Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vick M.. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Vick, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I have learned that before I can ever expect anyone else to believe in me, I have to believe in me. I can’t sell anything, to anyone, if I won’t buy it myself. Also, you have to have a little bit of arrogance about yourself. You have to know that you deserve to be in this room and if you just do your thing, run your race, everything else is background.
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?
By day I am a Sr. Engineer at one of the Big 3 Defense Contractors where I work on bleeding edge technology. I like to tell people that I am the bump in the night. It’s really cool because there are not a lot of people that look like me in my space and there aren’t a lot who share the same journey. I take pride in showing others that, yes, there is more than one way to live out your dreams. By Day, I am a budding Travel Planner. Traveling is something that has brought me so much peace and comfort that I wanted to help other people feel that way. I’m actually planning my 1st group trip to London in 2024.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience, Patience and Courage are the qualities that’s I think had the most impact on where I am today. You need resiliency for when you get told no but you know that’s what you want to do so you get in the lab and retool the plan. Patience is important because not everything happens on YOUR schedule. So you have to be able to sit and wait until it’s your turn. Courage I think is the most important of all because you have to be ready to take the leap when it comes. Sometimes you’ll know what happens next but other times, life just says “here’s the opportunity but we’re going to take the scenic route” and you have to trust yourself and go with it.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents gave to me, was being able to always know that I can come back home at anytime. I’ve been fortunate enough to not only have traveled the world but I have lived in 2 different countries where English isn’t the 1st language where I’ve thrived and lived my life on my terms. Being able to go out and know that if this doesn’t work out, then if I just make it back to the porch, I’ll be okay and I can rethink, rest and reset then try again, has been the biggest blessing ever.
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