Marilyn Richardson

I attribute my success to humility. I've been willing to start at the bottom, and I found that has served me better because I've learned everything. I've learned the whys of why things are done the way they are and how to do them. My understanding has carried me through as I've risen, and it also makes my relationships a lot better. I get along with entry level people and I can also speak to higher-ups, level 2 managers, level 1 managers. I'm kind of like a bridge, a translator. They mean this and they're asking you to do this, so a lot of it is lost in translation. I've taken ownership of what I do and I want to do it well. I'm not looking to move out of my position - I'm satisfied enough to find a position and stay in that job and do it well.

The best career advice I've ever received is to put yourself out there and volunteer, and ask people to show you things so you can better help them. Most of my skills come from just on-the-job training. The more I learn, I keep that, and they know they can come to me. If I don't know it, I will learn it. I was always told they used to say that I was the ninja - you never see me do it and you never notice it, but then when I'm gone and stuff doesn't get done, they don't notice your presence until they can feel your absence. Now I'm trying to take credit for what I do and show some of the things that I do that keeps everything running smoothly that they may not realize.

I would tell women entering my industry to take what you learn and keep it, and then take a risk. We're having women in normally male-dominated positions, and the women are proving that they can learn the job quickly and more efficiently, actually. You view things differently. Women have shown that the point of view from a woman, they see things differently, and they can find solutions that are not normally thought of, but they end up working. Just because you don't have the degree yet, you can lead from being a service leader, lead by example on how you work and how seriously you take every task.

The biggest challenge I face is not having a degree. Even though I have the knowledge and the skill to do jobs, I've been disqualified for some positions simply for not having a degree, and not even a specific degree - just any kind of degree is required. Even though I could do the job, I'm automatically just disqualified. They even have me train people, like someone fresh out of college, but I don't qualify for those positions myself. My stumbling point is that even if the college degree was specific to the position, I could understand, but it's not. I've been satisfied enough to find a position and stay in that job and do it well. I take ownership of what I do and I want to do it well, and I'm not looking to move out of it. Hopefully that can change in the next 5 years.

The values most important to me are accountability - being accountable to my responsibilities and asking for help when I need it. I try not to ignore something because it won't go away. I take ownership of what I do and I want to do it well. I'm most proud of my flexibility and my willingness to learn. I'm trying to stay current, and I'm using AI to help me help my team. I keep what I learn, and they know they can come to me, and if I don't know it, I will learn it.