Mayara Lima

I attribute my success to working to the best of my ability each day and being able to lay my head on the pillow at night knowing I did everything I could. When I go to bed, I feel that I'm not adaptive anymore - I did my best with what I could do. If something is within my capability and I can help, I will do it, and I will lay down with my mind clear knowing I did whatever I could. Some days my 100% isn't the same, but it's what I can do for that day. That peace of mind, knowing I gave my all for that particular day, is what drives my success.

The best career advice I've ever received is to not be ashamed to talk about yourself and to sell yourself, because you know your qualities and capacities. Sometimes if you're afraid to talk and say to people 'I know how to do this,' you might sound too proud of yourself, and that fear can make you keep quiet. When you're afraid of sounding too proud, you lose opportunities because you don't sell yourself - you don't let people know what you're doing and what you're capable of. I have learned to let people know what I'm capable of, and that's been great. It's a process, and it's not easy, especially for people like me. What I'm doing with you right now was very difficult before because I was ashamed of my English since it's not my first language, and I was afraid to talk. But I've been working on myself to not be afraid of speaking up about myself and letting people know what I'm capable of.

My advice to young women entering the industry is to be curious. Go read, do research on your own - the answers don't always fall in our lap. We need to go look for them, and we have a lot of resources available these days, so you can study on your own. Try to find the resources that are available for you to learn and work on your resume to improve your skills. For example, if you're looking for a position, see what they need in that position and go work on those skills to improve yourself so you're able to apply for the position. Don't wait for the opportunities - go for the opportunities, look for them, and make yourself ready for the opportunity when it comes.

Right now, everyone is saying that AI is coming to take our jobs. Everywhere I go, every place, they talk about this. I remember when computers started and everyone was afraid that computers would take our jobs, and when calculators showed up, people were afraid and saying they don't need us. But actually, the people that learned how to use the tool were the ones that got into a better situation. So my advice is don't be afraid - learn how to use the tool in your favor. That's the challenge right now. AI is coming, and we need to know how to use it in our favor. Don't be afraid of AI, take advantage of AI.

The values most important to me are honesty, being proactive, and being passionate about what you do. Being honest is very important in whatever you do - be honest with yourself and be honest with others. Be proactive and don't wait. I'm not a person who is used to saying 'it's not my job' - I actually hate that phrase. If you see that something needs to be done and you can do it, just go and do it. It doesn't matter if it's your job or not. If you can do it and it's there, take action. Be patient about what you do, and just go for it. If you're not in a place that you don't like, just move and go find something that you like to do, and make it happen.