What would you share with other single moms about making decisions for their future?
Be honest with yourself and know your strengths. When I was looking for a position, I was working as a leasing consultant for an apartment complex, and I would pull the newspaper and go through and look at jobs. And I was like there are a lot of accounting jobs. [I thought], I’m pretty good with math. So I thought maybe that would be a good fit for me. But I would say beyond knowing yourself, [and] what’s good for you [and] your strengths, [look] at a position that’s going to be beneficial to your family, to your children. I mean, all of us have to start somewhere. Remember what’s important to you, have a vision, know where you want to go. Don’t settle, be confident in who you are, and trust yourself.
Why should we lean into things that are uncomfortable?
Because we have to grow. I went to a job fair, Comerica was there and other banks, but I had my mind set on a particular company. I had maybe 15 résumés in my hand, I flew into the place, I just dropped my résumés in the box. Someone from Comerica stopped me and said, “I saw you put résumés in other boxes, but you didn’t come over here.” I had no interest in banking whatsoever. She [asked for a résumé and] I gave it to her. She called me the next day. I was very uncomfortable when I started with Comerica, but I met wonderful people when I started. You need to follow your heart. And if you’re not uncomfortable somewhere, you need to get uncomfortable.
