Amanda Bronowski

I would attribute my success to having confidence in myself and my abilities. I think back on a lot of the opportunities I've had, and a lot of the things that have helped propel me forward, and I think a lot of the reason why I'm in this position is because I haven't been afraid to do hard things or something that intimidates me. If I see something that I don't know how to do, but I can probably figure it out, having the confidence in myself to try it, and be willing to fail - I could fail, but I'm gonna learn along the way, I'm gonna improve myself. I believe that I can figure out the answer to a puzzle if I'm given it. I've asked for projects where I had no previous experience before, I've volunteered for opportunities when they came up, and I've kind of just jumped into anything I could do to move myself forward. That above intelligence, above previous experience, just being willing to try and have the confidence that I can figure it out has been the biggest thing driving me forward.

The best advice I think I've ever had is the worst thing they can say is no. This came from a mentor of mine when I was considering asking for a promotion. I was nervous about it, I was pretty young in my career, and didn't know what to say. I was like, well, I don't want to overstep, or I don't want to make someone mad at me. This person said to me, if you ask for a promotion, the worst thing that's gonna happen is they're gonna say no. And I was like, you're right! I'm not gonna be physically hurt. I'm not gonna get fired. I don't think I'm gonna get fired for being ambitious. And in the end, if I heard no, I knew I'd be okay. So, I went for it, I got the promotion, and I was also applauded for advocating for myself. It was a huge confidence boost for me. It gave me the momentum to be like, oh, it's okay to ask for things. It's okay to do things in a professional manner, and to try to move yourself forward, and if you ask for something, the worst that's gonna happen is you're gonna hear no. But it's a chance to learn, to understand maybe where you need to improve, or what's needed next. I've used this mantra over and over again in my head as I've moved through my career, and it's amazing how many doors have been opened just because I asked for what I wanted.

I think the best advice I would give is for people to show up, not just in a physical sense, which is obviously important, you want to be present, but also in meetings and at the table when there are things happening. I see a lot of opportunity within my company and within my field where there's different committees you can join, or different things to learn, and showing up and being a part of it and using your voice is going to be so impactful. We need more women in biotech, and being able to show up and be part of a conversation and help when there's unexpected challenges, and when the company needs to find someone to help find a solution for an issue, is a huge part of the battle. Being present and engaged is very, very valuable in this industry. Things are constantly changing. There's regulatory changes that are coming down the chain all the time. Customer demands vary, there's emerging situations all the time, and it's important for people to be ready to jump into any challenge that they have, and try to be engaged and part of the conversation.

I think biotech is really exciting because it's constantly evolving. It's a landscape that is changing daily, and there are so many opportunities across a wide variety of specific sectors. In the bigger scope of things, I think biotech is just very exciting because of how much there is to know, and so much we don't know. In my particular situation, one of the things that's a big challenge is keeping up with emerging diseases. The sooner you have a diagnostic tool for a disease, the sooner you can manage a situation. Being able to jump in and try to understand things when they're starting to emerge and starting to be a problem, and being able to come up with a solution is a really fun challenge and opportunity, kind of rolled into one that we have.

I value integrity and work ethic in all aspects of my life. I appreciate people who try to be good people. No matter what the circumstances are, people who try to lift up others and encourage and support others when they can. I appreciate honesty and people who treat other people with respect. I very firmly believe that there is room for everyone at the table, and you can help other people along the way, and you can share your knowledge. I tell people constantly that I'm giving them information so they don't have to learn things the hard way, like I did. I've had people who've done that for me, and so I believe in trying to help each other and move each other forward. I also think it's important to work hard for the things you want in your life. I talked about jumping in and trying things to see what I could learn and try to move things forward, and so trying to put in a lot of effort and be a part of everything that I can is important. That also translates into my home life. We talked about doing stuff where I'm remodeling my house. That takes a lot of work ethic, and it takes a lot of patience, so it's something that I translate to everything. I try to work hard at everything and put a lot of effort into every aspect of my life.