Celebrating Women's History: Ada's Experience with Imposter Syndrome
Ada C. | Director, Direct Sales | Mexico
Originally Published: March 27th, 2024
I serve as the Client Solutions Group (CSG) sales director in Mexico. I work with a fantastic team that focuses on growing our CSG business and increasing our win rate, while building long-term relationships with our customers and enabling them with the latest technology and solutions.
I’m originally from Panama where I started my career at Dell Technologies 17 years ago. My journey has taken me to several roles and countries, including the United States and Mexico, where I currently reside with my family.
Outside of work, I love going to new places, staying active, trying out new healthy recipes (which of course involves eating!), the arts, and spending time with my family of three. I’m also a Cirque Du Soleil fan and have seen 22 different shows so far, several of them more than once.
Can you share a personal milestone or achievement in your life that holds significance during Women's History Month?
Getting out of my comfort zone is something I've done many times in different scenarios. Though it does scare me, I've tried to use that fear to push me forward. With Dell Technologies, I've moved countries four times in 17 years and transitioned from local to regional roles managing people across Latin America (LATAM), I've learned from our different cultures and ways to do business. I accepted opportunities as well as risks and even moved away from my family and home country to continue learning and growing personally and professionally. I moved from Panama to Mexico, then to Puerto Rico (and got married!), back to Panama, and then back to Mexico in 2018 to lead the CSG sales team, a position I was very afraid to take. It left me sleepless for almost a month, thinking of all the ways it could go wrong. I ultimately found the courage to believe and trust in my mentors and leaders who saw something in me that I couldn’t see. It was impostor syndrome at its finest. I’m grateful I was brave enough, but also humble enough, to understand there are tons of things I don’t know and start from there.
I’m a firm believer in having an individual development plan, mentors and coaches, and in expanding my network with intention, especially in times of uncertainty and ambiguity. I've been mindful to encourage and support my team in doing the same. Additionally, I have been consistent in contributing through WIA, first as an active participant, then as chapter lead, later as Mexico lead and now LATAM lead.
There are moments in my career where I've felt impostor syndrome hit hard. At times I've felt alone, as I continue navigating and growing through an industry that's mainly composed of men. I’m grateful to work for Dell, the best place to feel secure and supported. WIA is one of the ways I've found to give back my time, passion and experiences to attract and retain more women and diversity in our company. I also became a trainer for #IamRemarkable, a workshop dedicated to helping women and underrepresented minorities speak up about their accomplishments. I deliver at least one session every quarter.
In what ways have you navigated challenges unique to being a woman, and what lessons have you learned from those experiences?
Throughout my career, being a woman has sometimes meant being diminished, talked over or treated differently because of my gender. I've also recently become a mother, and since pregnancy, I've received comments and questions that I’m sure are never aimed toward a man. I've not always known how to respond or act in certain situations and am still learning how to understand that these things are not always said with bad intentions. I've always had family and friends near me that I can count on for advice, for help to understand or just to listen. Different situations call for different responses. Sometimes it’s an opportunity to speak up and give a lesson or food for thought. Other times it’s better to just walk away. In some situations, you need somebody to help. Thus, surrounding yourself with the best people is key — people who can support you and will tell you the truth even if you don’t like it! 😊
Can you share a specific initiative or project within the WIA ERG that you found particularly empowering or that made a positive difference in the workplace?
For me, ERGs are a way to find a community that shares your same passion for diversity and empowering others. They're great support and also allow you to network with people who otherwise you would have never met.
I enjoy several of the projects WIA leads. One of them is the leadership programs that empower women in different levels of the company, helping them navigate mentorship, negotiations, impostor syndrome, networking, and providing other valuable skills. These programs aim to increase the chance of women staying at the company as they build their confidence. As a team, we are working in new elements to elevate the programs more! We also have several community programs across the region that have helped women with entrepreneurship skills, mentorship and support in finding their first job.
What cultural or societal changes do you hope to witness in your lifetime that would positively impact the experiences of women?
I hope we can live in a society where we no longer say someone is “the first woman" to do this or that. Instead, I want to live in a society where it is normal to see women as CEOs, founders, executive board members, and in any other areas of life that up to today have been dominated by men. I want more women, especially younger women, to see themselves represented and know for a fact that not only is it possible, but it is normal.
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