Overview

Gender

female

Investor Type

Investment Partner,Angel

One of the most pivotal opportunities in my life came right after I’d moved into operations at Google. I’d just taken on the responsibility of managing a large team when I was asked to commit to running the company’s sales operations in India. I’d always wanted to work abroad, but I didn’t want to put my life on hold to do it.

My husband wasn’t in a position to relocate, so the move would mean living apart for an entire year. It would also mean delaying our plans to start a family. Talking with my closest friends was of little use — some encouraged me to go for it, others cautioned that a move to India could derail my plans to start a family and put considerable stress on my marriage.

I was torn. I’d lived my whole life on the shoulders of others and didn’t want to let anyone down. Plus, I’ll admit it, I was scared. I’d traveled to India many times, but the thought of living and working there was much more daunting. Not only was there a new language and culture to consider, but India’s classically male-dominated environment wouldn’t be easy for an African American woman to navigate.

Still, the more I weighed the pros and cons, the more I realized I wanted the challenge. I sat down with my husband and made a list of all of the things we needed to do to make it work. I took that list back to my manager and he agreed to meet my requests. Within 48 hours, I was on my way to India.

I wouldn’t trade that decision for anything. I ended up having an amazing experience and my husband of 13 years is still with me today — along with our daughter. Having a supportive spouse really made the choice a lot easier, and I learned one of the biggest lessons of my career: Never be afraid to ask for what you need to make your whole life — not just your work life — work for you.

Realizing this made me confident that I could have the career I wanted without sacrificing my marriage or the opportunity to start a family. I plan to always encourage my daughter to follow her dreams and pursue her passions, even when they seem impossible to achieve.