Yendri Casado

I attribute my success to family, love, and God. Being able to wake up every day being grateful and showing up is critical. I never say I can't do something just because I might not know how at first - that's how you beat adversity, by knowing that if somebody else did it, believe it or not, you can do it too. Your journey's not gonna be the same, and we're not all gonna be successful superstars, but you need to find that one thing that you really are good at and are passionate about doing, then lean into it, because it's not easy. But that might be your golden ticket. It's always been about that mentality - passion, but also drive and action. You have to put the action with the passion. If it is a passion for you, even through the challenges, it will continue to fuel you. And surrounding myself with people that always genuinely want to see you be the best version of yourself - keeping my children close, keeping my husband close, just surrounding myself with those supporters - that's been essential.

First, I want to share that I had a daughter at a young age, which has been the greatest blessing and the biggest challenge I could ever go through. She showed me how to be an adult, and not having that traditional transition of going to college and having to do it in a very different way, yet still getting the same outcome and beating adversity, taught me so much. My advice is all about passion - finding something that you really love and are good at, and sticking to that. That's the recipe for success. If you feel like you're having fun earning money and doing what you do, that's what you should continue to tap into. Listen to the women that came before you and that are out there doing the same things you're doing. Some of my biggest idols are Sarah Blakely, who's the founder of Spanx - if you just sit and listen to her, this is a woman that busted her behind to get to where she's at, and there was no shortage of difficulties she had to face in both her personal life and her entrepreneurship life. Also Mel Robbins. I read so much, and I think that's one of the biggest outlets for me to regulate my emotions and learn more about who I am. You are what you do, and the quicker that you understand that and flex that to your advantage, the better. We're not taught that in school, we're not taught that at work - that's not something our employers sometimes pay for unless you're working for Google or something. But understanding that you are your brand is critical.

The job seeker market right now is really challenging - there's a lot of noise out there. That's exactly why we're building Journey to Hire, to be innovative in the way we help job seekers land opportunities. The biggest opportunity I see is helping people who are truly underserved and don't have the same type of resources that others might have. Not everyone is an outspoken and well-spoken person - it doesn't come as easy for everyone. There are people really struggling to find jobs, and they need help finding suitable jobs where they can see themselves growing both professionally and personally. We need to understand that you're not just a professional, you're also human - it's both. People say 'oh, you're a professional, but you're also human' - no, that's not it, it's both. We're not taught career development and personal branding in school, we're not taught that at work - that's not something our employers sometimes pay for unless you're working for a big company like Google. That's the gap and the opportunity.

The values I carry within myself are deeply connected to helping people. I have a passion for helping people land jobs - not just my friends and families, but anybody that I come across or cross paths with in life to gain good employment. It's about finding something deeper and making a change. I have a spiritual calling - I believe in God and the divine spirits - and staying in tune with that part of life is critical. Gratitude is huge for me - being able to wake up every day being grateful and showing up. Family and love are at the core of everything. I make sure to dedicate time and space for everybody to have a voice and for everybody to be able to connect in different ways. Whether that's spending time with my husband outside of us as parents, just as people, or making sure each of my children feels heard - finding that space is very critical. I also value continuous learning and self-improvement. I read so much, I listen to inspiring women, and I'm always learning more about who I am. Doing things for other women that are in the same scope of work or the same walk of life really helps me stay grounded. And surrounding myself with people that always genuinely want to see you be the best version of yourself - that's essential.