What inspires you to show up at work every day?
I feel incredibly blessed to be the multicultural marketing manager for Ford and Lincoln. It is within this position that I share with the community not only the terrific vehicles but how we are giving back.
How did you determine your career path?
I’ve been with Ford Motor Company for nearly 19 years. My assignments have [ranged] from managing UAW at a parts depot to wholesaling vehicles to dealers to interacting with customers via Twitter. It’s been a wonderful career so far and I’ve aligned myself with great mentors who have guided me through.
Describe the skill sets that are essential to future business leader and innovators.
Digital and social media are a must. It is all about digital.
Describe goal setting methods you use and how you evaluate your success?
We set goals for all of our experiential events. We survey consumers prior to and after to determine if there was a lift in favorable opinion. We often ask consumers for their contact information so that we can market to them. This allows us to track vehicle sales once the purchase is made as we are capable of connecting the consumer’s experiential data with the vehicle registration. These tools allow us to measure whether or not we have successfully met our goals.
What are the three most important factors of being a successful woman?
Being true to yourself, don’t allow yourself to be bullied, and become a subject matter expert in your area of expertise.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
That every child in foster care had a loving home to welcome them in.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
To be more patient.
Who or what motivates you and why?
My son. I want the best for him and to be able to provide all that he “needs.”
What are the dos and don’ts for young women in business?
Do stand up for yourself and not be intimidated by others. Try not to get emotional about things … it’s work. Brush it off and do [it] over.
How do you successfully grow from business failure?
First, you must be able to accept the failures and recognize what part you played into it. Get up and try again.
Name your three most successful female role models and share why.
My mother as she has encouraged me since I was a little girl to always strive for the best and the best would come. Pamela A. my mentor here at Ford Motor Company who is also a working mom who is getting the job done. Essence president Michelle Ebanks. She, too, is a working mom that I admire and look up to. I was once in a cab in L.A. and I saw her in her workout clothing obviously taking a run talking on the cell handling business. Now that’s multitasking.
