Cynthia Allen

I attribute my success to determination, hard work, and patience. I had some mentors along the way - there were a couple of other female account managers at my company. You know, in my field, especially in construction, you don't see a whole lot of women, so I had those two ladies to look up to. One of them is deceased, but I always looked up to them ever since I was in customer support within my company. It hasn't always looked easy - there have been plenty of times that I've wanted to give up, but I kept going.

The best career advice I ever received was to not compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own journey, their own race to run. I remember someone had mentioned that to me - you know, don't compare yourself. I wouldn't even want to call it a race, because it can be competitive, and I don't like that competitive part, but everyone has their own race to run.

I would say go for it. Don't allow the word technology to scare you, because there are so many different facets to technology that it's not a singular thing. It is something that can be multi-dimensional. Challenge yourself, because it was definitely a challenge for me to go into the field, and then also stay in the field, and remain in the field, and remain pliable - not as if I know everything, but that I'm still learning. I would encourage them to explore what it is that they like, because there are several different things you can do in technology. It's not one-dimensional, it's multidimensional when it comes to your career.

The biggest challenge is the ever-changing nature of technology. Once you put something out there, like a product, it's already obsolete - or not obsolete, but you're already working on the next iteration of it, the next version. One of the more difficult parts of my job is that you always have to plan ahead, and sometimes my customers don't want to move that fast. I have to be patient and understand that innovation is moving, but people really do have to catch up. I help to bridge that gap and help my customers understand the importance of innovation and the importance of moving forward and not staying stagnant. It can be difficult - it's not the easiest thing whenever you're talking to people who've done things the same way for years.

Family comes first, definitely. I believe in treating people right - treating people how you want to be treated, like the golden rule from the Bible. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Determination and hard work are important to me, being dedicated to your goals and not allowing obstacles or getting overexcited about things to get in the way. A lot of discipline is important. My faith in God is central, and also my faith in myself that I can do it. My family motivates me - I have two children who have been the vein of my very existence. I push hard for them.