Her Story
About Delphine
I was born in France and lived there for 25 years before meeting my husband in Belgium, where he was a start man who later went to med school to become a doctor doing clinical studies. When I came to the U.S., I had no formal education credentials - I don't have a high school diploma and had worked in cosmetology in France. I decided to homeschool my kids because I didn't like the way school was in the U.S., teaching my son until 7th grade and my daughter until 5th grade. Both graduated with honors, which made me feel like I did it. After homeschooling, I applied for a job at Amazon with my second language of French and got the job. I started as an associate in customer service taking contacts for French customers, working difficult hours including shifts starting at 2:30 in the morning due to the 6-hour time difference, all while taking care of my kids and managing the household while my husband was busy. Over almost 9 years, I worked my way up to become a program manager. Now I work 7 to 4 p.m., which allows me to exercise, be with my dogs and kids, cook, and pursue my passion for biking and wildlife photography. My philosophy is simple: I need to do something that makes my heart happy, otherwise I'll be miserable. As I tell my boss, as long as I'm happy, I can keep going, but if I'm not happy, this stops.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Delphine
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to believing in myself and not letting my circumstances define what I could achieve. My parents both worked jobs they didn't like - my father was a truck driver who left Monday and came back Friday, and my mom worked for a psychiatry hospital - and every night they came home complaining about their jobs. I said to myself, if you don't like something, why don't you do something you like? I need to do something that makes my heart happy, otherwise I'll be miserable. I came to the U.S. from France with nothing - no high school diploma, no credentials, just cosmetology training - but I didn't let that stop me. I went from who I was to who I am today because I believed in myself. If I didn't believe in myself, I would have never done it. I love my house, it's my little sanctuary, my bubble where I feel safe. I love my job, and I get to exercise, be with my dogs and kids, cook, and go on my bike. As long as I'm happy, I can keep going, but my boss knows that if I'm not happy, this stops.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Believe in yourself. Keep learning and ask questions, but most importantly, believe in yourself. Don't think that just because you think you cannot do it, that you cannot do it. Push through it. I came to the U.S. with nothing - no high school diploma, no credentials, just cosmetology training from France. I went from who I was to who I am today, and if I didn't believe in myself, I would have never done it.
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