As a high achieving woman, what is a life lesson that has helped you most on your personal growth journey?

I launched my company in February 2020 as the world was unknowingly on the verge of a global pandemic. We had the right industry - wearable cool therapies for orthopedic injuries, heat stress, menopause and MS - but the absolute wrong timing as we shuttered the plant in March. We reopened as a critical medical manufacturer but couldn\'t get any new products in front of healthcare providers. So with a factory full of raw materials, and no hospital or clinic customers, we turned our business strategy on its head and landed appearances for our products on Good Morning America, The View, QVC and other local TV shows. Our lesson: keep going, keep trying, persist (which is tattooed on my wrist in Chinese) and you will prosper.

Oddly enough, a turning point moment in my career was a particular Halloween when my kids were young. In a meeting with multiple execs far higher on the ladder than myself, one of the EVPs said "I can continue at 5:30 if you can." and my heart sunk. As I was about to give in, another woman, closer to my level, said "Sorry, that doesn\'t work for me but I have time Monday at 10." The execs looked at each other, nodded, and from that day forward, treated her like she was worthy of the same respect as they were. After that, I realized: my time has worth too. And when I treated it that way, others did too.

As a high achieving woman, one life lesson that has helped me most is trusting in myself. That sounds obvious, but it isn't always when you're in the thick of it. Time and time again, unfortunately, as a woman, you will be tested. People will attempt to discredit you simply because you are a woman. People will judge you based on your appearance more than your skills. People will often times assume things about you without first getting to know you. When these things happen, you must trust in yourself. Trust that you are qualified. Trust in your knowledge and your skills. Your input matters. Our society also makes it very easy to pin women against women, and that is truly a disservice to all. Empower each other. Stand up for each other. Trusting in yourself will inspire other women to do the same in all aspects of their lives.

Know your mission statement and goals, and only take projects aligned with your overall plan. Take steps every single day towards your vision and stay focused on what you want. Strong habits and routines provide the momentum that keeps you moving forward. Reflect on your progress and course-correct if you need to. It is the road less traveled, but well worth the ride.

As a single mother of three amazing children; now adult; achieving success and having a “mom’s peace of mind” wasn't something I could do alone. Early on I learned that you're only as good as your support system. Childcare, mother's helpers, babysitters and family all played a critical role in creating an ecosystem of Mom and Career. Thankfully I cultivated a large support system, but it takes time, and I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Recently, my 86-year old Mother reminded me of 20 years ago when my daughter was just 12 months old. “Wow Susan-I remember watching her when she just started walking and you were in India!" I thought, wow did that really happen? I am so thankful to those people today, and often share with young Mothers that balancing a career and children is hard, but never impossible. Cherish the people that help you "do what you do"-because without the help, being a single Mother, with a rising career is almost impossible without a village to support you.

If I don’t actively participate in taking care of my physical and emotional health, it’s not going to take care of itself. Most people who experience burnout are not aware of it until it’s happening. I am great about telling my team to make time for themselves and to set boundaries for work-life balance, so I try to be just as kind to myself. For example, I made a commitment to taking hot yoga classes consistently because I have hip and lower back pain. Today marks the seven month anniversary of going to these classes 4-6 times a week. It has been a challenge to make it work with my busy schedule, but this focus has helped me through some major business changes and managing stress. I think it’s important as a leader to set an example for my team and the people around me.

It feels cliche to say this, but women still have a tendency to sacrifice our passion, our purpose, and our well-being to ensure that others have what they need. The best lesson I (finally) learned is that when we don't value ourselves, others will not value us or our work, either. Let your career goals shape your strategic career plan. Embrace opportunities for yourself as well as the people you lead or work alongside. Treat yourself and your career as if they matter - because they do! And so do you.

I struggled with my career for years because I thought I had to work for someone else before I could start my own business. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I couldn't find work as a writer working for someone else. So I bounced around for a bit doing things that didn't bring me joy. None of the jobs I had ever felt right for me. But once I started making my own career path -- not working for someone else -- everything fell into place. Suddenly, work felt right! Building and growing my business was easier than trying to fit into a role that someone else had created. Now, six years later, I work a 4-day work week, make my own schedule, choose my own salary, and live life on my own terms. Sometimes, the "right" way for others isn't right for you.

Advocating for your team, your kids, your friends or family comes so naturally, so why did I find it so hard to do raise my hand for myself? Earlier in my career, I remember being worried that my boss would think I was overstepping at my level, they would say no, or I would make excuses and tell myself that needed to earn my place. I wanted to be an active executive and needed those learning opportunities. I just didn\'t quite know how to do it. The path was really quite simple, just ask. If you never ask, your odds of someone saying no will always be 100%. Whether you want a promotion, a seat at the table, or seek a growth opportunity; step up, raise your hand, and advocate for yourself. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Don\'t wait for an invitation; asking has opened doors to key meetings and boardrooms I would have never been granted entry to. Not only did I gain valuable exposure, I also gained access to executive mentors and thought partners.

The most powerful life lesson that propelled my achievements has been understanding the value of knowing and amplifying all of my strengths, identifying the areas where I need supports to show up as the best version of myself, and unapologetically asking for what I need. The process of getting clear about that and acting on that knowledge, especially as a high-achieving woman who is also neurodiverse, accelerated my success and activated a level of clarity and alignment where opportunities often fall into my lap. Masking, distorting, hiding or rejecting any part of who you are results in masking, distorting, hiding and rejecting all of your gifts and potential opportunities to design an authentic life of joy and fulfillment. For me, the best part of this lesson is demonstrating for my children the importance of self-knowledge, self-love and self-advocacy in living your up to your full potential and having complete agency in designing an authentic life of joy, purpose and fulfillment.

Trust your gut by choosing instinct over logic. When you come up against an obstacle don’t try to push through it or force it, explore it and then chose the decision that feels best. Once you make the decision, just keep going and moving forward. People will try to give you all sorts of advice so be cautious, listen to them and marinate in the advice but act on what feels right-not what you SHOULD do.

When people say life is short and they\'re not joking, it\'s over in the blink of an eye! I\'ve been brought up to believe that your value comes forth by being a good wife, parent, and successful in your chosen career. I spent my life working feverishly and missed out on many things that would have brought me greater joy. My delusion was that I had a higher value because of the time and energy I had put into my career. After losing a few people who had been incredibly meaningful in my life, it dawned on me this was all too fleeting, and now, it\'s over. The true understanding of this life is knowing when to stop and live life in a manner that satisfies the deepest part of your soul. When we do finally slow down and look back at what we have accomplished and at what cost, there shouldn\'t be a regret that we lived to work but forgot to live our fullest and best life.

It's natural to have highs and lows in your career path. Some opportunities I came across seemed exciting and a tremendous opportunity, but ended up being extremely dissatisfying. The work or company culture was not what I expected, and coming into the office every day was difficult. Despite the need to continue (professionally) while looking for a better fit - I always maintained a mature and professional attitude that people would remember me for. We won't always agree with people, or the way companies are run, but we can have control over how we react to situations. This is no easy feat. However, burning one "bridge" could become catastrophic for future opportunities. You never know how people are connected and what they'll share about you.

As a high-achieving woman, I worked hard on overpowering my limitations, which has helped me most on my growth journey. Boundaries don’t slip away because I know myself better. I kept motivating myself to use this brand-new information to your benefit. For example, an “s” personality style might explore the obstruction of fleeing or bypassing conflict. They might overcome their limitations by perceiving the role of safety as comfort in life. After that, the “s” style can set up a broader sense of security and stability with someone they wish to address conflict with before acting.

I am a teacher, a pro-blogger, and a freelance writer. I am also a mom, wife, sister, friend, and dog owner. The life lesson I can share is the need to be regimented. Keep a to-do list with urgent and non-urgent tasks. Those you don't complete, carry over to the next day. Be regimented. For instance, I know which day each week I do both my personal and professional tasks. Learn to say no and use your to-do list, and you will be productive.

Accept jobs that challenge you, even if they are not paid. Sometimes that is a way to get a foot in the door and get your name known. Write as much as possible...it is a good discipline to articulate your thoughts both verbally and in writing. Publish. Push yourself.

Self-confidence is one of the most important qualities to have in every aspect of our lives. Belief in oneself is often the difference between success and failure. If you are going to be a top achiever, you have to believe in yourself. Developing confidence in yourself can depend on several factors such as what motivates, who motivates, what makes you happy, and a variety of other factors. What is certain is that self-belief is key to attaining success in any area of life. It will make you more motivated, resilient, and happier.

I was always very humble to everyone and this got me into trouble several times until I learned saying No to things I did not feel like doing for anyone. I no longer go an extra mile for people that do not even value my efforts. I say no to things I do not agree with and this has helped me grow differently. In fact, I would say that saying No to unwanted or unliked favors has helped me grow better.

We all have dreams and goals that we want to accomplish in our lifetime. Take a deep dive and think about what\'s preventing you from accomplishing your goals. It could be your finances. It could be the timing. Whatever the case may be, many times the root cause is fear of failure. The thought of failure prevents you from pursuing your desires. Shift your mindset from failure being negative and instead, think of failure as a necessity that brings you one step closer to success.

We all have ups and downs, and when those downs prevail, I've learned to be open about them. Workplace culture has changed quite a lot in recent years and I was happy to find out that nowadays you don't have to search long to find someone to vent to, someone who'll always be there to throw in good advice or just hear you out. Being open and honest about my struggles has helped me deepen the connection I had with my mentor and build lasting friendships.