Change and advancement rarely happen on their own. Connection and community are what really move the needle. Leaders who understand this principle have the power to create positive ripple effects throughout their communities and organizations. Meet Stephanie Kinser, EVP, Enterprise Solutions at Salesforce, who is known for her leadership approach which puts culture and people at the center of a sustainable growth strategy. She is a champion for equality creating a world-class sense of belonging for all. Stephanie connects her passion for STEM and developing future talent at Salesforce by serving as executive sponsor of the Women in Solutions Excellence (WISE) organization. This diverse and vibrant organization is giving back to schools and creating a path for future Solution Engineers in the workforce. In this episode, Stephanie shares how growing up in a military family that moved around frequently taught her how to adapt to change, and exposed her to the power of relationships, opportunities, and diversity. Stephanie encourages women to pursue their vision and overcome obstacles in their path. She shares insights on having the confidence to ask for what you deserve, and strategies for overcoming doubts. Stephanie also challenges us to question if our fears are real or imaginary, and if we are limiting ourselves or if we are in a limited situation. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Stephanie.   Highlights: [02:42] Stephanie’s story [05:45] The decision to go in to technology [07:44] Connecting your personal and professional life [09:34] Pivotal moment in Stephanie’s career [11:42] How to ask for what you deserve [14:22] Overcoming doubt and limiting beliefs [17:22] Maintaining your objectivity about your fears [19:23] Finding mentors and sponsors [21:50] The makings of a good leader [24:44] Handling a setback and looking forward [27:41] Strategies for overcoming and learning from failure [30:37] Seeing the opportunity for the future [32:15] Advice to leaders as they look at the future of talent development [33:20] What keeps Stephanie grounded [38:13] Stephanie’s message to future women leaders   Quotes: “Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is powerful and leads to growth.” – Stephanie Kinser   “Ask yourself, periodically, if you are limiting yourself or are you in a limited situation.” – Stephanie Kinser  “Are you putting the fear and doubt into a scenario or is it really there?” – Stephanie Kinser   “The next opportunity will come. Are you waiting for it or are you helping to make it happen?” – Stephanie Kinser    About Stephanie Kinser: As Executive Vice-President of Solutions at Salesforce, Stephanie Kinser​ brings a wealth of digital transformation and connected experiences expertise from a distinguished career focused on all stakeholders in this dynamic work-from-anywhere world. Stephanie is known for her leadership approach which puts culture and people at the center of a sustainable growth strategy. She is a champion for equality creating a world-class sense of belonging for all. Stephanie joined Salesforce in 2003 when the company had less than 500 employees and revenues of $51M. Since that time, Salesforce has grown to $25B in revenue and 49,000 employees dedicated to customer success. The evolution of the Enterprise team has provided focus on Salesforce’s largest customers, the trailblazers adopting cloud computing at scale. This has led to an enviable rank of #1 in customer renewal rate, as well as the repeated distinction as one of Forbes Magazine’s most innovative companies, and Fortune Magazine’s most admired companies. Prior to joining Salesforce, Stephanie was a Solutions Engineering leader at Ondisplay Software. As employee #23, she played an instrumental role in the company’s successful 1999 IPO and subsequent $1.4B acquisition by Vignette Software. Stephanie’s continued leadership contributed to the successful integration of the selling organizations of these two companies. Stephanie began her career at Ceridian (an IBM Company), implementing Payroll and HR solutions. She gained technical expertise in data centers, data privacy, complex payroll and tax regulations, outsourcing, and security before transitioning to Solution Engineering. Her background also includes Solution Engineering roles for Dun & Bradstreet Software. Stephanie connects her passion for STEM and developing our future talent at Salesforce by serving as executive sponsor of the Women in Solutions Excellence (WISE) organization. This diverse and vibrant organization is giving back to schools and creating a path for future Solution Engineers in the workforce. Stephanie earned a degree in Management Information Systems at the University of Oklahoma and in 2016 was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni. She was recently featured as a keynote speaker at events hosted by Texas A&M and The University of Oklahoma. ​Stephanie and her husband Patrick have two teenaged children and live in Plano, TX. She loves travel, gardening, music, and movies. She is a proud board member of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniekinser/