Catiana Aponte

I attribute my success to paying it forward and helping others. My mom and dad were small business owners, and they taught me very early that the key for success was paying forward. It wasn't the money, it was what you can do to help others, because that is what you're going to be remembered for. When you know the end goal and you are passionate about what you do, and it's not only working but helping others see that they're going to be able to provide food for their kids, that they're going to be able to pay their dues, that makes it worth it, everything that you do every single day. My most meaningful achievements are when I come back to my university and speak to students, seeing my old professors there cheering me on and saying 'welcome back home,' or when I help a parent who's been unemployed for more than 2 months and I coach them on interviews and resumes, and they start crying because they got an offer that was even more than they wanted. Those are my key successes that keep me moving every single day.

The best career advice I received came from a manager at Amgen Manufacturing who taught me how to be a leader, not a manager, and how you need to step away from your own feelings as a human to see the best interest of the team. When she realized my short-term contract might end earlier than we both thought, instead of being quiet about it, she came to me and said, 'this is the reality. I would want to keep you, but I don't know if I can. I want you to know that you can use me as a reference, but start looking for employment, because this can come at any moment.' When I told her I got a job and was scared to tell her I was quitting, instead of being mad, she asked why I was crying and said, 'this is a great adventure.' She explained every single positive thing that could benefit me. From that moment on, I wanted my management and leadership skills to reflect hers, because she did something that was huge for me and gave me that extra push to be myself and reach my goals.

The first thing I would say is to understand your why. I want to hear why you're looking to start this business. If you're telling me that you want time for yourself, to do Pilates, stay with your kids, or go on trips, I would say reflect on the why before you commit yourself to going down this road. For us to be successful as entrepreneurs, we need to understand that we need to put in the effort and the time, and we need to be passionate about it, because there's so much uncertainty, not only for our clients but from external factors as well. Things can be one way one day, and when you wake up, everything changes - that happened to us last year with AI implementations, the elections, and suddenly everyone stopped hiring. You need to be passionate about what you do, because if not, this is going to be a very hard industry for you to continue to see the light at the end of the tunnel and be able to get back up and continue to do it. It's okay to be scared, it's okay not to feel comfortable going into a room full of other professionals that you see as intimidating, but just come in with a smile and have a very specific goal, like getting 4 or 5 business cards, and then move forward. You're going to see in a very short term, 1 or 2 years, that the person you started as is very different from where you are.

The biggest challenges in my field right now are the uncertainty from external factors. There's so much that can change overnight - last year we saw this with AI implementations and the elections, when suddenly everyone stopped hiring. Things can be one way one day, and when you wake up, everything changes. At the same time, the opportunity is in teaching people not to fear AI and showing them how it will help them achieve their organizational goals while maintaining that human factor. What sets us apart is that we're not just paper pushers - we actually care. We're not only looking for the interest of our clients, we're also helping candidates out. That human factor in the process of identifying the right talent is what makes the difference.

The most important value to me is helping others and paying it forward. My mom taught me that the key to success wasn't the money, it was what you can do to help others, because that is what you're going to be remembered for. When I help someone who's been unemployed for more than 2 months and they start crying because they got an offer that was even more than they wanted, and they wouldn't have done it without my help or me seeing their potential - those are the moments that keep me moving every single day. It's about being able to help at least one person. The titles are nice and I love them, but helping others is an achievement that I don't know how I can repay. My mom was a true influential woman who knew the potential women had in a society where we still had the role of only being a mom or housewife, and she showed that we could be so much more or have the opportunity to do both at the same time.