Alyssa Raguso

I would say my unwavering desire to succeed and my constant hunger to learn. I get so much energy from learning, so I'm constantly being highly curious and asking questions, and never getting complacent. The second I start to get bored in a role, I'm like, okay, I need to try to do something else internally, or try to build my skill set in another way. I feel like the biggest contributor to my success has just been always being hungry and eager to learn, because I think if you're highly curious and committed, you can really do anything. The sky's the limit.

The best career advice I've ever received is to be your own biggest advocate. If you're not going to stand up for yourself and be your own biggest cheerleader, no one else is going to do it. I think having a voice and really putting yourself first and your interests and making that known is so critical to your success.

I would say having high agency and being dependable. People love in the workforce when they can depend on you and know that if they give you something to do, you're going to do it and do it well. Being a really clear communicator is also critical. Oftentimes when you're dealing with various stakeholders or executives, they just want someone who's going to get it clear and concise, especially in the age of AI where things are being summarized. They want punchy updates and critical information in a bite-sized amount. Being curious and eager is essential too. If you have that mindset of I'm just going to learn as much as I can and ask all the questions I can, you'll be surprised at how much you'll learn and absorb, and it'll continue to help you grow in your career. I also think being open to new ideas is important. If you told me 5 years ago I'd be in this role, I'd be like, what even is that? But the opportunity came up and I was like, you know what, I have nothing to lose, I'm going to try it. Your career isn't like a straight ladder up, it's kind of like a jungle gym, and it's never going to totally make sense. Being open and okay with that and not having too clear of a path, which is hard for me because I'm super type A, but being amenable to other things is really impactful.

Number one, I would say integrity, being truthful, and always looking at things with a fair, balanced view. Two, I think being empathetic is so critical. Really understanding why people do and say the things they do, and really understanding their perspective is so important to success. I think creating a safe space for those around you and creating that emotional security helps further business discussions. And three would be grit. I work super hard, and I really appreciate when those around me are also totally committed and putting 110% effort, because I think then you can do really great things.