Susie Sanchez

Success is binary: you either tried or you didn't. I attribute much of my success to three pillars: persistence, perseverance, and honoring the inner voice. Most people stop when they hit a wall, allowing their best ideas to go unrealized because they are hesitant to step outside their comfort zone and keep pushing forward. I’ve always preferred the sting of a "no" or the lessons of a failure over the lingering weight of "what-if."

I lived this philosophy during my five-year journey to join the Oakland Raiders as a Raiderette. Year after year, I returned to those auditions until I finally achieved that milestone and lived the dream during the 2011/2012 season. I applied that same tenacity to my battle with cancer. While the prospect of 28 days of concurrent chemo and radiation treatment was daunting, quitting was not an option.

"I pushed, I conquered, I never gave up - I reach my full potential, I reached my dream." The Dream Lived

<blockquote>One of the best pieces of career advice I ever received was early on in my years at IBM, from a product executive who told me not to limit myself. I remember him saying, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.' In that moment, he was encouraging me—pushing me—to get out of my comfort zone. At the time, I wasn't ready. I was young, a little bit timid, shy, and held back.</blockquote><blockquote>I never forgot that conversation, or his drive to help me see past my fears and take risks. While that moment back at IBM didn't change me right away, later on in my life, it did. You've got to shake yourself up from time to time and push past your own limits.</blockquote><blockquote>Now, a good 25 years since those IBM days, I can't express this enough: go shatter all the ceilings in your life, go live all your dreams, and understand that the sky is truly the limit in whatever you want to do, both professionally and personally.</blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote>

The advice I'd give young women—all women, really—is pretty simple: Go do the thing! I call it the 'it.' Whatever the 'it' is for you, go do it. Go be a powerhouse executive assistant. Become a CEO. Be a nurse. Go live that dream. Go play the piano again. Become an advocate for an organization that you're passionate about—just do it! Don't keep the 'it' trapped in your thoughts. Set that thought into motion. Once you do, watch all the magic that unfolds around you, both the good and the bad. Realize there are going to be setbacks and hurdles, but there will also be moments of pure awe, accomplishment, and amazement. You might not succeed right at the beginning, but it's who you become in that moment that defines your character. How you evolve to get to that place of victory is the definition of true perseverance and resilience. Remember, the journey is often more incredible than the destination itself. True story.

Everybody's got a story to tell. Everybody's got a book to write. Go live your life, go live your dreams, and have your story told.

~ Never Give Up & Live Your Dreams ~

The next big 'it' is my next opportunity right now. I am leaning in and dialing in on multiple directions with grit, determination, passion, experience, and excellence—tackling the women’s empowerment stage and the healthcare and survivor stage all at once.

My story proves that courage becomes contagious when shared. From making headlines as a grandmother on the NFL sidelines to publishing The Dream Lived, to fighting the silence surrounding anal cancer, I am here to use my voice. I am ready to stand on these stages, speak the raw truth, and show the world that storytelling truly saves lives.

Values that guide importance and impact to me on a professional and personal level in my life are honesty, loyalty, accountability, integrity, trustworthy, professionalism, and commitment. These core values stabilize a strong standard of excellence and foundation centered around handwork, resilience, grit, and perseverance.