First off, you’re doing great.

I know at times you feel like you’re not going to succeed, and you may not succeed in the ways you want, but keep that resilience strong.

Most of the time, people are going to discredit you and your knowledge because of your gender, age, how you look, race, sexual preferences, etc. But keep standing up for yourself and where you’ve been; that alone can get you where you want to be.

People will also try to attribute themselves to your own success. Don’t let them take that credit if they didn’t earn it.

You might get job offers solely because you’re an attractive woman. Take the job offer and prove to them that you are much more than attractive. You’re innovative, you’re smart, and you have the power to overcome anything life may throw at you.

You might be asked by people to change who you are to be more attractive or to “fit the look”... don’t stand for that. The most successful people, companies, and work environments open their arms to diversity like an old friend. It is what brings innovation.

Men requesting sexual favors in exchange for your advancement in a position is something you’re likely to face one day. It could even be less extreme than that, it’s up to you to make a decision. Even though you’d be exploiting the man’s weakness for your own personal gain, most people do not see it that way. We, unfortunately, are respected less when we use our sexuality for personal advancement.

Remember, the most innovative ideas that got us where we are today, were once seen as worthless. Don’t give up on your creativity when others are putting you down.

Stay humble and don’t let your success get to your head. We’ve all had an interaction with someone extremely successful, and we couldn’t stand to be around them because they acted better than us all.

Learn from the mistakes of the people you can’t stand.

Remember to take time for yourself to make sure you’re still growing personally. Growing your career is impossible to do without a drive. When you lose the drive, your career won’t grow. I find my drive starts to hit an all-time low if I do not take care of myself. When your mind, body, and health are all balanced, that is when you’re at the optimal time for your success to start flourishing.