Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Magarita Jules. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Magarita, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I find my purpose through homage. Going through my life’s journey, where I find myself continuously traversing to new spaces, I cannot help but pay homage. Having seen the sacrifices that my close ones (and mere strangers) have poured into me, it fuels me. It fuels me to achieve my best. It fuels me to move through life with clarity. It also fuels me to pour into others.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Due to political turmoil in Haiti, my family moved to the United States in the eighties.
With immigration came the loss of my friends and an addition of new labels that I now had to carry (for example, immigrant). It is, however, very clear that one of those words that also moved me throughout each step of the journey was homage. In choosing my focus to study, I delved into STEM, majored in Computer Engineering and led a thriving international career in IT, due to, you guessed it, the same word. This homage was so that my parents’ sacrifices were not for naught. But I noticed that in my IT career….I now had to attribute my wins to strangers. Although born of different countries, my career brought me allies that helped me in ways that I only thought family would. So as I took risks within Corporate IT, taking tougher positions that moved me away from home state and comfort zone, I attributed my successes to those corporate family members. All of them helped me without ever asking for repayment.
The tragic murder of George Floyd found me in this thriving IT career, and once again, there was that call. At the time, it was not clear but now looking back, I can connect my current finance career as a Small Business Officer and my desire to help minority/immigrant businesses due to, yup, homage. You see, it was never enough to be singularly successful. Being singularly successful didn’t stop George Floyd’s tragedy. And even though I singularly successful, too many small businesses owners faced the daunting reality of losing everything they have worked for, due to a global pandemic combined with burning streets. So it only made sense to, once again, embrace discomfort, leave what I knew well, to embark on finding a way of being true to that word, and answer the call of others.
As I was growing up, if my corporate family or my parents, only cared for their singular success, and only took care of “their own”, I would have never flourished. Surprising to me, my first year as a small business officer came with affirmation, I was nominated by a community leader for MN’s Finance & Commerce’s Top Women in Finance. So, yes, I am absolutely excited in this role and frightened of how else it will force me to change. I find solace in that word, that I can say……has become my true north.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three important qualities that have impacted me and that I share with as many of those who are willing to listen to me, especially those early in their journey are discomfort, DEI, and expertise.
At the start of my career, the Jack Welch leadership style was hailed as one of the best in the world. One key part of Jack Welch’s culture was leaders cannot be formed in comfortable surroundings. I worked in General Electric for over 5 years and in order to rise the ranks of leadership, this included embracing discomfort. As a result, I left the comfort of my home state of Connecticut and moved to Eden Prairie, Minnesota. I left my friends and family behind, a process that…as an immigrant…felt oh so familiar.
Secondly, I would like to reflect on General Electric’s DEI efforts. I was blessed to have worked for GE in the era of the late Dee Woods, the company’s first black female executive. She was the epitome of a classy woman. In GE, our growth and careers were all accelerated, and I was always in awe of the financial resources GE devoted to their DEI programs. DEI started under the leadership of Ms. Dee and quickly expanded from African Americans to Latinos, women, and veterans. In a visible show of support for DEI efforts, Jack Welch attended each of the annual meetings. Al Sharpton, and other high ranking (thought-provoking, challenging etc.) figures were regular speakers, always providing an opportunity for us to grow our perspectives of others.
You may find this a surprise. My best, most precious friend is a short, Caucasian, gun-toting, Harley-riding, conservative woman. If there is an apocalypse, you will find me there, in Woodbury Minnesota. Because as much as society wants me to believe that Kaye and I are vastly different, she too has a voice, an opinion that matters, and an intellect that I will forever respect. My other best friend, that even dared me to believe that I could leave IT and create a career in Finance is a Muslim, Somali woman. We eat, drink, and believe in vastly different ways, but my success would be non-existent without her. So, my advice on DEI is do not believe that someone is your adversary simply because of their differences, because you will definitely miss out.
Lastly, even as I made uncomfortable moves and befriended different cultures, I still would not be successful if I did not make sure that I gained expertise in something. The quickest way to waste an opportunity for yourself and others is to not have something of depth to say. Take the extra time to learn what you excel in, for me that was Math and STEM. Then, take the extra time to obtain certificates in the areas that you do not excel in but are needed for your success. For me that was public speaking, english, and writing. And always take that extra time to learn and invest in your expertise. Yes, that may mean that you skip some fun nights with friends and family. But it also means that when someone takes a chance on you and asks you for your opinion, you will speak intelligently, own your thoughts, and display your expertise in the matter.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
My career was in tech industries, Software, and Finance. So, it may come as a surprise that one integral book that had a tremendous role in my development was one that had nothing to do with tech; Crucial Conversations by authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Rom McMillan, and Al Switzler. This book taught me that intelligence and degrees earned pale in comparison to the ability to communicate with others. The book forced me to analyze how I react to pain, disappointment, betrayal in collaboration. It helped me analyze if I was responding to get even or if I was trying to find a better path forward, for all involved. I honestly do not know any issues that I, or someone close to me, has faced that I did not run to a section of this book to ground myself.
Image Credits
Google Search
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
