Her Story
About Belinda
I started my career 3 years ago with no idea what I was doing. Nobody in my family is a consultant, and I grew up in very special circumstances where consulting wasn't even something that we could dream of. I wanted to aim high, and I did. I got promoted last year to senior consultant, and the types of projects that I adopt are very technology-based. My clients range from Fortune 10 companies in food and beverage or transportation to major multi-billion dollar organizations that are just trying to improve their processes or automate themselves. I'll be honest, the first 6 months in consulting, I sucked. I could not build a single slide, didn't know how to talk to clients, had no idea how to build a network, I didn't even know networking was a thing. But I quickly learned that everything is a skill, and throughout the years, I developed, and here we are.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Belinda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I never want to see any family members, including my current and future one, struggling at all. I grew up in a third world country, and that leaves a little bit of a mental push. I always think to myself, there is no way that I am going to let anybody that I care about struggle. That's pushed me and driven me to have a better future. When I was younger, I would say I'm working this hard so I can provide my parents with a better life, and now it's that, plus I want to provide my future family with a better life. With the help of my husband, of course, but that's my driver.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Never underestimate your opponents. I remember doing a move early on while I was learning chess, and Sebastian, who's my coach, told me, 'Why did you do that? You knew that I would see that.' And I said, 'I thought you wouldn't see it.' And he said, 'Never underestimate your opponents.' Whenever I'm in any meeting where I'm meeting individuals that are executives, C-suite, vice presidents, anybody that has some powerful influence and thinks or pretends that they don't know what they're doing, I always think, never underestimate your opponent. Don't think anybody is not gonna see any of the moves that you're gonna make. Be authentic, be real, and you will be fine.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Aim high. Aim high, be disciplined, and you will be okay. You don't need to be too aggressive or too nice. Find that balance. I have seen women try to be either-or a little too much, and it doesn't work. There's gotta be a balance. And learn how to articulate yourself, learn how to hold yourself high, learn how to be in rooms you're uncomfortable with, and you'll be okay.
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