Insights into the forces shaping our industry.

We never know when or where a source of inspiration will come from.  Most share an eagerness to learn and grow, both personally and professionally.  Often that growth comes from a shared story, sometimes so compelling that it serves as motivation and encouragement causing us to reflect and appreciate the situation.

Recently I was speaking with a recruited candidate.  As we dug deeply into her background, she shared a remarkable story that I’d like to reshare.

When she was 16 years old, she was placed into child protective services.  She aged out at 19 and was homeless.  She literally started at the bottom.  She was on welfare and had nothing.  She began working at a photo lab making $8/hr.  She then went to work for a grocery store overnight for much lower pay and fewer hours to start.  She had no money for food.  For three months she walked nearly three miles to a church for food handouts as welfare would not give her food stamps.  She made the decision that she was not going to accept this path.  She enrolled in a highly respected college to pursue an EE degree.  During her time at college, professors and advisors told her to quit. They literally told her that she’d never make it.  She was determined to prove them wrong.  She ignored all the negativity and persevered.   Her academic journey took her 8 years to earn her degree.  She won!   But another journey, as with all college graduates, began.  After graduation, she accepted a role at an industry leading power distribution manufacturer.  She had no internship experience because of the work schedule required to keep paying for her education and living expenses.  Despite having no exposure of any kind to power distribution manufacturing, she jumped in the deep end and learned.  She grew every day on the job.  She was given a chance and she flourished.  She grew into the subject matter expert that she is today.

This is a story of grit and conviction.  The courage to not let others determine your path.  To take full ownership of your situation and never give up.  Against tremendous odds, this person succeeded!

We all have situations that can consume us negatively.  We can choose which path to take.  We control success or failure.

This person inspires me to choose success.