Her Story
About Lupe
My journey in technology wasn't something I planned - it just kind of fell into my lap. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, when technology wasn't the huge impact it is today, I was working in the federal government with pension and welfare benefits. I became the curious person in the office who would read the manual, figure out printer problems, and train investigators on DOS applications. That curiosity led me to become the hands and eyes for Washington, managing our local office's wide area network. I went to Washington three times for training on topology and networking terms. I decided to pursue my bachelor's degree in computer information systems, and for two and a half years, I worked full-time during the day and went to school four nights a week from 6 to 10 PM while pregnant with my first daughter and then my second. It was like walking through a fog, but the grit I had to pull through and know what I wanted to happen kept me going. When I graduated, my daughter was just weeks old. I then worked at Microsoft for 14 years through the Steve Ballmer years, where I was part of a team that trained technical account managers internationally and co-wrote a communication module for delivery across Microsoft. Now I'm at FlexCentral, which was previously BioWest, in the data center field. I've really enjoyed the manager role because I want others to experience the same warmth and embrace of a customer's testimony that made my day - knowing how you affected the way they felt. I had one customer send a long note to our CEO with praises about me, and those moments have been amazing over the years. That connection with customers and their experience means the world to me, and now I'm helping and mentoring my team to think and practice in these ways.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lupe
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the grit I had during those two and a half years when I was working full-time, going to school four nights a week from 6 to 10 PM, and raising my two daughters while dealing with emotional and mental abuse from my ex-husband. It was like walking through a fog, just making it happen, but I knew what I wanted - to get my bachelor's degree. The only thing that comes to mind is that grit to be able to just pull through and know what I wanted to happen. When I finally came out of it and graduated, it was like lifting my head up and seeing the trees clearly - it was a wonderful feeling because that was such a huge step that really embarked on my technology career from there. I also think my ability to connect and partner with people, whether they're employees, managers, directors, or customers, has been critical. I find a way to connect with that person and take on their concerns so I can put myself in their shoes, and that ability to feel what they're feeling and let them know I embrace what's happening has benefited me the most.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, think about what makes you happy when you do something, and can you develop anything out of that action, whether it's caring for someone, painting, drawing, or whatever it is. Explore that in a deeper way. Don't just dismiss it like 'I have to go do a 9-to-5 job.' Understand what makes you happy, and don't be afraid to dive into what that means for you. And then I would say don't be afraid to take chances, because the worst that could happen is they say no. If that means jumping into a field that you've never done before, I wouldn't say go in blindly - do some homework - but don't be afraid to take a chance. We've hired someone where they were switching industries, and that person wasn't afraid to change industries, and we gave them the opportunity. There are lots of companies that are looking for very basic things - if you can receive feedback, you can grow, and your work ethic is good. If you come to work, you don't make excuses, you don't complain, and you have good core basic things, you can absolutely do so many things. It's crazy how many people take things for granted.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I would say is that everything's at the speed of light. Everybody wants things done quickly because you can pull things and do things at the snap of your fingers - everything is in lightning speed. So I think controlling the speed of what's happening can be a challenge, because you don't want to respond so quickly or do things so quickly that you don't give enough thought to it. Managing that quickness and what everybody wants can be a challenge at times.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I really thrive on people that are genuine and the authenticity of a person. I think that makes me want to do more when I feel like that person has been honest or really been genuine. And when somebody's willing to collaborate - you might be at odds with someone, but if they're willing to meet in the middle, I love that. So we can figure out the differences together. Those values of honesty, genuineness, and willingness to collaborate are what matter most to me.
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