Never Stop Learning

As a woman who has accomplished AND failed at many things in my career, one key facet to my future success, no matter the endeavor, is to learn stuff. Lots of stuff. Learn in the beginning. Learn in the middle. Learn, especially, if it ends in failure.

I have been given many opportunities in my 33 years in the work force. From my humble beginnings as a 15 year old jewelry store clerk, to becoming a serial entrepreneur, as well as decades working in corporate America, one of the things that has been the most valuable is all the education that has been invested on my behalf.

Some may look at my resume and think, "Wow! That's a variety of experiences!" I am not ashamed of that. I am proud of my ability to thrive in a variety of environments, to pursue a passion and execute it to completion and also... to fail forward even when my efforts hit the rocks. Honest reflection and self-evaluation is pivotal during the times of failure we all face. Defensiveness and excuses only harm our ability to move forward. Acceptance, self-forgiveness and determination to learn more, work harder and move forward are vital to our professional futures.

One of the nice things about good companies within corporate America is their willingness to invest in their talent. My current company, Mobile Mini LLC, has invested in many tools and educational programs to help make us, their talent, successful. This in turn will enable our customer's to achieve success, as well. We become support staff to the companies for which we provide services. Well equipped support staff is a valuable commodity in the work place.

As I approach my one year anniversary with Mobile Mini, I finally feel like I know what I am doing within a complex technological environment and genuinely feel confident that, if given the right opportunity to succeed, I will be able to grab it readily because of the education and tools I am being provided.

In the meantime, I am in sponge mode, absorbing every morsel of knowledge provided. Digesting each educational opportunity as the life giving nugget that it is to my career and future success within my company, as well as life. Like my farmer father always said, you have to chew up the hay and spit out the sticks but learn from it all. Whatever there is to embrace, I make the commitment today to embrace it, believing that no matter how prosperous today may be, tomorrow is more prosperous. My future will always be on an upward trend, even when there are bumps along the way, when I never stop learning.