Helen Connors-Groom

I attribute much of my success to the values my parents instilled in me from an early age. I grew up in a large family with eight adopted children, one foster child, and one biological child, and from the very beginning, we were taught that being adopted was something special—not something limiting. We were raised to believe we could achieve anything we were willing to work for.

My parents taught us responsibility, independence, accountability, and the importance of creating our own opportunities. They encouraged hard work, goal-setting, resilience, and follow-through while also supporting each of our individual passions and ambitions.

Watching my father build a successful career as a senior executive at Motorola and later as a venture capitalist gave me an early understanding of leadership, business, adaptability, and perseverance. More importantly, both of my parents taught me that success is not determined by circumstances, but by mindset, discipline, and the willingness to keep moving forward even when life becomes difficult.

Those lessons became the foundation not only for my career, but for the way I approach leadership, resilience, and life itself.

One of the best pieces of career advice I ever received was: take the leap—but always be willing to do an honest after-action review.

I’ve tried to apply a simple three-step process throughout my career:

What did I do well?

What could I have done differently?

What will I do differently moving forward?

That mindset taught me that growth comes from both action and reflection. You have to be willing to step forward first, even when you do not have all the answers.

My father also taught me the importance of preparation and strategic thinking. Whenever I was considering a business idea or major decision, he would encourage me to work through the business plan, study the cash flow, ask difficult questions, and think through possible outcomes. One of his favorite sayings was, “It’s not what you know you don’t know—it’s what you don’t know you don’t know that can cost you a business.”

That lesson stayed with me because it reinforced the importance of learning before leaping whenever possible.

As an instructor, I often encouraged my students to schedule coffee meetings with people already working in careers they were interested in pursuing. I would tell them to ask simple but important questions:

What do you love about your job?

What would you do differently?

What advice would you give someone entering this field?

Those conversations helped many students realize whether a career truly aligned with who they were before investing years moving down the wrong path.

For me, success has always come from balancing courage with curiosity—being willing to take action while staying humble enough to keep learning.

My biggest advice to young women starting their careers is to give themselves permission to explore, pivot, and try different things without feeling like they have to have their entire life figured out immediately.

Too often, we are pressured at a very young age to decide exactly who we want to be and what path we are supposed to follow. The truth is, many people do not discover what they truly love until much later—and that is completely okay.

I encourage young women to try different opportunities, industries, and experiences. If something does not feel right—whether it is the work itself, the environment, the culture, or simply a lack of passion—it is okay to change direction. Sometimes the wrong experience helps point you toward the right one.

At the same time, do the homework before jumping in. Ask questions. Talk to people already working in careers that interest you. Learn what their day-to-day life actually looks like. Some careers sound exciting from the outside until you understand what they truly involve.

Most importantly, do not limit yourself. Your twenties are one of the best times in life to learn, experiment, take risks, and discover what genuinely excites and fulfills you. And when you find something that truly aligns with who you are, you will know it. There is an energy, purpose, and excitement that feels different when you are doing work you genuinely love.

Life will always have detours, unexpected opportunities, and changes in direction. Instead of fearing those moments, learn to see them as part of the journey.

One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is the overwhelming amount of noise, distraction, and instant-gratification thinking driven by the internet and social media. We live in a time where information is everywhere, but wisdom and real-world experience are often undervalued.

Many people are rushing to build brands, launch courses, become speakers, or position themselves as experts before they have truly developed depth, experience, or clarity around who they are and what they genuinely want to contribute. There is tremendous pressure to constantly “keep up,” appear successful, and chase titles, visibility, or external validation.

At the same time, I believe this creates one of the greatest opportunities.

People are hungry for authenticity, practical wisdom, emotional honesty, and real leadership from individuals who have actually lived through challenges—not just studied or marketed them. Audiences are becoming more discerning. They are looking for substance over hype and meaningful connection over polished perfection.

Personally, I have also come to realize that success looks very different from what I once thought it did. Earlier in life, I believed success was primarily about climbing higher, achieving more, and reaching the next level as quickly as possible. Over time, I learned that titles and external accomplishments alone do not necessarily create fulfillment, freedom, or joy.

Today, I value purpose, time, meaningful work, relationships, and the ability to genuinely enjoy the journey. I think more people are beginning to seek that same balance, and I believe that shift creates tremendous opportunity for those willing to lead with authenticity and substance.

The value that matters most to me—both professionally and personally—is integrity.

At the end of the day, I want to be able to sleep at night knowing I gave my best, treated people honestly, and handled situations the right way. That does not mean I have always followed every process perfectly or never challenged unnecessary bureaucracy, but it does mean I strongly believe in accountability, honesty, and ethical business practices.

Throughout my career, whether leading teams, building sales territories, coaching others, or running businesses, I have always believed that trust is earned through consistency, transparency, and follow-through. If there is a problem, I would rather hear the truth directly and deal with it head-on than avoid difficult conversations or shift blame.

I also believe deeply in personal responsibility and giving full effort regardless of external circumstances. I was never motivated solely by quotas, titles, or recognition. My mindset has always been simple: give everything you have, do the work with excellence, and let the results speak for themselves.

Another value that has become increasingly important to me over time is authenticity. I think too many people spend their lives trying to meet expectations, impress others, or chase definitions of success that do not truly align with who they are. For me, success means living and working in alignment with your values, treating people well, continuing to grow, and building a life you are genuinely proud of—not just one that looks impressive from the outside.