LaKisha Love-Pettis, CSM, CCA

First and foremost, it is my Christian-based upbringing and my family. Every aspect of my life, I've had my family - I come from a very large family on both my maternal and paternal side, and so, just being embraced and in love all my life has helped me be the person that I am. That has helped me to be able to be successful, have self-esteem, and to just give. In harmony with the Bible, it's better to be a giver than a receiver, so I find happiness in seeing other people succeed and just being there for people. My family and God are what I attribute my success to.

The best career advice would be: Be authentically who you are. And what you don't gain in financial wealth, gain a wealth of knowledge. What that does for you is that it ensures that you are prepared for success. Because people will judge the book on your outward appearance first, but if you have the knowledge that's necessary, when you speak, the respect will automatically come. I think that's been the most defining advice - just being authentically who I am. I remember times where I wasn't given an opportunity because I was the young one, and I was a Black woman who often changed their hairstyles and colors. But despite that, I never got upset. I always gave my 150% at work, and showed up on time - and that means ahead of time, because if you are on time, you're late. Be consistent, be personable, be professional. I keep a jacket on the back of my office chair, or wherever I am, even at home, I always have a jacket available, because perception and image is everything, but also the knowledge that you have - when you speak, that's what's going to command the room.

Come in with an open mind. Be customer service oriented. Have a willingness to work, and just be ready to dive in. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Lean into who you are. Make sure that you're not intimidated by other people, in a sense that intergenerational mixing and media is going to be how you sustain a drive in a career. So if you are Generation X, and you see a baby boomer, don't be apprehensive about getting to know other generations, because there are jewels you can take from each other, and that's going to be critical to their success. Understanding how things are done now, but also make sure you don't operate only on what someone tells you. Do the research, know what the policies are, read and re-read them as they often change, and keep abreast of what's going on lately from the policy perspective. And just don't be afraid to network. Get out and be a part of things that are going on with the organization. If they're having events, network with those that are not just in your administration. Always maintain professional and know what you know. Just being authentically who you are and be personable - those are the keys that are going to be impactful in anyone's career, no matter if it's in an office environment, or if you're in a retail environment.

Integrity and grace. They go hand in hand for me. Having integrity is going to lead to everything else - being able to be trustworthy and honorable, because integrity is a God-given responsibility that we have. And always extend grace to people, because you never know what people are experiencing. Everybody's trauma is not the same as yours. So if you can extend grace, which includes listening and hearing people for where they are, and meeting them where they are, without being judgmental and being a conscious person, you can really help to form relationships and strengthen bonds. You can really help people without even saying a whole lot, just by being there. And sometimes that means just being present without speaking with judgment. I did a session one time on how to have grace in the workplace, because people don't often understand that, and how it matters. I've always told people, you can leave without a title, and so how you treat people is what you're gonna be remembered by. That's how your legacy is going to be formed, because when you're no longer there, that title doesn't mean anything. It's gonna go to someone else. But how you treated people, how you made them feel, that's where grace comes into place, and that's about you being authentically who you are. That's important, both inside and outside of the workplace.