Thy Bey

I definitely attribute my success to my parents, my mom and dad, and my family growing up. They valued two things: people and strong work ethic. I still believe that carries in both personal and professional life. Those foundational values they instilled in me have shaped how I approach everything I do, from building relationships to delivering results.

The best career advice I've learned over my years in both the public sector and now in the private sector is to build operational credibility early. You have to tie your work to your impact, document that, and learn how to speak and quantify your work. The importance of governance and metrics work in your day-to-day, especially in the private sector, cannot be overstated. It's about making your contributions visible and measurable so that others can see the value you bring.

I would say to stay true to yourself and make sure that you advocate for yourself and for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves. Know that your voice is just as important as anyone else's. Don't let anyone diminish your perspective or contributions. Stand up not only for yourself but also for others who need support, and always remember that what you have to say matters.

I really believe that operational leadership or systems thinking is undervalued and oftentimes invisible. I'm passionate about elevating people who are able to build those systems behind the impact. We hear a lot about being able to scale or influence things, but in order to do that, you have to have the structures in place and the systems in place to support that on a long-term basis and at scale. Sometimes it's that invisible work that's often underappreciated and undervalued, but that's where the challenge can be. That's also the opportunity for us to remind folks of the importance of those two areas. It's both a challenge and an opportunity to bring visibility to the foundational work that makes everything else possible.

Inclusivity and intentionality are most important to me. Being very intentional about what you say, what you do, and what you put forth is critical. But also being very inclusive, thinking about others, being empathetic - all of those things matter deeply to me in both my work and personal life.