krista Hurley

I attribute my success to saying yes. Saying yes has been one of my greatest advantages the last 4 years. There was a lot of timidness before that, before I had kids, but saying yes to a lot of things has really propelled me forward. I've climbed the ladder absolutely solo - I've had people in my corner, but I have no college degree. I have gotten to where I am because of my grit and because of my strength as a woman. The things that we have to do now with the mental load of being career-driven women and then having babies, it's something that men will never have to do. So just maintaining that grit and my internal values, and just not saying no, has been key to my success.

Always hold your own true values and present it outwardly. If you are disrespected, do not allow that space. There are time and place to buck up and say the right thing, and just have grit. The strength that women have, the things that we have to do now with the mental load of being career-driven women and then having babies, it's something that men will never have to do. So just maintain that grit and your internal values, and just don't say no. Just keep on keeping on - yes has been one of my greatest advantages the last 4 years. There was a lot of timidness before that, before I had kids, but saying yes to a lot of things has really helped me move forward.

Accountability is a huge one for me. Taking ownership of things, even though my company is very large with about 9,000 employees, we have to own things that may not be in our purview, but own it to get the person the resource that they need. So ownership and accountability are huge for me. Another value would just be integrity. When it comes to externally presenting yourself, always keep in mind that you have your own brand, you have your company's brand that you're representing, and represent it with the utmost integrity. Internally, same rules apply - your teammates can be a lot like siblings sometimes, and you can get frustrated and annoyed with the way that somebody articulates themselves. I just always think carrying yourself with the utmost respect and just threading that needle through that integrity internally and externally. The last value would be grit as a woman. I am a woman who has climbed the ladder absolutely solo. I have no college degree. I have gotten to where I am because of my grit and because of my strength as a woman. There are obstacles in our way that men don't ever have to overcome, especially being a young mother with a 5-year-old and another child.