Candice Howard

GOD.

The best career advice I ever received was from my CEO, Bob, from Transnetics, a biotech company in Memphis. He told me to find your strength and soar with that. Don't worry about the things that are not your strengths, because you can always surround yourself with other people who have the strengths that you lack. If you focus on what you're good at, what makes you feel whole, what naturally people come to you for, what is the thing that you believe in regardless of what society thinks or what you've been taught - find that thing. When you find it brings you contentment, because I think happiness is subjective, when you find it shows contentment and there's the possibility to scale that and it solves a gap or some sort of niche, hone in on that.

I would tell women that are trying to start businesses or trying to move forward in life to find your strength and soar with that. Don't worry about the things that are not your strengths, because you can always surround yourself with other people who have the strengths that you lack. If you focus on what you're good at, what makes you feel whole, what naturally people come to you for, what is the thing that you believe in regardless of what society thinks or what you've been taught - what is that thing? When you find it brings contentment, and there's the possibility to scale that and it solves a gap or some sort of niche, hone in on that. Bring in some of your trusted folks that can give you objective feedback, and I mean that needs to be a mixture of folks that agree with you and don't agree with you, preferably the ones that don't. That'll show you just how dedicated you are to your beliefs and your strength. I think just sitting down with self and starting there - what is the thing that I love to do? What is the thing that I'm content with that I would be most proud of if it succeeds, or when it succeeds?