Her Story
About Dr.
I've spent over 25 years building my career in the utility industry, with a deep focus on supply chain and strategic sourcing. For 18 years, I worked for a utility company in Georgia, and about two and a half years ago, I made the decision to relocate to Texas for new opportunities and, honestly, because Texas doesn't have state tax, which was a smart financial move as I approach retirement. In my current role, I run the sourcing center of excellence where I focus on aligning strategic sourcing processes, people, and technology. But what really drives me is the work I do outside of my 9 to 5. I run my own LLC called Invenge Solutions, and through that, I've created Worth of Impact, which is all about purposeful leadership. I do public speaking and I'm working on articles about how women can lead authentically while staying true to their purpose. I earned my doctorate degree in business administration with a concentration in supply chain and global operations from Capella University in 2019, which was the hardest thing I've ever done. I also teach as an adjunct professor part-time and I'm currently working on a book that I hope to publish in March of next year. My mission is to help women understand that their corporate job doesn't define who they are, and to empower them to embrace their authentic selves in leadership.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Dr.
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my upbringing and the resilience my parents instilled in me. Growing up with parents who taught me that I could do anything I wanted shaped who I am today. What has really brought me to where I am is understanding what true purpose is and living in my faith and my purpose. My beliefs, my faith, and my higher power, my God, that's what has gotten me through my entire life and brought me to where I am today. I don't just credit mentors, though they've been important. My father and my mother were my foundation. I always say that people are going to teach you one of two things in your life: how you want to be or how you do not want to be. So I took the best traits from all the people who have come across my life, including my parents, and that's what shaped me into who I am today. It's been the school of hard knocks combined with everything else that has made me who I am.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice I ever received came from one of my mentors who constantly had to tell me, 'Marcia, not everybody is like you.' This was so important for me to hear because I had to learn that everybody doesn't think like I think or move as fast as I move. You have to meet people where they are. This advice helped me understand people better and taught me to listen to understand, not listen to respond. I used to listen to respond because I already had the answer in my head, but over the years, learning that not everyone is like me has helped me truly listen to understand. This advice didn't just help me in my career, it helped me when I was raising my kids too. I used to try to compare my daughter and my son until my higher power told me to stop because they're two different people at two different points in their life, and I needed to embrace who they are. That lesson about not everyone being like me has been transformational in every aspect of my life.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to women is simple: stop underestimating yourself, your skills, and your abilities to compete in the world where we are today. Don't stop underestimating you. You've probably heard the analogy that when women apply for a job, they think they're supposed to have 100% of the skills that the job description is asking for, but a man can apply for that same job with only 25% of the skills. Women need to understand that we are resilient. I don't care what race, I don't care how you grew up. We have always been the caregivers, the people taking care of everything. We just talked about all the roles we play as mothers, as wives. Those roles alone require different skills. But men? They're just being a man. What does it take to be a father? As women, we have to have empathy, we have to be supportive, we have to be the person that helps people through their sickness. So stop underestimating who we are and who you are. It also goes back to your confidence. Embrace who you are and where you are at that moment. Know who you are, you are where you are, embrace who you are at that moment.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me are clear and concise communication, transparency, integrity, trust, and honesty. But I also deeply value authenticity. Being authentic in who you are and allowing people to be authentically who they are is critical to me. I think somewhere down the line, we as a society forgot to let people show up how they are, who they are, where they are, without judging. My kids will tell you that they can tell me anything because they know their mom is not going to judge. I believe in living in a world where judgment is nonexistent and being authentically who you are, no matter how that person is. That's at work, that's in life, that's when I'm engaging with people or strangers outside of work. There's always a way to communicate with people and still lead them with dignity and humanity. That's what I value in clear communication. You should never communicate in a way that makes a person feel any less than they are. I also believe that we need to accept people for who they are and how they show up, and provide guidance for them if they ask and if they need it. I always tell people, stop trying to go into people's houses and rearrange their furniture without understanding why they put that furniture in that spot in the first place. Stop trying to make people who you want them to be.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.