biographies where I could get a glimpse into someone else’s life and live vicariously through the subject. My favorite was Ben Franklin; I related to him growing up in a poor family, yet he was curious about so many different things.”
On entering the tech world:
“I got a couple of small scholarships which gave me enough confidence to apply to college and be the first in my family to receive a college degree. My time at Virginia Tech (and a study abroad experience in Russia) gave me courage and expanded my view of the world. I studied Business and Marketing and had no idea that technology was a viable career for me. My goal was to work and save enough money to go to law school and pay off all my student loans. I also wanted to do manufacturing efficiency and quality on the shop floor, but all my interviews for the manufacturing jobs were not successful. I noticed I was getting offers from consulting companies and figured this was where I was meant to go. Consulting gave me exposure to different businesses and I developed soft skills such as the ability to work in very diverse teams. From there I moved on to SAP where I stayed for almost 15 years, starting in Solution Marketing and working my way up to COO, Industries and Core Lines of Business.”
On helpful career advice:
“The best advice I got early on was to not view my job solely as a way to collect a paycheck. This philosophy instilled a different risk level for me and helped me to think about my career as a marathon, not a sprint.
The best career advice I offer others is: don’t be afraid to do something ’outside of the box‘ because you never know where it might lead. There have been many times where I had to create the opportunities I wanted simply because I wouldn’t take no for an answer! I’ve worked at both small and very large companies doing everything from business development, marketing and communications, training to enablement, operations, consulting and so much more. I was very purposeful in my first decade of working to become a well-rounded employee which made me a well-rounded executive when the time came.”
On failure:
“Failure is inevitable and universal; it is also a prerequisite to success. If you try and you fail, you will go back to zero – so technically there is no gain/no loss. This mindset has enabled me to take lots of risks. I was almost fired on my first job when I was unable to translate customer requirements to code a specific transaction. With the support of a project manager, I honed my coding skills enough to eventually teach 6 classes of newbies on how to code in SAP’s proprietary language. I was super-determined to prove to my colleagues that I could do it, but more importantly, to myself that I could code and overcome my own fears.
Even now with much career success behind me, I’ve been working on getting a public board spot. There is no doubt that trying to get a board spot in a publicly-traded company is very tough (and tough on your ego). That’s when my life philosophy kicks in: you just have to keep swimming – don’t let failures get in the way. At the end of the day, everything is a learning experience and you’ve got to find a way to embrace the journey.”
On giving back:
“I feel blessed to have so many people mentor and support me throughout my life and career. My first experience with mentorship was when I was part of the Big Sister/Big Brother program. I grew up with a single mother and she was too busy working and putting food on the table to spend the time with us doing ordinary things like going to the movies or an amusement park. I’ll never forget Francis Slaughter, my big sister, who showed me that life was not just about work and making money, but there was room to grow your curiosity through different experiences.
For all the folks that I’ve mentored, I’ve only had one ask of them – to always pay it forward. These are just some examples of how you can make an impact, one step at a time.”
(You can read more of Denise’s thoughts on mentorship in her blog post on the topic: Power of Mentorship. )
On the key to success:
“Successful people never stop learning! The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know. No matter how high you rise in your career, always educate yourself about what’s happening around you and in your industry.”
Now you see why I am so inspired by Denise’s story, and I hope you will be too. I especially appreciate her attitude towards risk, her courageous and positive mindset and her belief in the importance of mentorship and continued learning.
Thank you, Denise, for sharing your story and inspiring others!
