We recently connected with Marile Hanson and have shared our conversation below.
Marile, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?
In this environment it can be easy to experience imposter syndrome or insecurity when comparing yourself to others who seem more experienced. But through the years, I saw how from CEO to intern, we are all just trying to make it with what we’ve got. And someone else’s 25 years of experience against my then 0 years does not mean I don’t have value. I learned to draw from my customer service and sales experience as an esthetician which actually proved to be the most unique set of experiences on the team!
Through this job, I learned that my seat at the table is reserved and deserved and the more I focused on my unique talents and skill sets the more I can focus on thriving in my career vs being held back by my insecurity. And while walking in self worth doesn’t happen overnight, having patience through the journey, securing your allies/mentors early on, bouncing back quickly from mistakes and giving yourself grace to be human, all helped me to become a more confident version of myself.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hola! I am a bilingual (soon to be trilingual – bonjour!) afro-latina professional with experience in marketing, sales and education, particularly in the skincare/cosmetics/body care industry. I’ve worked with many different sized companies ranging from international travel retailers, to nationally recognized skincare brands to powerhouse start-ups. My passion outside of the office is being an esthetician of 7+ years which has given me the opportunity to connect with women on many different levels, as often times a facial can quickly turn into an impromptu therapy session.
Over the years, I’ve always surrounded myself with strong, ambitious and talented women who have brought me along their ups and downs as they navigate careers, family, mental health and finances. And from this community, B.Alba LLC was born to create a groundbreaking space for what I call the “woman in transition”. Oftentimes, brands tend to promote the established woman, the one who has it all figured out, living in a high rise with a 6 figure career, 5 AM workout routine and flawless skin. And while some of us may aspire to get there, many of us are not supported enough during the “in between”. In between jobs, as we figure out what we are good at, in between diets, relationships, income streams, school work and all the other myriad of things we are balancing. THAT woman needs some love too!
And so B. Alba LLC, a name inspired by my resilient grandmother, seeks to build, pursue & promote companies with missions that support women on their journey of personal transformation – whether it’s through skincare, clothing, jewelry, food or media.
And I’m excited to say that our first project is set to launch next year, so stay tuned! Also, if you have or know of any brands that are seeking an experienced marketing expert that will help grow their business and support their vision of building a community of powerful and power-filled women, please reach out.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Now, switching careers, no matter how closely related, is no easy feat. It’s pretty scary actually. Having to start all over, new environment, new co-workers and new obstacles. But it proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Through that resilient leap of faith, I’ve been able to create a strong network, find subsequent jobs that moved me up the ladder, learn new skills and ultimately provide a space for the lifestyle I needed to continue working on my long-term career goals. So for anyone who is hesitating about a life-changing move, my advice is simply to do it scared! Push through the fear and embrace the opportunity to learn along the way. No story is worth telling unless it has a few risks sprinkled throughout it.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Many unlearning moments have been tossed throughout my career. But the one that stands out in particular is from one of my first positions in the corporate world. Being one of my first jobs, there were a lot of behaviors, nuances and habits I picked up from mirroring what everyone else was doing. In this particular sales-driven environment, the concept of work-life-balance was almost non-existent, as people slaved away into the late evenings, weekends and holidays. As a “newbie”, I hadn’t yet developed my sense of individuality nor had gotten into the groove of what balance even looked like, and much less had the confidence to set and maintain boundaries when that balance was threatened. It wasn’t long before I started experiencing burn out, frustration, resentment and irritability with the work I had once enjoyed. The worst part, was that at the time it had started to feel normal!
It wasn’t until the following job that I noticed a much different change of pace and expectation of how I was to spend my “off time”. No calls, texts or emails came through after 5pm or on the weekends. There wasn’t a peep during the holidays or scheduled paid time offs. And it was even greatly encouraged to take breaks during the day for a mental reset. However, even in this new environment, I still found myself anxiously working past 9pm and erratically checking emails during Christmas. Over time, I had to unlearn this captivating behavior and learn how to set & honor boundaries or else I was headed down the same path of burnout as last time.
My journey to unlearning started with recognizing the attitudes attached to the behavior. Staying late and clocking in early somehow was meant to show my commitment, where instant email responses demonstrated eagerness and value. I had to detach the thought that my worth was tied to my crippling availability. I also had to train my mind to not fear the consequences of a missed email or delayed response. And lastly, I had to learn that I can still be of value, committed and eager without hindering my personal life. It wasn’t easy, but it was well worth the journey to professional freedom.
Image Credits
Gloria Mesa