Natalie D Romano

I attribute a lot of my success to the people who saw something in me and pushed me to see it in myself. I have been fortunate to have strong mentors throughout my career who encouraged me to speak up, make sure my voice was heard, and become comfortable having a seat at the table. That has had a tremendous impact on where I am today.

I also do not think there was one defining moment or accomplishment that led to my success. It was a lot of smaller moments, opportunities, lessons, and sometimes mistakes that built on one another over time.

Some of my most valuable education has simply come from paying attention. I have learned by watching great leaders, listening to customers, observing what works and what does not, asking questions, and learning from the people around me. College gave me a foundation, but much of what I rely on every day was learned through experience.

I continue to invest in learning, particularly in areas like AI, conflict resolution, communication, and interpersonal skills. Technology will continue to change, and staying current is important, but I have learned that understanding people is just as important as understanding the technology.

I also make a point of staying connected to communities that challenge and inspire me, including LeanIn.org, Women in Technology, PreSales Collective, and Cloud Girls. Giving back is equally important to me, particularly through organizations focused on domestic violence prevention and supporting children and families.

If I had to sum it up, I would attribute my success to staying curious, learning from the people around me, being willing to evolve, and having mentors who taught me not only to find my voice, but to use it.

The best career advice I received was to stop waiting for someone else to recognize what I could contribute and make sure my voice was heard. Early in my career, I believed that if I worked hard and delivered results, the right opportunities would naturally follow. I learned that doing great work matters, but so does being willing to speak up, share your perspective, ask for opportunities, and sometimes step into something before you feel completely ready.

One of my mentors pushed me to become more visible and comfortable using my voice, and that advice changed the trajectory of my career. It taught me that advocating for yourself is not about being the loudest person in the room. It is about having the confidence to contribute when you know you can add value.

That is advice I still carry with me today, and it is something I try to pass along to others: do the work, stay curious, learn from everyone around you, but do not wait for someone else to give you permission to be heard.

Go for it. Do not be intimidated by what you do not know yet. Be curious, learn as much of the business as you can, and do not limit yourself to understanding only the role you were hired to do. Some of the most valuable things I have learned in my career came from understanding how all the pieces of the business fit together.

Just as importantly, treat everyone with the same level of respect, regardless of their title or position. The person you meet at the beginning of your career may be sitting beside you at the leadership table years later. Relationships matter, and how you treat people along the way becomes part of your reputation.

And use your voice. You do not have to know everything to have something valuable to contribute. Be willing to ask questions, share your perspective, take the opportunity, and learn as you go.

The pace of change is both the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity, particularly with AI. Technology is evolving faster than most organizations can absorb it, which means none of us can become too comfortable with what we already know.

I see that as an opportunity. AI will change roles, tools, and how work gets done, but it also makes curiosity, adaptability, judgment, and the ability to connect technology to real business problems even more valuable.

It is also why I think being intentional about your professional identity matters. Know what you are good at, continue building your skills, make your contributions visible, and be willing to reinvent yourself as the industry changes. The goal is not to compete with change. It is to keep evolving with it.

For me, it really comes down to how you show up and how you treat people. It costs nothing to be kind. I try to listen, be genuine, do what I say I am going to do, and be someone people know they can count on.

I also believe strongly in lifting others up. I have been fortunate to have people throughout my career who believed in me, gave me opportunities, and helped me find my voice. I have never forgotten that, and as a leader, I feel a responsibility to do the same for others.

Those values do not change when I leave work. Relationships matter to me. Being present, helping when I can, keeping my word, and treating people with kindness and respect are ultimately much more important to me than a title or any individual accomplishment.