Ani H. Galoyan

I think a lot of it comes from having seen really strong women in my life that have raised me. My grandma and my mom both were professionals who were also balancing their careers with children, and seeing that set an example for me as to how one can be successful, and be a good human, and be a good mom, and be a good grandparent, and also be a professional and contribute to the world in that way as well. I think that's probably my number one driver of success. In addition, just having a family and wanting to set a good example for my kids as well.

I would say, first and foremost, stay true to your passions and understand that no one is going to want you to succeed more than you, so you need to take control of your career. You need to take control of what direction you want to go in and push yourself in that direction. You're gonna have help along the way, you're gonna have mentors, you're gonna have people that can guide you, but really, ultimately, it is up to you to kind of shape and mold your own path and the direction that you want to go in, and push yourself to go in that direction. But also, when you feel like others are maybe trying to push you in a different direction, and you know that's not where you want to go, stay true to what you want to do, and where you see yourself, and be able to set those boundaries to help you get there.

Honesty is most important to me - owning up to mistakes and being honest with my colleagues and my friends and family. I think that goes a long way in ensuring that relationships, both in and outside of work, are successful. I also think hard work is important, and hard work doesn't necessarily mean working long hours or anything of that sort, but just really devoting yourself to doing your best in whatever it is that you're focused on at that moment. So in that moment, if you are in your mom role, then being the best that you can be in that role, and then if you're working, being the best professional you can be in that moment.