Influential Woman · Digital
Teresa Graham
Digital, --
Boones Mill, VA
Her Story
About Teresa
Teresa Graham began her career with 15 years in banking, where she excelled as a top sales performer at a call center while focusing on helping people make or save money. She later started her own cleaning business and transitioned into writing books and courses, including sending an idea for an upgrade to Microsoft that she hopes will lead to a partnership. Graham attended college for four years, studying business, business law, accounting, bookkeeping, and record keeping as she prepared to become an executive assistant. She attributes her success to her faith, her intelligent father, and her good Christian mother, and she draws inspiration from Elon Musk's ideas while emphasizing the importance of never giving up and working beyond a standard 9-to-5 schedule. In her work, Graham values treating everyone equally, helping and loving people, and following the golden rule, while advising others to find what they love, research thoroughly, keep idea notebooks, and persist through challenges.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Teresa
01What do you attribute your success to?
My father was very intelligent, and I had a good Christian mother, so faith played a big part. Faith is like the wind, you can't see it, but you can feel it. Just never give up. Anyone that's successful, it's not 9 to 5, you might have to work 2 days in a row and run off of coffee to accomplish what you want. My dad was very influential for me. I also look at Elon Musk and his ideas.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
If you put your mind to it, you can do anything. Knowledge is potential power. It's only power if you know how to use it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Find something that you love, or you have experience in, or knowledge. Research it. Just keep a notebook to write down your ideas, and embellish that. Broaden those ideas. If it's self-help, or an experience that you went through, maybe somebody else thinks they're just alone. By them writing about that can help someone. Don't give up, whatever you do. The very next moment might be the very best moment you ever had. Be nice to people. Don't stop, don't give up. The world needs you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Opportunities are that there's a lot of grants out there that people don't know about, using AI, opportunities of speaking to people and getting their feedback. Challenges could be not having the money to do what you want at the time that you want to do it. Having enough hours in the day to do what I'd like to do. Finding people that maybe think along the same lines that I do. Finding people with good personalities, good work ethics, and that desire and drive.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Treat everyone, no one's better than anyone else. We should love everyone that we come in contact with. Rudeness does not accomplish anything. Sarcasm does not accomplish anything. By helping people, and loving people, and being good, treat them like you would want someone to treat you. That's my top value.
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