When I was a little girl, I don’t think I had a dream career, but I always liked selling.  I sold stickers, cheesecakes, art, hand-made earrings, erasers, and worked as a restaurant cashier.  My dream was to have my own restaurant as it combined what I liked most: selling, cooking and socializing.  I also enjoyed dealing with money, which was a common denominator in sales. Monopoly was my favorite board game.

I was once talking to a friend over coffee and from one topic to another she shared what seemed to be a normal concern for her: having to choose between having another child and her work life. That was probably my biggest aha-moment. Many people still firmly believe that family life and work balance is not possible to achieve and therefore quit their jobs or accept that opportunities for growth are limited. That was when I promised myself that as a leader, I would always make sure that no one around me has to face such a choice.
 
I realized that for me, gender has never been an issue in my career and that family life and work life just meant life as whole. I was privileged to start a career and work for a company that ‘walks the talk’ when it comes to diversity.

Set yourself a goal of what you want to do in your career and take risks to get there. Get prepared, be curious, learn and be flexible. If offered a role that you don’t feel fully ready for, take it!