Andrea Mozo

The best career advice I've received actually came recently. I feel like I was asking questions and looking at my career in a single perspective, or career growth. This person really helped me transform my thinking and approach the problem in a different way. I kept focusing on what's my next step, what do I need to do, where do I need to grow. She took an approach from terms of career growth, kind of taking it backwards and looking at it from a different way. Instead of asking what do I need to do to grow, what gaps do I need to fill, when you're looking at your own career and you're aiming for a certain position or title or career growth, what is it that you've done, and then what is it that you need to fill in the blank for to really grow into that next position. That's stuck with me. The other career advice that I absolutely love is to act already the way you would if you had that position. So, for example, if you are a senior associate and you want to be a senior manager, put that hat on and act like a senior manager, and just live, go through your profession, your career, already at that next level, so that you could grow into that role or be in that role.

I would definitely say be curious and start building. There is nothing wrong with trying new things. Keep your mind curious and try new things, because you never know what's gonna happen if you try it and build it. In my case, especially for products, try something and build it, and stay curious, because the sky's the limit.

I'm right now in the not-for-profit space, and one of the biggest challenges is the economic uncertainty that not-for-profits are in. I truly believe there's an opportunity for product people, whether they're at a giant tech company or program people who are currently working in not-for-profit, to really approach solving problems through their organization by having product thinking. I've been advocating about that on LinkedIn. I think product thinking is really going to help solve users' problems. It doesn't have to be a digital product, but just - it doesn't have to be a digital product, it could be print, or any type of asset that the organization provides. If there are product thinkers on staff, then they're really going to think about the problem and think about the people in the best way to solve those problems. These not-for-profits across the country are solving the most difficult problems, even global ones too. Applying product thinking - it's not just product for big tech. There should be product and social impact and more culture, more culture building around that, and that's what I believe in.

I really believe in empathy - that's a big value for me. Empathy and honesty. Another value that I have is just driving to make this world a better place. I'm in social impact, whether you're in any type of organization, the government, or you're at a B Corp company, for-profit, whatever type of company you're in - I live for that. I want to make the world a better place, and that's one of my core values. Another one is teamwork. I really believe in teamwork and being an inspiring leader, motivator. That's just something I love to do and I value, and that motivates me to come to work every day. Making the world a better place, being a really good teammate and leader, working better together, and just leading with empathy, honesty, and curiosity - because that's one of the things that drove me. I love asking questions, so I want to instill those same values for my kids as well. Those all really inspire me, and I want to continue believing in that.