Kori Barnes

I'm always talking to people that are maybe 30, 40 years within their career. It helps me realize that I have a long road ahead of me, and that success isn't linear - you're not gonna go to sleep one night and become a millionaire the next, or take a nap on a Saturday and you're the VP on Monday. But that's the fun and journey of it. There's a long road between that Saturday and that Monday, but you just have to ride along the way. Success isn't about a plaque you can put on the wall, or what you can put in your subject line or title. It's more about what achievements did you have along the way that came with those moments of 'Ouch, maybe I shouldn't have said that' or 'I made a mistake here.' I think that's what makes it the most fun. I don't have the most stellar collegiate experience with a 4.0 and all of the clubs and accolades and awards, but that's the fun of it - my journey isn't over yet. I can wake up the next day and say, you still have so much more to do.

The best career advice I ever received was when I was at my Colgate internship, and the director at the time told me to be young and be unattached. At the time, I didn't really know what that meant because I was so focused on graduation and what my life would look like after. But now that I'm older, I take that as don't take every single role as your end-all, be-all. Your first job isn't going to be your last job, and vice versa. So have fun, take risks, make mistakes, be accountable for those mistakes, and make sure you just learn and grab things along the way as you're running through life, because time goes by quickly. Now that I'm thinking back on that time in 2019 when he said that, and we're in 2026, he was absolutely right - be young and unattached to things, and make sure you're taking those lessons along the way.

I would say run. Run, and run far, but don't run alone. I think oftentimes as women, we get really stuck on girl power and 'I can do it' and 'women can do this,' and we always forget to say, hey, I can do this, but I need some support. I'm the best person for this, and I have the power to do it, but sometimes I need to rest. So as you run and run far, ask for help. Don't be afraid to use your resources around you. I always tell people this is a one-woman show, but there's some technical background to this. There's a concert going on here, and I'm the main artist, but I didn't put these lights up myself. I didn't set this stage up myself. I didn't promote it - it's impossible. So don't be afraid to ask for help and support when you need it. You'll go a lot further than trying to pretend you're not tired and you don't need a break, because at the end of the day, there are a lot of things that fall on us as women.

The challenges in my field right now start with competitive technology. In the world of AI, we are so busy trying to figure out how we can quickly eliminate the need for this type of role, or how we can get this role done faster, more efficient. So it's always that growing fear of, as these AI agents start to grow and become more robust, where do I fit in as a client success manager? I've seen client success in law, education, data connectivity, and there are some aspects that a person just isn't needed for, so that's the challenge of always trying to combat that as companies try to figure out where they can save revenue. The next challenge is career trajectory, especially when it comes to women. The higher you go, the further you go along, it is very rare that you'll see women in our field as VPs, directors, CEOs. And most importantly, as an African American woman, the further you go, the more you just do not see other minority groups. So you start to wonder, after I do client success and reach that client lead role, how does this impact me in a more senior level role? And especially when we tie in education - I'm currently going through this too - being stuck in the middle of running full speed ahead in my career right now, and knowing that I want to pursue a master's degree, but then there's that aspect of funding and having that teeter-tottering in between.

The values most important to me are integrity, generosity, and mindfulness. I have this thing that I tell my friends and family - when we start talking about the actions of other people or how you may have responded to someone else, I always say you can't see outside of yourself. Most of the time, when someone gives their opinion on you or what they think about you or the work you may have done, all they have is your word, your actions, and what you present. And you may not be present in that because you can't see outside of yourself. You see the mirror, and that's it. But that mindfulness of staying grounded, taking those long walks through a nature trail, and thinking about things you may have said or how you respond to things, how good of a night's rest you get - that also affects how you interact with others. So knowing where you find peace and where you find rest, I think that makes all of a difference in your personal or professional life, because it's how you show up. The things that you feel about yourself, or how you see yourself, is ultimately going to reflect in your interaction.