Becoming a Product Manager was a natural progression for me because I like to build & I'm a jack of all trades; There aren't many challenges I'd shy away from, and I've never had a ‘that’s not my job’ mentality. Most importantly, I'm motivated by a desire to make an impact on the world (like when I executed my Next Level initiative focused on encouraging H.S. students in underserved communities to attend college, and matching them with internship opportunities).
I could go on to tell you all about how funny, entrepreneurial, creative, smart, and awesome I am, but we’ll save that for our after work happy-hour chats. For now, I’ll share what the Gallup's StrengthFinder study has to say about me, because it was spot on. The enterprise study used a comprehensive exam to identify my top dominant themes of talent in the workplace. In other words… I woke up like this.
My top five, in order, are:
Strategic Thinking
"I am constantly absorbing and analyzing information to help my team make better decisions."
Restorative
"I love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, I am energized by it.”
Relator
”Once the initial connection has been made, I deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship to understand their goals.”
Futuristic
”As if it were projected on the wall, I see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling me forward, into tomorrow.”
Activator
"In my view, action and thinking are not opposites. Instead, I believe action is the best device for learning. I make a decision, I take action, I look at the result, and I learn."
That's me in a nutshell.
A few random facts:
• Kelly from Saved By The Bell tweeted a link to my bio.com blog post in 2012. My childhood self was super excited about that.
• I ziplined thousands of feet over and through a Costa Rican rainforest. The views were spectacular. Feel free to ask my about my near death experience on a mountain in Monteverde, Costa Rica. -_-
• A few of the other countries I've visited include: Dominican Republic, Cuba, Aruba, Italy, Barbados, and the Cayman Islands (where I carried a wild stingray!)
• I've taken, and thoroughly enjoyed, a few acting and improv classes.
• I almost majored in Cultural Anthropolgy, because I am fascinated by the differences that tie us all together.