Kemi Eboda

I attribute my success to staying focused on the end goal and understanding that the journey is not easy or linear - it has bumps, highs and lows. Even when I was working two jobs while in law school full-time during the week and on weekends, it was tiring, but I stayed focused because I knew this was not the destination, it was a journey to where I'm going. When I came to the U.S. in 2018, leaving everything familiar behind in Nigeria was tough, and I had to start from zero. People gave me advice to go into IT or nursing, but I said, let me go where I'm familiar, and that is law. I've been very intentional and strategic about setting myself on the path to success. I understood that entering the legal and corporate spaces can feel very intimidating, especially when you're still trying to find your footing, but I understood that it was part of the journey, part of the bricks that make up the entire wall of your experience. I didn't allow the intimidation to hold me down. Being intentional about how you want to grow and thinking not just about the role you are in, but where you're going to, has been key to my success.

I would say that for everyone going into any industry, you have to own your narrative, you have to own your ambition, and don't shrink to make others comfortable. Your voice, your perspective, and your presence matter. Understand that it's not an easy or a linear road. It is a road that has bumps, the highs and the lows, but with determination, and when you stay focused on the end goal, you have to know that this is what you want. Entering into the legal or corporate spaces can feel very intimidating at times, especially when you're still trying to find the footing, but I understood that it was part of the journey, part of the bricks that makes up the entire wall of your experience. Be confident in what you do and then focus on developing your competence. Understand the business, and be intentional about how you want to grow. Ask questions, but know exactly what you want. You're asking questions because sometimes you may have an idea of what you want to do and how you want to do it, but there are a thousand and one other people that have gone through similar careers and have been successful. So ask questions, listen to how they navigated those turns, and maybe embrace some, maybe not embrace some. Don't just think about the role you are in. Think about where you're going to. Most importantly, give yourself the permission to evolve. Your career doesn't have to follow a straight line to be successful. Sometimes you have to redesign your strategy. Don't say it has to be this way or no other way. The world changes, and you have to be ready to evolve, and then understand that detours are sometimes necessary, because they are exactly what they are, and they are to prepare you for your purpose. Be flexible, be strategic, and never seek permission to evolve.

The most important values to me are balancing business needs with employee well-being - emotional, physical, and financial well-being. I've always liked to be the buffer between the organization and the people. In my work, I ensure there is a balance between business needs and legal risk while taking into account employee well-being and balancing that with business objectives. I ensure that there's compliance while balancing legal risk, which has to do with reputational or operational risk. We ensure that there's consistency and transparency when we handle these issues. Even when teammates may not be totally satisfied, they know that the recommendation is also in their best interest. I also value being intentional and strategic in everything I do, staying focused on my goals, and giving myself permission to evolve. As a mother of four daughters, I had to make the hard decision to leave everything familiar back home in Nigeria to join my family in the U.S. in 2018, which shows how much I value family.