Going beyond the glass ceiling

I originally published this article on my LinkedIn profile in August 2018.

In lieu of the recent GM announcement, I’ve got something to say… 

A few weeks ago I had dinner with a group of former colleagues and a mentor. What was interesting about this group is that three of us used to work for the fourth, who, over time of being our CEO has become a mentor in a different way to each of us.

Besides reflecting on how far we’ve come since we met nearly 10 years ago, we saw where we were each heading. We’re becoming homeowners, getting married, settling down, but more importantly, we’re working in jobs where we feel valued, we’re starting our own companies and we’re there to support each other and to push each other further.

My mentor said to me that evening, in a hip little ceviche restaurant in Paris, that he was proud of what my former colleagues were doing with their careers and lives (one works for an NGO and the other is on the way to starting her own project in sustainable farming), but he was counting on me to become the CEO of the group.

Close to 10 years later, after having learned how to cross every t and dot every i and not accept mediocre work, I did not think I’d be speechless in front of him. I was taken aback and did not know what to say.

With GM’s recent announcement of appointing a female CFO to join the ranks of Mary Barra in the C-suite something hit me…

As I was reading this article, I initially said to myself “Go, girl!” And then I got upset, “Why is this breaking news? This should be happening every day.” This should not be shocking to us in 2018.

I was raised by two full-time working parents who have instilled in me the belief that I can do anything that I set my mind to — not anything that I just believe in — but truly anything that I work hard for and put my energy into.

Life does not get served to us on a silver platter, but if we work hard, be honest, and get shit done, then we can go as far as we want.

I used to not know what I wanted to do with my career — and I still don’t have the exact answer — but I do know that I want to go up. Being a worker ant is fun, I feel accomplished upon seeing the results (revenue growth) that correlate to my work. Being a team player is enjoyable. But in the long term, I want to be part of that elite group of people (men and women) who are regarded as part of the C-suite as leaders and experts in their field.

I’m on the right path to becoming an expert in my field — Marketing Operations and Digital Marketing — it’s the leadership that is learned over time.

You can call me naive, a feminist, or whatever you want. But while you’re preoccupied with the status quo, I’ll be over here breaking the glass ceiling. Good things don’t happen to those who sit back and wait for them to happen; they come to those who put in the time, tears, and effort and to those who stand up for what they believe in.

So as a shout out to my mentor, thank you for putting me on the spot, for pushing me so hard while I worked for you and for not letting us back down when things got tough. That’s not how we grow to become future CEOs.