Joi W.

I attribute my success to grit and resilience. My life is consumed with work right now, and while it's not something I'm necessarily proud of, I am proud of the fact that I am able to support myself and my family in an appropriate manner, and that just comes from grit and resilience, because it's not always easy. Just because you're in remission from cancer does not mean you won't have lingering health problems, so I'm navigating a slew of other health issues that I never knew I would have to deal with at this point in my life. But I'm a person who loves life, I value the people who are in my life, and I'm very intentional now about who I allow in my orbit. I had to figure things out on my own. I've been living on my own since I was young and had to navigate everything myself without the support that a lot of people have from their parents, whether that's financial support or moral support. Being intentional is something that's important to me. Going with the flow is not going to get you where you need to be in life. Personally and professionally, I'm very intentional about the spaces I'm in, and when things might not be going well, you have to be intentional about your next steps and not sit around waiting for things to change. You have to be proactive, because one of my slogans is, I am the CEO of my career and also my life.

Don't let anyone dim your light. There are going to be a lot of people who are dismissive of you for whatever reason, could be age, could be where you originate from, etc. One thing I have learned in life is that there are a significant amount of people who are not emotionally intelligent, and they will try to discourage you because of their own issues. But surround yourself with people who have a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset. Empower yourself. Don't wait around for others to validate you. And always be intentional. I can't say that enough. I don't care what you choose to do with your life, you have to have a growth mindset. Because even if you reach a certain age, there's still more to learn. As long as you're breathing, there's always something new to learn in life.

I would say one of the biggest challenges is diversity, especially in the tech industry. The climate has changed in certain ways, and there's not as much attention when it comes to certain things. But I am a Black woman, and there are a lot of things where there are still inequities. I hope I'm not going anywhere, and people who look like me are not really going anywhere, so there is still a need to bring more diversity, and not just racial diversity, all types of diversity into the tech industry, and there is a lack of that.

I would say being intentional is something that's important. Of course, authenticity and integrity are true, but I think you have to be intentional. I'm from Los Angeles, so when I was younger, a lot of my mentality was like, oh, you go with the flow, but going with the flow is not going to get you where you need to be in life. So, personally and professionally, I'm very intentional about the spaces I'm in, and when things might not be going well, you have to be intentional about your next steps and not sit around waiting for things to change. You have to be proactive in your ability, because one of my slogans is, I am the CEO of my career and also my life. I'm very intentional about people who I interact with from a personal level. They have to have a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset. Everyone is going to have different ambitions and thoughts, and some people, it's not about making money or careers, and that's fine, but at the end of the day, I don't care what you choose to do with your life, you have to have a growth mindset. Because even if you reach a certain age, there's still more to learn. As long as you're breathing, there's always something new to learn in life.