Toni Triola

I would attribute my success to the example that I saw my parents set - their dedication to providing for self and for a family. Everyone's got their own drive, and I think my drive would be around my “why”. It's a transaction - you're providing skills for a certain amount of compensation, and at the end of the day, it's to provide access to a fuller life for you and your loved ones. That has been instilled in me, in my family and lifestyle.

I had a professor in college share a teaching moment that has always stuck with me. He was invited to contribute his design work to a high-paying cigarette company, and he ended up turning it down just because his personal views didn't align with it. That has always stuck with me - to make sure that you are not being used as a tool to spread a message or product which doesn't align with your own set of moral standards. I can say that story has directly influenced some of my partnerships in the past. It helped anchor my understanding of how I would perceive myself in the professional world. Be mindful of the influence that you have in the world and the fingerprint you leave.

My advice to young women entering this creative industry would be to remember the power of your own words and thoughts. Your perspective is rare, nurture it. Remember, being brave is a choice and criticism is an opinion - you know yourself better than anyone can read you. I would encourage to always be growing and further developing yourself along the way. Something's always changing, something's always new. Get close to it. Be curious about it. Let your skillset evolve. By being open to understanding those advances in technology and opportunities for improvement, you'll only enrich yourself, and so don't be afraid of that, welcome it. If anything, I would just want to inspire young women to embrace the truth of their potential being unlimited. Know that not even the sky is your limit, you just have to decide it to be true.

Autonomy and ownership are top of mind for me both professionally and personally. There’s a lot of weight in someone owning, not only their contributions, but their mishaps. That transparency and awareness benefits the whole. Everyone has blind spots, that's why we're a team. Beyond that, integrity and authenticity are core to everything I do. I always put a lens on to make sure that I am conveying an authentic message to an audience and making sure that I utilize my storytelling background to convey effective communication.