Vivian Stewart

First and foremost, my parents. I grew up with extremely loving, supportive parents (and an amazing younger sister), so I've always had a close support system. That set the tone and foundation for all of my pursuits in life. I was raised to believe I could do anything and be anything, which was incredibly formative.

Beyond that, I'd attribute much of my success to the work I've done on my mindset. I've been researching the concept of neuroplasticity, the nervous system's ability to adapt and change neural connections. Your mentality isn't set in stone. You can create positive neural connections and dismantle negative ones, so the more you invest in your belief system, the more limitless you start to feel.

Unfortunately, we live in a society that teaches women to shrink themselves — to be smaller, more palatable, more agreeable. The more we can mentally train ourselves out of those habits, the better off we are. To me, it's not just about positive thinking. It's about knowing that we are expansive, that we are creative, and that we can be multiple things at once.

I didn't come up through a traditional mentorship path. So much of my career has been figured out on the fly — learning by doing, observing people I admire, trusting my instincts, and building my own roadmap as I go. I think that's more common than people admit, especially for women in corporate settings.

The best advice I've received comes from my parents, and it's simple: prioritize balance. I'm ruthlessly ambitious. I will work toward a goal, achieve it, and enjoy it for about five seconds before mentally moving my goalpost. That drive has gotten me far, but my parents have taught me to slow down, be more present, and actually enjoy the journey — not just the destination.

That's advice I'm still actively working on, and probably always will be.

How you market yourself is crucial. You can't market brands or clients before you know how to market yourself. That means putting yourself in rooms you don't feel ready for, shedding the imposter syndrome, learning how to craft your own narrative, and making space for yourself at the table.

Understanding where you're at, where you want to go, and being able to align those two timelines is really important. Once you have the opportunities, make the most of them. Nothing in this life will be handed to you.

In my career, I've been entirely self-taught. Marketing was not my educational background. So much of where I am today came through hustling, networking, taking courses, learning through trial and error, and then compounding on that knowledge. I'm proud to be an executive at a young age, and there's no glass ceiling I can't crack.

This industry is always evolving. which brings a lot of anxiety. Especially around AI. People don't know where they stand, and there's no shortage of fear-mongering about what it means for the future of marketing. I don't buy into the narrative that AI replaces humans or that it's going to be the downfall of anything. Businesses are trying to figure out how to integrate it and make the most of the moment.

The people who win in this landscape are those who evolve. They're not running from the shift. They're leaning into it, learning the tools, and figuring out how to make them work within their craft. That's always been the nature of marketing. Mediums change, but the fundamentals don't.

Honesty and integrity. Showing up as your true self and having your word mean something. It matters in personal relationships, but it matters just as much in business. You're not afraid to be yourself, and you act with confidence and authenticity in every room you walk into.

Beyond that, empathy. We're all having a different lived experience, and being mindful of that is something I take seriously in both my personal and professional life. It's a quality I value in leadership, and it's the kind of leader I strive to be.