Joana Ukali

I attribute my success to the connections I make with people and just showing up in the best way I know how. Throughout all my careers - whether flying internationally, working with the Employee Assistance Program, or now with my writing - what has remained constant is my love of connections with other people. I learned early in my flying career, from advice my mother gave me when I had to work on Christmas Eve, to ask myself 'who shall I speak to today?' and that practice of being intentionally kind and present with people has shaped everything I do. I've learned that we're all so human, regardless of what culture we're from or where we're going - we all want to be treated nicely, acknowledged, and we want good things for our families and good health. I just keep showing up and I'm so surprised at my life in the sense that I don't know what's to come, but I believe it's good. The connections I've made through my poetry, hearing from people about what one of my poems has meant to them and how it's touched their hearts, is my current appreciation for what I'm doing now. It surprises me because I never expected to end up writing poetry that would touch other people - but what brings me joy is those very special connections with people, even if I don't know their names.

The best career advice I ever received came from my mother when I was young and had to work on Christmas Eve as a flight attendant. I called home feeling a bit sorry for myself, and she said to me, 'Be kind to someone today, tonight on your flight, and that will be our Christmas.' That simple advice transformed not just that flight, but my entire career. I used that approach for the rest of my flying career - not only on holidays, but on every flight. I would ask myself, 'Who shall I speak to today?' and it was remarkable what happened. I met people at pivotal moments in their lives - a man making his first trip to Hawaii without his wife of 25 years after she passed, a woman doing the same after 30 years with her husband. Those connections, that intentional kindness and presence with people, became the foundation of how I approach all my work. It taught me to be sensitive to where people are in their own journeys and to show up with genuine care and attention.

I would say know how valuable you are with your woman's perspective. Know that your perspective, your age, your being a woman, your own life experience is valuable to any group or meeting you're in. When I used to have meetings with managers of other departments or other companies, I learned that what I brought as a woman was important and needed. Along with knowing your value, I would also say appreciate what other people can bring to the group. The male mentors and male allies who will appreciate what you bring can also go far in helping you succeed in your company or organization. I believe in learning from each other - we all bring our own gifts to the table. Sometimes you have to deal with egos and difficult personalities, but I'm talking about people who are willing to sit at a table and offer what they can bring. When you can combine knowing your own value as a woman with genuinely appreciating the different perspectives and gifts others bring, that's when real collaboration and growth happens.