If You Know Better, You Should Do Better
Name: Sara
Pronouns: she/her
Title: Lead Operations Strategy Analyst
Location: Phoenix, AZ
My personal brand
Futuristic, innovative, and collaborative.
Who I am, my work, and what matters to me
What I love about my identity is that I show up each day unapologetically authentic. As a cisgender lesbian whose pronouns are she/her, finding my true self was not an easy task. I had a difficult childhood as the second oldest of five children in a low-income household. I grew into people-pleasing tendencies, and internalized homophobia that led me to repress and believe something was wrong with me. I was fearful of new environments because the opinions of others presented danger. Through the gay culture of West Hollywood normalizing LGBTQ+ culture, I learned to be proud while taking up space. My life changed when I became self-aware and chose to love myself. Sometimes loving yourself means letting go of some people in your life, but I have realized loving myself and owning who I am has elevated me in the long run.
I have a passion for being a catalyst for change. I believe if you know better you should do better. I always look for ways to reduce and solve challenges by listening and understanding the end goal and advocating for others. In my role as a Lead Operation Strategy Analyst, I am an advocate for the customer. I monitor operational excellence to ensure conversations are focused on meeting the needs of our customers to ensure we provide value and deliver on the company mission to drive brighter financial futures.
When it comes to change in the LGBTQ+ community, I participate in our PRIDE ERG as a regional co-chair and ensure I am up to date with current events globally and in my local community. I share educational, historical, and relatable stories on our community page. I like to think that by making my world comprehensive, others will continue to find their compassion and together we’ll leave the world a better place.
In my career and life, I have learned it is vital to take ownership and make every effort to be my best self, as opportunity and preparation go hand in hand. Be open and courageous in asking for reasonable opportunities or compensation as this has been a real benefit to me. When we approach products, we discuss them in a future state with clear objectives and key results. I challenge everyone I mentor to have clear actionable goals with a desired result when they are afforded a great opportunity. I encourage everyone to have a clear goal, keep a positive outlook and take steps with their future self in mind.
A hard truth I learned is no matter how much I prepare, it is impossible to be ready for every situation. Failure is inevitable and continued effort through grit often leads to success. I had to be willing to start over, accept there are more qualified candidates and develop further before I was able to take the next steps. The way we overcome our failure makes us who we are. The biggest piece of advice I could give someone is to understand their personal “why.” When things are their most difficult, I often remind myself of my why and who I am doing this for, my family.
I am extremely lucky to be part of a loving family mixed with biological and non-biological relatives. My wife and I recently accomplished the completion of our home study process required for adoption. By setting the foundation necessary for our future, we now look forward to giving a loving home to children who need one.
I am a person who speaks from a place of care, yet I will openly speak to what I feel is the truth. I speak openly and often about how I adore my wife. I believe that staying silent to keep the peace will only destroy your own wellbeing. Because I live so openly, I am often asked to mentor LGBTQ+ peers or parents of LGBTQ+ children. I was hesitant to do so at first but found my voice in sharing from a place of experience. I have explained to parents the coming out process is not easy because it is not a onetime occurrence—community members have to find their voices continually. It takes courage.
In navigating my career, I find value in sharing my diverse perspective. I take opportunities to share my background when appropriate as it allows space for others to share their uniqueness. I am a role model for others in sharing and asking for preferred pronouns. I am active in sharing knowledge about specific benefits and needs such as adoption costs. Each one of us brings value in our diverse perspective and this makes us stronger.