An introspective exploration of the hidden costs behind pursuing dreams, revealing that true transformation demands daily sacrifice, courage, and unwavering commitment beyond initial inspiration.
Her Story
About Mary
Mary Gold serves as a Senior Examiner in asset-based lending at Bayes Landing, a role she has held since 2022. With a background in finance dating back to 2017, she brings extensive experience in client communication, lender interactions, and borrowing base analysis. Mary earned her Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Mumbai University in Nigeria, followed by professional certification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. She later obtained a Master's in Business Analytics from the University of Central Oklahoma and is currently pursuing an MBA at Oklahoma Christian University. She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Digital Institution for Women. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Mary volunteers with Edmund Mobile Meals, delivering food to seniors, and assists children in her community on a weekly basis. She attributes her success to God and Miles Benz, and emphasizes the importance of family, work-life balance, and maintaining a strong work ethic.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary
01What do you attribute your success to?
Definitely God and Miles Benz. I try to achieve a balance with my work and my personal life, and put my best foot forward at work.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Try to learn as much as they can, make themselves do as much as we can because we have more to offer. Go after opportunities, hold on to them and perform.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
No two clients are the same so it's like learning different industries how they work. It's kind of like doing a crash course on the client and then moving to the next one.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is very important. Understanding priorities and achieving balance between work and personal life, including God. At work, put my best foot forward and do the best I can so that when I'm remembered it's because of my work ethic.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Mary
Dreams
The daily price of pursuing your dreams and becoming who you're meant to be.
The Cost of Becoming
Dreaming has never been the hard part. It has always been free, almost effortless. The real weight comes in the becoming.
I remember being so certain as a child: "I want to be an accountant." "I want a wonderful marriage." There was no hesitation, no fear, and no awareness of what those "yeses" would eventually demand of me. At that point, it was simply a dream-untouched by exams, untouched by pressure, untouched by the quiet battles with self-doubt.
But no one really tells you that dreams introduce you to versions of yourself you haven't met yet.
- The disciplined one.
- The tired one.
- The one who questions whether they even belong.
- The one who keeps going anyway.
Because the truth is, the cost of a dream is not paid once. It is paid daily.
- In consistency.
- In showing up when you don't feel like you are enough.
- In choosing growth over comfort.
- In walking straight into the unknown, again and again.
And maybe that is the real distinction-not simply having a dream, but deciding every single day that it is still worth the cost.
Because when you stop paying that price, you don't just pause… you slowly fade into a life that could have been.
So tonight, I am reminding myself: fear is not a sign to stop. It is proof that the dream is asking more of me.
And I am still saying yes.
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