While challenging by nature, the corporate world can be even harder to navigate for first-generation leaders. Commonly cited issues include lacking family guideposts, established networks, or even preexisting industry knowledge—however, these same challenges are opportunities to forge a unique path.
As Michelle Weise, CEO of Rise and Design, reminds us, “Success is not a linear, upward trajectory.” She offers a new perspective: a powerful call to embrace these twists and turns and celebrate your unique career journey.
Equally crucial is finding your voice to advocate for yourself. LaMecia Butler, program manager, shares her experience of overcoming self-doubt and societal expectations, reflecting, “I didn’t realize that not negotiating put me at a disadvantage for my earning potential for years. After reading countless articles, receiving coaching, and remembering my dad’s advice—’All they can do is say no’—I’ve become more comfortable with negotiating.” Butler’s story highlights the importance of learning to advocate for yourself, whether negotiating salary or speaking up against microaggressions.
Finally, Erkeda DeRouen, CEO of Digital Risk Compliance Solutions, emphasizes the power of perseverance, saying, “Obstacles have come each and every step of the way, but one thing that I have learned on my journey is to keep leaping to higher heights. Just because someone has not done something before doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.”
Their experiences all highlight similar threads of resilience, advocating for yourself, and recognizing the unique strengths you cultivate through challenges. Dive into more below to uncover these lived experiences of 15 business professionals, lighting the way ahead for more to follow.
Embrace creativity
Ingrained in my brain are the eyes of my disappointed Latina mother when I told her I was switching majors from social work to advertising design. I felt her heartache as she brought up her “Coming to America” journey. How could I possibly dismiss all my parents’ hardships and sacrifices by throwing it away for the arts? I often wished for other lucrative passions like Nursing or Mathematics, but I knew deep down inside creativity has been my calling since childhood.
With no support from my family, or quite frankly any knowledge of graphic design programs like Adobe Creative Suite, I took a gamble of a lifetime. As someone who constantly puts the needs of others before my own (like my family has taught me), I took a chance on myself and my talents. It wasn’t a seamless journey, knowing that I’d almost given up for a multitude of reasons, but through every hardship, I reminded myself of how I longed for my parents’ trust.
I’m happy to share I graduated from Kean University in 2021 with a bachelor’s in Interactive Design. I acquired many internship experiences, including one that led to my first “big girl job” at R/GA NY. I fulfilled my dream role as an art director, where I created work for brands like Samsung, HBO Max, ESPN+, and more.
Over time, my parents were able to understand where my creativity had taken me. I won’t ever forget showing my soccer-obsessed father the behind-the-scenes process for a LaLiga commercial I was working on. I knew then and there that they understood me and my passions.
To any creative pursuer reading this, please trust yourself and the process. Even when there’s no support on your side, or if the obstacles feel excessive, remind yourself of what got you in the game in the first place. Don’t expect the journey to be seamless or perfect, either. I’m still failing and trying to unlearn the cultural nuances that I was taught.
Coming from a family that taught me that women are meant to be agreeable and obedient, I am constantly challenged at work to raise my voice and make my presence known. It is a daily battle, but one worth fighting for in trade for an ever-growing career in what I love. Please continue in the pursuit of creating the life you want to live. You owe it to yourself to continue with the baton that your family handed to you.
Melissa Tito, art director, Pereira O’Dell
Confront workplace racism and Learn to Negotiate
The greatest obstacle I had to address in my career was addressing racism and microaggressions in the workplace. In my first role, a portion of my work was in the diversity space, and as a result, I had my finger on the pulse of what was happening with our limited employees of color (in the region).
Whether it was speaking out when a coworker continued to say discriminatory/stereotypical remarks and jokes about me and certain communities, or calling out a questionable marketing choice for a selected venue for our company event, I decided I couldn’t remain silent. I’m fortunate there were allies in leadership who listened and addressed those concerns—I know not everyone receives the same support. Today, my journey in the DEI space still lives on, and I continue to hold myself responsible for making sure the work environment is inclusive for everyone.
Another obstacle I had to overcome as a first-generation professional was learning to negotiate my salary. No one advised me that I should, and therefore I took what was initially offered. I didn’t realize that not negotiating put me at a disadvantage in my earning potential for years.
After reading countless articles, receiving coaching, and remembering my dad’s advice—”All they can do is say no”—I’ve become more comfortable with negotiating, and that includes not just salary, but other benefits that are important, such as time off or remote-work options.
Salaries and benefits should be used to bring about equity for employees—the more transparency we can bring, the better we can avoid putting first-generation workers at a greater disadvantage than their peers, which would truly allow them the freedom to become some of the best next-generation leaders.
LaMecia Butler, program manager, Meta
Overcome trauma and navigate corporate culture
I was born and raised in a small town in Mississippi by a violent, addicted mother with a personality disorder and an exceptionally loving but often-absent father. School was a sanctuary to me (despite the bullying and racism) and so were reading, writing, and drawing, which I did quietly in my room whenever possible. I excelled as a student my entire life and went on to graduate from Penn with honors in 2018.
My career in tech has been marked by exceptional achievements, such as three promotions in a year-and-a-half at VMware, where I won awards for my work and published an article with chief executives related to an initiative I was spearheading, as a 23-year-old. However my traumatic background and first-gen status left me vulnerable to manipulation that resulted in one of the worst and most consequential career choices I could have made: leaving VMware for Pinterest, where I was targeted by my managers and peers for organized group bullying and harassment that went on for several months and gave me suicidal thoughts.
In the two years since leaving Pinterest, I have reflected a lot on how much navigating my life and career without parents at all (my dad died and I stopped speaking to my mother)—let alone educated, professional parents—leaves me vulnerable to making unwise choices and being targeted by professionals who lack integrity and security in their abilities. Ultimately working at Pinterest is the most important thing I’ve done so far in my career because I have learned very early that these environments can literally be dangerous, wisdom I did not have access to previously and can now pass on.
Happy and fortunate to say I’m currently in the best role I’ve ever had under leadership I trust, respect, and aspire to be like. Still healing, but doing well! I hope/am excited to see “first-gen professionals” become part of the typical professional lexicon and recognized as the significant dimension to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace that it is.
Shelby Lynne Barlow, principal instructional designer, Ingram Micro
Learn the power of hard work and grit
Navigating the world of entrepreneurship as a first-gen founder has come with its unique set of challenges and benefits alike. When you grow up with immigrant parents, you learn from an early age the power of hard work, determination, and true grit—all the elements of a successful entrepreneur. However, as first-generation leaders, we face several hindrances to success, such as building professional networks from scratch, overcoming imposter syndrome, and accessing capital.
Nevertheless, the fire to reach our parents’ American Dream (Sueño Americano) fuels our stamina to carve our paths, using our knowledge from education and family values to interact with different communities and become more well-rounded leaders for the next generation.
Victor Macias, founder, Santana Snacks
Tackle systemic barriers and champion inclusivity
As the CEO of Create & Cultivate, my journey to this leadership position has been shaped by the unique challenges I faced as a woman of color and a first-generation professional. Upon arriving in the U.S., my anticipation of boundless opportunities quickly collided with the reality of systemic barriers, particularly evident in professional settings.
In these environments, my voice was often overlooked, and my ideas undervalued. It was also a struggle to find a community where I felt supported and understood. This pushed me to work relentlessly to demonstrate my capabilities and assert my leadership. My experience involved a deep confrontation with, and triumph over, the biases that frequently sideline first-generation professionals in the workplace.
Accessing opportunities was incredibly challenging, but so was tapping into the kind of information that could alter the trajectory and growth of my career. I realized quickly that pivotal insights related to professional advancement were often circulated behind closed doors, guarded by an invisible velvet rope. These conversations were happening in boardrooms, on golf courses, and other exclusive settings—places where I, and many others, found ourselves conspicuously absent. Being on the outside underscored the significant disadvantage at which we were placed, highlighting the urgent need for systemic change to dismantle these barriers.
The realization that achieving success required not only hard work but also a determined effort to dismantle the obstacles and skepticism I encountered has been a driving force in my career. It underscored the necessity of resilience and perseverance in the face of seemingly overwhelming professional challenges. This journey has fueled me with a deep sense of responsibility to challenge and change the status quo, ensuring that future generations of women, particularly those of color, face fewer barriers to their success.
Now, with the privilege of leading Create & Cultivate, I am dedicated to making a tangible difference in the lives of women navigating the professional world. More than a business, it’s a movement aimed at eliminating the barriers I once faced by offering resources, mentorship, and a supportive community to empower women. By leveling the playing field, we strive to create a world where success is accessible to all. This vision for a more inclusive and equitable professional landscape is at the heart of everything we do at Create & Cultivate and my life mission.
Marina Middleton, co-owner and CEO, Create & Cultivate
Find cultural language gaps
A small but powerful gap in my upbringing was the absence of American idioms. When I hear an English/American idiom peppered into social or work conversations, I either don’t react or have a delayed reaction.
Having immigrant Chinese parents, our home language environment never spoke of “bite the bullet” or “I smell a rat.” Why are idioms important? According to studies, “English idioms are formed in a particular historical period and passed from generation to generation, embedded with unique cultural connotations . . . ”
I believe that first-generation professionals start life and career two notches below everyone else in the majority culture, so we have to work twice as hard to move up that ladder. Nuanced differences in language, like the use of idioms, are essentially a kind of cultural setback.
Grace Chen, program experience lead, Quantic School of Business & Technology
Defy odds and naysayers
As a first-generation physician, there were lots of unknowns that I had to navigate. Black female physicians make up 3% of the entire physician workforce. As a child born to teenage parents who did not attend college, my educational journey was full of firsts. There were naysayers and roadblocks, but I had to find a community, as well as mentors, who became my personal board of directors—in addition to my family and friends—whom I could lean on for guidance through uncharted territories. With their support, I was able to obtain acceptance as a student at Hampton University into the Early Medical School Selection Program at Boston University School. My time there was not completely full of roses, but I was able to take the adversity that I faced in Boston, such as when one of my supervising physicians told me to come up with a “Plan B” when he asked about my career aspirations since I was a “woman and a minority.” Yes, he really said that!
I decided not to let anyone dim my light, simply because it was shining in their eyes. I went on to attend residency at the University of Maryland Family Medicine Program, serving at an underserved community clinic afterward. Looking to serve populations from a higher level, I transitioned into leadership in telehealth before the pandemic, when it became the “cool thing to do.”
Since then, I’ve become an author, podcaster, international speaker with my own TEDx, health equity leader, and healthtech innovator who took a big leap to start a digital health consulting firm. Obstacles have come each and every step of the way, but one thing that I have learned on my journey is to keep leaping to higher heights. Just because someone has not done something before doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.
Dr. Erkeda DeRouen, CEO, Digital Risk Compliance Solutions
Advocate for diversity amid isolation
My creative journey traces back to a small Caribbean island, where I discovered my love for drawing ’80s cartoons. While other kids flew kites and played baseball, I was in my room drawing my favorite characters. This early spark of creativity ignited a passion that led me to become an award-winning designer, but not without facing hard times.
The biggest challenge I faced was isolation due to the lack of diversity in the design industry. Throughout my career, I’ve often been the only person of color on my creative team and sometimes in the entire marketing department. Thankfully, my desire for a supportive community was stronger than my fear of isolation, and it pushed me to actively seek out and advocate for designers of color.
Barney Abramson, creative leader and mentor, BarneyAbramson.com
Redefine success beyond linear trajectories
I’ve had to overcome the thinking—that was ingrained in me by my family, by my community, and then later confirmed by my achievements—that success is a linear, upward trajectory. It is not. It can be lateral; it can be twisted and confused; it can look like a spaghetti-noodle pathway to others.
Achievement ultimately is not about climbing upward toward the next rung. And even if we could continue to progress in that way, it doesn’t mean that we must or should. For me, being a woman, a mother, an introvert, a writer, and a wide-ranging systems thinker have added up to a special set of skills that I bring to the table, which cannot be replicated by anyone else. But it took me a lot of finding out the hard way that certain career possibilities may not be aligned with my strengths.
Michelle Weise, CEO, Rise and Design
Navigate bicultural identity in marketing
When I was growing up as a U.S.-born child of immigrants, I felt societal pressure to assimilate to the American way of life, and familial pressure to do the exact opposite. Mastering English was fine, but there was little interest in my mastering the American ethos and way of life. I, unknowingly, carried that with me for the first 20 years of my career. I exclusively worked in general market advertising, even though I was a bicultural Hispanic. I then retro-acculturated (or returned to my roots) and when I returned, I completely returned. I started a discipline (within the agency I was working for at the time) to target bilingual/bicultural Hispanics digitally, when no one else was doing so, and have stayed true to this segment over a decade later—constantly learning and demystifying Hispanics for the industry.
So the first challenge was to embrace myself and the totality of who I was and what I had to offer. The second challenge was convincing my superiors that we needed to invest in targeting people like me. I also was challenged with coworkers who felt that I had diminished myself/my expertise by now working in minority marketing—the name itself implies a negative (multicultural is a better term). So the discrimination continued into adulthood. Finally, I had to convince clients that this was a segment that existed and mattered. Children of immigrants become the sherpas for their foreign-born parents: translating; interpreting; demystifying and informing purchases and decisions at a very early age. By marketing to them, brands secure a greater ROI.
As I continue my role in corporate America today as a CMO, I have also founded my own company that targets children of immigrants in primary schools, via books and videos so they can both be seen and, more importantly, validated. This has brought its own set of challenges, but I was driven by the fact that these children feel second class because they don’t see themselves reflected back in the media authentically. Had I had what I’ve created today as a child, my life would have turned out differently. But I’m grateful it turned out as it did.
Maria Twena, CMO, Adsmovil
Forge paths despite professional barriers
As a first-generation professional, I encountered obstacles that others might overlook, such as a limited professional network and a lack of guidance from established role models. However, through relentless perseverance and a commitment to personal and professional growth, I have navigated the corporate landscape, which is often characterized by gender, appearance, and communication-based barriers. Despite the challenges, I have drawn inspiration from influential industry authors and motivational speakers, leveraging their wisdom to shape my career trajectory.
Through continuous adaptation and personal development, I have forged a fulfilling and rewarding professional path, demonstrating the potential of first-generation professionals to excel in any field. While role models can be inspiring, it’s important to recognize that many have had advantages that you might not be aware of.
My advice is to focus on doing the best you can for yourself and your family. Your hard work will pave the way for future generations to close the gap, and that’s what drives me forward each day.
Gerrie Diaz, senior product manager, Harvard Business Publishing
Value self-worth over job titles
My advice is to not be scared to leave a job that doesn’t make you feel valued, heard, and seen. Throughout my career, I’ve had the same job title and responsibilities but faced very different experiences across companies. My advice is to work in-house, agency-side, freelance, etc., because this will show you what you want and don’t want in a job.
In my career, I’ve strived to not focus on job titles or industries but instead asked myself what company fits my current needs rather than if I fit that company on paper. I went to my local state university, had a standard GPA, and had no professional connections, yet every no just redirected me to a better opportunity.
As a first-generation professional, understand that obstacles are always going to be present, but redefine what ‘success’ looks like and be open to changing what that means to you now and 10 years down the line.
Stephanie Green, social strategist, Intel Corporation
Cultivate perseverance
Being a first-generation refugee and professional, there were a lot of unique challenges I faced. My parents knew little about how to help me succeed in school or what type of resumé markers I needed to get into a good university. These were all things I had to navigate myself, learn from those smarter than I, and mirror their behavior. Thank God for guidance counselors, or I really would have struggled.
Both of my parents worked in a factory assembling medical devices, and they just had to fill out an application and get a referral from an existing employee. It was a success for my mom to receive a 25-cent raise; both of my parents’ income combined was less than $50,000 a year. While they were extremely supportive of me going to college and obtaining a professional career, they couldn’t help me write my resume; they couldn’t even proof read it. I had to utilize some of my older siblings for their experiences or beg for assistance from other mentors.
As a first-generation individual, I believe my scrappiness and problem-solving skills came from the desire that I wanted more and had to figure out my path to get there. I had grit; I knew I was behind everyone else and had to create my own opportunities. In high school, I went into office buildings that didn’t have security and door-knocked seeking an internship of any kind. I was fortunate that a startup was willing to take a shot on me and signed my school credit forms. I went there every day after school, and I waitressed on the weekends for actual money. From there, I was able to at least start building my experience.
I have had to learn from my failures because no one was there coaching me along the way until I was older and found true mentors. I recall having a part-time job in an office that did accounting work for a restaurant franchisee. No one ever taught me how to write an email or memo, and I am not sure I was ever taught how to properly pen a letter either. I learned quickly that the way I wrote emails to the general managers to request things was a bit too direct and gained an understanding that there was a hierarchy or politics in the professional world.
Despite the obstacles, “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Continue to charge forward, and push yourself to continually be better. I never expected to become an executive, but I have numerous mentors, grit, and perseverance to thank for it.
Nai Kanell, CMO, MedTrainer
Define success on personal terms
Growing up as a first-generation professional, I did not have a roadmap for navigating life’s challenges. From selecting the right high school to identifying my ideal career path, I often felt lost and alone.
I often dealt with imposter syndrome, leaving me feeling inadequate and afraid to speak up due to fear of judgment. Over time, I’ve learned to overcome these obstacles. I’ve embraced self-love and acceptance, understanding that my journey is unique and valuable. I began to recognize that success wasn’t solely defined by external accomplishments but rather by validating my journey and creating the success I desired from within.
Rejection no longer defines my worth, I see it as a natural part of life. I’ve learned to give myself grace and trust in my abilities. I’ve realized that my path is mine to control, and there’s no single right way forward.
Harleny Vasquez, LMSW, university speaker, career coach, YourEvolvedMind
Perfect determination and vision
My story is one of resilience, determination, and unwavering vision. Growing up in poverty amidst the turbulence of the Balkans, I experienced firsthand the challenges of adversity. Despite facing the hardships of two wars and being forced to restart my life as a refugee twice, my ambition remained unyielding.
Upon graduating from the University of Novi Sad, I set my sights on the U.S. with dreams of making a difference. I started my career at Google but soon ventured into entrepreneurship, establishing a consulting company. Every hard-earned penny was meticulously invested into developing software products, despite facing financial struggles throughout my twenties.
My journey was not without setbacks, experiencing eight failures before finally striking success with Clockify. Despite initial challenges in securing investors and raising funds, I persevered, growing Cake.com into a suite of cloud productivity SaaS products, including Clockify, Pumble, and Plaky. Now, Cake.com has garnered a valuation exceeding $1 billion without ever receiving investor or outside capital.
With its trio of award-winning products and an esteemed clientele that includes industry giants such as Disney, Netflix, Amazon, and Cisco, Cake.com stands as an industry leader in team productivity and project management software.
Nenad Milanovic, founder and CEO, Cake.com