Sasha Cady

I had my first child straight out of high school in a small town North of nowhere. My first manufacturing job was only intended to be a summer time income while I adjusted to being a new mom and figured out the rest of my life. Summer turned to Fall, Fall to Winter, Winter to Spring and as the seasons changed so to did I. Before I knew it an unplanned path to success was unfolding beneath my feet. I was well respected at my job for my drive and work ethic but the reality was when I clocked out I returned home to domestic violence. I attributed most of my success at that time to that stark difference all the while carrying the shame of living a lie. At work I was valued with a bright and promising future but at home I was powerless, surrounded by drugs, alcohol and egg shells you could never tip toe around well enough. The foundation was laid for my now two children and I to become statistics of some sort. I was calling myself a leader and simultaneously living a life I would not wish on another. I attribute most of my success today to that portion of my life because it was then that I dreamed of today. Healthy, healed, happy, and able to use my experience for good.

The greatest career guidance I've received didn't really come in the form of advice. I suppose the greatest leaders will show you not what to think but where to look. It was in that early stage of my career that I participated in Training Within Industry (TWI). They say when the student is ready the teacher appears. The instructor of that course went on to become a life long mentor but his brief presence at that time ignited a spark in me that I could never put into words. For years whenever I found myself in need of guidance on or off the job I would ask myself "What would Mitch do? Admittedly, I had never seen that on a bumper sticker but it always seemed to help. It never occurred to me then that I just happened to meet Mitch before knowing Christ. Now nearly 20 years after first being called I look back on a career that took me many places and a life that brought me to my knees more times than I can count. It wasn't until the last time that I opened a bible, scared for the first time in my life that I may not get back up and the greatest thing I have found was in the last place that I looked. I stand here today proof that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and that sometimes not all who wander are lost.

If you have a dream, don't give up on it. It only needs to make sense to YOU. Don't get caught up in comparison. You can achieve way more than you think is possible with hard work, resilience and a bit of creativity. I reached a point in my career where I was a single mom without a degree standing next to men twice my age with military backgrounds or degrees in Business or Engineering. I could've easily given up. Instead I redefined what leadership meant to me and got to work shaping my next level. It doesn't matter what resources you have, it's what you can do with what you have.

I think the biggest challenges in manufacturing and or leadership moving forward is the ability to adapt. The foresight to look beyond the current problem to the future solution. I believe leadership is a way of life and a seed so important to sew into the next generation. I strongly feel that today's youth are boring the cost of our collective weaknesses. The world is changing at a rate we have never seen and in the information overload age it can be easy to feel as though we are falling behind or simply not clear on where to go. My testimony gives me a great deal of faith in my future because it is through it that I have developed the strength and confidence to face an ever changing environment. As my career evolves I plan to shift more into public speaking and writing as that is where my wisdom can best create impact. I started writing my first book "Gaslight" some 10 years ago. It was an expressive outlet and how I chose to work through PTSD and mental health regulation but now 10 years later I understand that the vision was meant to heal more than just me.

Last year welcomed my first grandchild and my greatest goal now is simply to live a life of service and enjoy each moment with grace and gratitude. My children come first. Every single mess that I went through, they were right beside me. It was both my greatest gift and biggest regret. They were the only ones that were right beside me through it all, and they're great kids. Integrity and authenticity are also incredibly important to me. I believe strong alignment with those two things can shift a persons life in great ways.