Shanika Asher

I attribute my success to courage, persistence, and the willingness to create my own opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to me. During a very difficult career transition - when I was a biology and chemistry major trying to move into business - I didn't wait for a job. Instead, I created my own opportunity by starting a successful gelato business. I had it for 5 years, and I never worked so hard in my life. We made 90% of our menu ourselves, and I learned so much during that time. Sometimes you don't have to wait for the opportunity - you just have to be courageous and create your own opportunity. I was willing to take that chance and bet on myself, and we were eventually voted one of the number one businesses in Atlanta before I sold it. That experience taught me that everything I learned during that time, I still value and show every day in the same way I did for my own business. I also believe that your career doesn't have to be a straight line. You can decide you want to do something else, figure out how to pivot and get there in a different way. If you have a passion to learn and you actually want to be there, that matters more than following a textbook path. My biology background actually helped me in my line of thinking when I moved into operations, which is a very busy field where you have to know so much about resources, finance, and vendor management. I encourage people that your career doesn't have to be this straight line, but you can pivot and make hard right turns, hard left turns, and still end up in a place to make a difference and impact others.

The best career advice and mentorship I've received has come from three key people who have profoundly shaped my journey. One of the most influential figures in my professional life was a previous boss, Alistair Bruce. He actually showed me what it was to be a mentor and what it was to be a sponsor. I realized that they are two different roles, and he happened to play the role of both. A mentor offers guidance and advice, but a sponsor actively advocates for you in rooms you may not yet have access to and creates opportunities for advancement. He has been a shining light, a North Star for me to achieve and just be that type of compassionate and empathetic leader. Beyond the workplace, my mom has been incredibly influential. She was the first person who believed in me when no one else did, and she continued to be that person who encourages me, especially when I'm having a rough day. She always pushed me, but she pushed me gently - it was never in a mean way. She would just ask me questions, and she has definitely been a great inspiration. The third person who made a tremendous impact was one of my really good friends, Erica Crenshaw. She was someone who encouraged me to make that pivot from medicine to business - to tell my parents that I no longer wanted to go to medical school, which was nerve-wracking. She saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself at that time. She just planted a seed, and that seed has stayed with me for my entire career. Every time I see her, I thank her for it, and she says, 'It was always in you. I just saw it first.' These three people have shaped and continue to shape the leader and the person that I am today.

My advice to young women entering this industry is to find someone in the industry you want to be in, and if you reach out one time or two times, don't give up. Be persistent. I was once in a room with the CEO of Chick-fil-A, and he gave us his personal phone number. We were all thinking, wow, and he said, 'You realize that a lot of people say they're gonna follow up, and they don't.' So be persistent. Find that one person that's in your industry who can guide you and help you maybe avoid some of the pitfalls, because you're gonna have a lot of pitfalls of your own, but it's definitely helpful to reach out to someone who's been on that same journey as you want to go. That's really important. It's also important for us to bring up the next set of leaders. I'm not gonna be in this position forever - I'm gonna go on and be a COO, and I need to train up somebody else to take over my position. So just never be afraid to reach out to a leader that you're watching in the field. Technology makes it so easy to reach out, and I would encourage folks to reach out and find someone who you want to be like one day.

One of the biggest opportunities in my field right now is the ability to bring fresh perspectives and adaptability into leadership as industries continue to evolve. Organizations need leaders who can balance operational excellence with empathy, innovation, and strong team culture. At the same time, navigating constant change can be challenging, but my career has taught me that growth often comes from embracing unconventional paths, staying resilient, and being willing to step outside of your comfort zone.

The values most important to me are integrity, servant leadership, leading by example, stewardship, and having a growth mindset. I like to say that I'm a person of integrity, and I think about this all the time - am I walking in integrity? I also believe in servant leadership, which I think is rare when it comes to leadership. Even though people work for me and I'm considered the boss, I do have the attitude that I'm a servant. I lead by example, so stewardship, leading by example, being a person of integrity, and having a growth mindset - I would say those are all characteristics of the type of person I am and the leadership that I bring every day.