Michele Marshall

I attribute my success to my upbringing and the early responsibilities I took on in my family. I was the youngest of four siblings with a significant age gap, ranging from 7 to 15 years older than me, so I was practically an only child. My mother was single and doing so much just to keep us afloat, and she nominated me as the man of the house, so to speak. I would repair whatever needed fixing and made it my objective to make sure I was helping her in any way I could. I think that experience fed my inclination toward the customer service field, because I am so passionate about making sure the people around me feel seen, heard, and comfortable where they are. That desire to help and support others, which came from helping my mother, is really what has been one of the contributing factors to where I am now.

The best career advice I have ever received came through the mentorship and example of the people who have influenced me throughout my life and career. From my mother, I learned the value of hard work, resilience, sacrifice, and leading with love, lessons that continue to guide me every day. Professionally, my mentors taught me to believe in my potential even when I could not yet see it myself, to take pride in my work, pay attention to details, and always leave things better than I found them. They also showed me the importance of accountability, supporting and advocating for others, communicating transparently, and remaining open to opportunities that may seem beyond my current reach. The advice that has stayed with me most is to never limit my own growth, to continuously learn, and to embrace challenges with confidence, knowing that strong leadership is built through service, integrity, and a commitment to helping others succeed.

What I would share with any young woman getting into this field is to hold on to their femininity. One of the things when I first started was that I thought I had to be very masculine and one of the guys just to be accepted, and I lived in that facade for a long time. Then I realized that it wasn't necessary, because living in that masculinity led to a misunderstanding of my worth and what I could contribute. So definitely hold onto your femininity. Have a thirst for learning and for learning on your own, and work on becoming a subject-matter expert, because that is going to be very important. Tech is very broad, and yes, there are some things where you do need to have a broad brush to be a purveyor of many different applications and hardware, but if you could find something that is nuanced and become a subject-matter expert in that area, it will help you stand out. Also, be courageous and respectful, and be bold in asking, but bold in a manner that stays true to your femininity. In a field that's predominantly male-focused, boldness can be confused for aggression. When we stay in our femininity as women, we're natural nurturers; we can be bold in a nurturing way, and it actually allows us gain an audience.

One of the biggest opportunities in my field today is the rapid evolution of technology, particularly the growing use of automation and artificial intelligence. Rather than viewing these advancements as challenges, I see them as opportunities to elevate the human side of technology by ensuring that empathy, communication, and customer experience remain at the center of how services are delivered and supported. I am also passionate about helping shift customer service within IT from a transactional function to a more consultative, relationship-driven approach that fosters trust, collaboration, and better outcomes for end users. As technology continues to become more complex, there is an increasing need for professionals who can combine strong technical expertise with exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills. This creates exciting opportunities for mentorship, specialization, and career growth. I believe the future of our industry belongs to those who can successfully balance innovation with emotional intelligence, enabling them to lead effectively, drive meaningful change, and create lasting value in an increasingly digital world.

In my book, Happy to Help: The Lost Art of Customer Service, I based the content on four pillars, and I personally apply them not only in my career but also in my personal life. The pillars are patience, understanding, respect, and experience. From a lived perspective, patience means being patient with myself and having grace with myself. Understanding means having the curiosity to understand those around me. Within that understanding comes respect, meaning I can have respect for the others around me, but also respect for myself, knowing when it's time not to associate with someone who may not be helpful to me. I also have respect for the people around me, meeting them where they are, and even treating them better than they've treated me, just in hopes of instilling in them an understanding that I'm not just reflecting what I get from them. And then with experience, it's about being open to experiences, being a learner of life around us, seeking it out, being curious about it, and not being afraid to make mistakes.