Marissa Montemayor

One thing that's been so important is having self-belief as a constant. Going where you want to go and achieving what you want to achieve is a very unique experience, and you're not always going to have people validating your ideas. You might even experience rejection - you probably, I mean, 100% will. So in those times, you really have to advocate for yourself, whether that's loudly or quietly. Find a way to combat that and always say, I had this idea for a reason. Check your intentions and make sure that you're always aligned and connected to who you are. But even before that, just check where you're at. Having skills is one thing, and having knowledge is obviously important, but the one thing that really increases your chances of longevity in terms of what you want to do is making sure that you're right before you put yourself out there. If you don't feel confident in your values and your intentions and who you are, you're not going to perform as well as expected because the world is very loud and there's a lot of noise. If you step out into a playing field with so much noise and diversity without a strong foundation, it's going to be a bit hard to sustain.

I would say prioritizing your personal life is most important to me. Time goes by fast. I have a niece, I'm married, my parents, all that stuff, and I've always wanted to not be so soaked into work to where I can't enjoy and be present with my loved ones and the ones who've always just been a part of my life. I'm also always trying to be well-intended and just give back when we can. I think with power and money and all these sorts of things, our human design is a bit finicky, or a bit flimsy. Always being aware of our intentions and the way that we're approaching things is super important. Having a good heart and doing people right, that kind of thing.