Yvonne Moreno

The best career advice I've ever received is to think outside the box. A lot of times in most jobs, people are there to do their 9-to-5, and they're like, okay, this is my job, this is what I get paid for. It's very rare when you find staff who are thinking about how to make things easier, help the organization grow, or help other people in the field. Someone told me to think outside the box, just wing it, fake it till you make it. Put yourself out there and risk it, because people don't know what you're thinking, people don't know your mind goes in these directions, and you have this innovative, collaborative thinking process if you don't say it, if you don't put yourself out there. You're just another person if you don't speak up.

Recognize that you have a voice. Your ideas matter. If you have something that you're passionate about, push it. Find somebody who has the same passions as you, network with them, and build together. There's a good chance there are people out there in your field who see the things you do, they're just not speaking on it. Because you're a woman, all the more reason to say, I can do this, let me show you what I can do. And it gets lonely, you know, it does, but you find your people. Find your people who believe in you, because they're out there.

The biggest challenge right now is that a lot of funding has been cut. Because I'm in homeless services and nonprofit, there are a lot of new administrations, a lot of changes, a lot of auditing in California. Applying for grants that are national and local, everything has a lot of eyes on it now. There's a lot more red tape than there was a couple years ago. The biggest opportunity is networking with other people and filling the gaps. Other people don't know that there are other people out there that want to help. They think they're in their organizations or companies doing what they do, and that's it. But the exciting opportunity is that everybody has a desire to help some way, somehow. The opportunity is meeting new people, figuring out what they want to give back, how they want to help, what they want to give back to, and partnering with them and growing with them.

I'm a Christian, and my faith is a huge part of who I am and why I've gotten to where I am. There's a verse in the Bible that says, do everything as you're doing it unto the Lord. So even if I'm doing a job that I don't agree with, something I don't like, something I'm so burnt out of, I remember that this isn't for me, this is for the people, and I'm representing the Lord. That's where my work ethic comes from. I really want to make sure that even though I might not be able to say Jesus this and Jesus that at work, people know there's something about me. She's for the people, she's engaging, she's nice, she listens, she's fair. My faith is a huge part of who I am and why I've gotten to where I am.