"I'm a kid who grew up in a revolution. My mom and dad went to college in Boston and left me behind with my grandmother in Iran when I was 3, which most people think is really traumatic, but what else did I know? I had a father who drowned windsurfing when I was a sophomore in college. I only know messy. But what I also learned as a result is how to pick myself back up pretty quickly."
"The sooner you learn that, the easier it gets. Not that we want people to have complicated journeys, but I do think you develop this muscle memory that, while it may be hard, you learn that it's going to be OK. And sometimes the mess is the opportunity, too. It's finding the opportunity in the mess."
Maryam Banikarim, former CMO of Univision, Gannett, and Hyatt, shares insights on navigating career disruption and C-suite politics through her podcast The Messy Parts. Growing up during the Iranian revolution and experiencing personal tragedies shaped her perspective on resilience and adaptability. Banikarim emphasizes that life's messiness—whether from failed plans, job loss, or personal hardship—builds muscle memory for recovery and creates opportunities for growth. She advocates for betting on yourself and finding possibilities within chaos, noting that many successful ventures emerge from setbacks and pauses in career trajectories.
#career-disruption #resilience-and-adaptability #leadership #personal-growth #opportunity-in-adversity
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]