Her Story
About Nancy
Nancy Gutierrez serves as Operations Manager at Amazon, where she has worked for five years. With more than a decade in logistics, she began her career path after earning a bachelor's degree in business administration with accounting. She previously held management roles at Ross and started in logistics as an operations manager at Sears following a job fair. Nancy maintains current certifications in food safety, CPR, and life machinery. She is originally from San Jose, California. Nancy attributes her professional success to her go-getter attitude, shaped by her upbringing in a low-income family with immigrant parents who struggled with language barriers in their jobs. This background motivated her to pursue college and excel as the first in her family to graduate and build a career. She emphasizes values of ownership, integrity, and earning trust, applying them equally to her roles as a business leader and mother. Nancy advises that when people do not like you as a leader, it often indicates you are doing your job, and stresses being fair, consistent, and treating associates as customers by providing them resources to succeed. She notes the competitive nature of her field and the challenge of balancing demanding work hours with family responsibilities as a woman, while encouraging young women to pursue all possibilities through networking, asking questions, and leveraging available resources including AI tools.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nancy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm a go-getter. I came from a low-income family. My parents are immigrants who came from another country and struggled not knowing the language with their jobs. That put that bias in me to be better, to go to college, to prepare myself to be better. Every day I want to be better and provide for my kids. I want to be a great example for my family and for others around.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When people don't like you, it's a good indication that you're doing your job. As a leader, work with your team, be fair and consistent. Your associates, the people that work for you, they're your customer, so you gotta make sure that you deliver to them and give them the resources to be successful.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Everything's possible, and never hesitate to ask for help. Use resources that are available everywhere, including AI and different tools. Networking is a big thing. Go to job fairs, connect with people on LinkedIn. Don't be afraid to ask questions and you will get there.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
It's very competitive. Not only the competition, but a lot of women don't want to do this kind of career path. The hardest part for me specifically is just being a woman and being able to prioritize both: being a badass at work and then still come home and take care of your family. Time management in a competitive field with long hours while delivering as a mom.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
You gotta give it all. Ownership is a big one - own being a mom, own being a business leader. If you own it and deliver, you will most likely deliver as well. Integrity. Always earning trust from others, not only with coworkers and associates but also with family.
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