Marquiesha Gillispie

I attribute my success to staying humble and my faith. There were many times where I was all alone in a dark place, whether it was in Afghanistan or right at home in the United States, and I had to pray about things in those quiet moments. My faith really got me through, and just knowing that if everything I earn is taken away, I could still be okay. I think once you have some success, your head can get a little big, but I've had some humbling moments that revealed to me that my accomplishments don't make me who I am. It's how you treat other people, how you show up for them, and the people that you treat like humans and treat kindly - you get that back in so many different ways, and it has nothing to do with monetary value. I also have a high level of discernment, and I've learned that no matter how high up you go, you can't be in this world alone. I just don't get starstruck very easily. I stay humble and am kind, because you never know who you're going to need. When I got out of the military, I learned that you have to listen to people, even when they have different opinions or want to do something a different way. You have to learn how to talk to people with respect and give them autonomy as well. Anything that God gives you, He can take it away from you, and I stick true to that. If I lost it all today, I would still be okay, because I know how to do more with less.

My advice would be to learn what makes you happy about you, and amplify that, because that is your superpower. If you come across someone who can't be honest with you from a place of sincerity and who is only telling you this for your best interest, don't accept that advice as is. Think about who you're seeking your advice from, and be skeptical and critical of whose advice you take. When you choose to take that advice, make sure that it is still including you, your authentic self. Seek out advice, but be critical of that advice, and make sure that it still represents you in some fashion, shape, or form. Don't lose yourself in someone else's advice. Always be the best version of yourself, and take advice that is true to your authentic self.

The biggest challenge is figuring out how to show up as your authentic self but still be a professional and be taken seriously. As an African-American woman, this has showed up all over the place, whether it's our hair, the color of our clothes, or how we present ourselves. Women in general face challenges around being called emotional or aggressive when we have strong opinions. As a Black woman, if we're too aggressive, we're called the angry Black woman. Women who have a strong opinion about something are called emotional, or people ask if something is triggering us, or we're called hormonal in the corporate workplace. Finding that balance is a struggle for a lot of us. I would love to help break down some of those barriers for women. You can wear what you want - professional attire has changed, and it doesn't mean you have to wear black and gray all the time. If you like to wear yellow in the springtime, put on a yellow blazer. If you're African American and you have an afro, wear your locs, wear your afro. That doesn't mean you're unprofessional because of your hair. The challenge is women thinking that they're enough and that they can show up authentically without being judged.

The values most important to me are integrity, service to others, and being a lifelong learner. I pick up trash when I see it on the street because I feel uncomfortable walking across it. I try to do my best whether I know someone is watching me or not, and integrity has stuck with me throughout my military career and beyond. Service to others is deeply connected to my faith - I believe that I was put on this earth, and part of my purpose is to be in service of others, not to always act in self-interest or be narcissistic. It's super important to fight that down. Being a lifelong learner comes with humility, because especially where I am right now, you have to admit sometimes you don't know stuff. If you don't have that humble part of you, you can't say you don't know something, and that's part of executive power. I'll walk in the room and tell people right away, hey look, I'm not the smartest person in the room, but I know how to get the smartest people together, and you're part of that smartest people, so that's why you're in the room with me. I try to encourage and empower people with that little bit of humility by letting them know that they're smarter than me and that I need them. I give credit and recognition where it's deserved. So I would say integrity, selflessness, that servant attitude, and the humility of recognizing other people's superpowers.