Nettle leaved bell-flower.
Take
Advantage of Disadvantage
Blanca
Trevino
President and CEO
at Softtek
Oh, to be 22
again… the juxtaposition of freedom from school
and the long-anticipated
entrance into the
working world.
I started
working my first job at Dinámica (technology subsidiary of one of the largest
industrial groups in Mexico at the time) during college, at age 19. Over the
next couple of years,
many of my
girlfriends were getting married, having children, and pursuing their passion
to raise a
family. (My, how times have changed, as today’s Millennials are putting
marriage
on the back
burner in pursuit of travel, career focus, and further education.)
While I was
very content in the working world, my thoughts at age 22 were not completely
different from those of my friends. I always knew I wanted to be a mom, and
during those days
I was
wondering who would be my "other half." Owning a business was not on
my radar.
Though I
respected Dinámica, it had its limitations: corporate policy prohibited married
women
from
working. Until that point, I had never felt disadvantaged for being a woman.
Thankfully,
my mom was an extraordinary role model for me and undoubtedly progressive
for the
times (in Mexico, and anywhere) — mother of six, she pursued a degree in
psychology
after
raising us kids. In the male-dominated field of information technology,
where
mainframe computers and men in blue suits dominated the corporate world,
my gender
had not presented an obstacle.
Fortunately,
this came at the time where a few of my co-workers at Dinámica
were leaving
the company to join a new startup, Softtek.
That was my
shift in focus; and the opportunity where I’ve since been fulfilling my dream.
I’ve had plenty
of hiccups during my 30 years at Softtek (see my post on how we led our company into
bankruptcy).
However, one of the constant guiding principles that has
carried me through
many
experiences, personally and professionally,
has been leveraging (or creating)
opportunities in both the
good times and the bad.
Some the best outcomes in my life have happened amidst the
most trying of moments.
There is a
plethora of inspirational examples of organizations and individuals
overcoming
disadvantage. Recently, we’ve seen remarkable turnarounds from companies like
Delta Airlines and Domino’s.
Even companies we consider disruptors like Netflix or Tesla
have made
drastic comebacks in times of crisis. On the brink of bankruptcies
or nearing
obsolescence, these organizations took their downfall by the reins to not only
get
their heads
back above water but to gain back huge market shares.
The stories
of author of the Harry Potter series JK Rowling and
talk show host Oprah Winfrey
going from
rags to riches are prolific examples in today’s era. German composer Ludwig van Beethoven went nearly deaf before creating much
of his world-renowned music;
and Frida
Kahlo, Mexican painter, pursued art amidst lifelong disabilities through polio
and a severe
car accident. One may argue that these success stories were spurred
not despite
these disadvantaged conditions, but actually because of them.
Today, I
have two daughters in their 20s, and I am a grandma. Through my decisions,
I try to be
a role model for perseverance — the power to pave their own path in life,
regardless
of limitations. Unfortunately, as we know, often the best opportunities to gain
clarity,
and
effectively identify the variables you can control, are moments of crisis.
As Thomas
Edison said, “Many of life’s failures
are people who did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up.”
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-were-22-take-advantage-disadvantage-blanca-trevino
Introduction
to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical
overview of Turbo Charged Reading
YouTube
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when
Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?
Perhaps
you’d like to check out my sister blog:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com gives many ways
for you to work with the stresses of life
www.turbochargedreading.blogspot.com for extra TCR
information
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com
just for fun.
To
quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will
know.
The
more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”
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