How I Did It: Resilience, Relationships, and Refusing to Quit
How Resilience, Relationships, and Refusing to Quit Built My Technology Career
When people ask me how I built a successful career in technology, they often expect me to talk about sales strategies, industry expertise, or professional accomplishments.
While those things certainly matter, the truth is much simpler.
I got here because I refused to quit.
Starting Out
More than 20 years ago, I started my career in technology after taking a chance on an opportunity at CDW in Chicago. I was young, ambitious, and far from home. I didn’t have a roadmap for success, but I was willing to work hard, learn from others, and build meaningful relationships.
What I didn’t know at the time was that relationships would become one of the most important factors in both my personal and professional life.
The Importance of Relationships
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have mentors who believed in me, challenged me, and helped me see possibilities I couldn’t always see for myself. One mentor in particular became like family. When I was living in Chicago, away from everyone I knew, he welcomed me into his home, shared meals with me, and became a trusted sounding board. More than two decades later, he is still one of the people I call when I need advice.
Those experiences taught me something I still believe today: success is rarely a solo journey.
The relationships we build, the people we invest in, and the people who invest in us often shape our lives more than any title or achievement ever will.
Navigating the Hardest Season
Of course, my journey has not been without challenges.
One of the most defining seasons of my life came during COVID. I had recently given birth to my daughter, my son had been diagnosed with autism, and like many families, we were navigating uncertainty every single day. I was balancing motherhood, homeschooling, therapy appointments, and a demanding sales career while trying to keep everything moving forward.
There were many days when I felt overwhelmed.
There were moments when I questioned whether I could do it all.
But there was also something inside me that refused to give up.
I have always had a fire in my belly—a drive to keep going, keep learning, and keep finding a way forward no matter how difficult the circumstances.
That year became one of the most successful years of my career. I finished in the top 10% of my company and earned President’s Club recognition.
Looking back, I realize that the challenges themselves helped shape that success.
Much like an arrow must be pulled backward before it can move forward, some of the most difficult experiences in my life became the force that propelled me into the next chapter.
Resilience as a Way of Life
A few years later, my divorce brought another season of uncertainty. As a single mother raising two children while continuing to build my career, I was forced to discover strengths I didn’t know I possessed. I learned to trust myself, advocate fiercely for my children, and embrace resilience not as a temporary response to hardship, but as a way of life.
My son has also been one of my greatest teachers.
Navigating his autism journey has taught me patience, empathy, persistence, and the importance of celebrating progress rather than perfection. Those lessons have influenced the way I lead, the way I build relationships, and the way I approach challenges both professionally and personally.
The Importance of Authenticity
Today, I work as a trusted technology advisor, helping healthcare organizations navigate an industry that is changing faster than ever before. New technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, and digital transformation initiatives continue to reshape the landscape. The pace of innovation is exciting, but it also requires continuous learning and adaptability.
What has remained constant throughout my career, however, is the importance of authenticity.
I believe people connect with people, not titles.
The most meaningful opportunities in my life have come from being genuine, building trust, and showing up consistently for others. Whether it is mentoring a young professional entering the technology field, supporting a client through a difficult decision, or helping my children navigate their own challenges, I strive to lead with authenticity and compassion.
Success Is Defined by How You Respond
If there is one lesson I have learned throughout this journey, it is that success is not defined by avoiding hardship.
Success is defined by how you respond when hardship finds you.
Life will test all of us. Careers will have setbacks. Relationships will change. Unexpected challenges will arise.
But if you continue to move forward, continue to learn, continue to invest in people, and continue to believe in yourself, you can accomplish far more than you ever imagined.
My story is not one of a perfect path.
It is a story of resilience, relationships, and refusing to quit.
And that is how I did it.
