Materials.Business Newsletter ⚙️ May 21st, 2024
Podcast Guest: Andrea Marciales Ramirez
Welcome to the Material Business Podcast, where we delve into the minds of extraordinary individuals who have forged their paths in the world of entrepreneurship. In this episode, we have the privilege of exploring the journey and wisdom of Andrea Marciales. Life, Engineering, and Advocacy: The Inspiring Story of Andrea Marciales Ramirez. As Colombian moms, leaders, and entrepreneurs, both Andrea and I have navigated the complexities of balancing multiple roles while striving to make meaningful contributions to our communities. Through our journeys, we've discovered valuable insights about persistence, learning from failure, embracing loss of control, and practicing self-compassion. Here are seven key lessons that Andrea's experiences highlight, offering inspiration and practical advice for anyone striving to achieve their goals.
1. The Value of Persistence and Learning from Failure (an engineers' perspective)
Andrea's journey into entrepreneurship underscores the importance of resilience. Early experiences, such as selling clothes, provided critical lessons about rejection and persistence. Viewing failures as learning opportunities rather than setbacks is a powerful mindset for achieving your goals. Andrea's story is a testament to the idea that every experience, no matter how unrelated it may seem, can contribute to your growth and success.
2. The Reality of Losing Control and Embracing It
Transitioning into motherhood brought Andrea a profound truth: the experience of losing control. This resonates with many who are accustomed to a structured, controlled approach to life. Motherhood taught her to accept unpredictability and complexity, emphasizing the need to be kind to oneself and manage expectations realistically. Embracing the loss of control can lead to a more flexible and adaptive approach to life's challenges.
3. Inspiration: Balancing Multiple Roles and Cutting Yourself Some Slack
As a new mom, engineer, and entrepreneur, Andrea juggles many hats. She shared a valuable strategy for managing these roles: treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you'd offer a best friend. This approach helps reduce self-criticism and maintain mental well-being, especially when handling multiple demanding responsibilities. Recognizing your efforts and intentions, even when outcomes are beyond your control, is crucial for maintaining balance and resilience.
4. Persistence: A Key to Overcoming Challenges
Andrea highlights the importance of persistence, emphasizing that effort and intention matter. "Cut yourself some slack because you're trying, you're trying," she says, reminding us that it's okay to not have everything figured out. This mindset encourages self-compassion and resilience, helping us navigate through challenges with a positive attitude and determination.
5. Balance and Priorities: Assessing What Truly Matters
Balancing priorities and managing stress is essential. Andrea reflects, "What do you really want to what does it really worth it? Does it work like to stress about this thing now like in five years, is it important? If it's not then like manage your priorities. Questioning the importance of current stressors in the grand scheme of life. This encourages us to reassess what truly matters and to focus on what will be significant in the long run. By identifying and prioritizing what is genuinely important, we can better manage our time and energy.
6. Empathy and Self-Reflection: Treating Yourself as a Best Friend
Andrea shares her strategy of treating herself as she would a best friend. "What would I tell my best friend?" she asks. This practice of empathy towards oneself helps in managing stress and expectations. Viewing yourself through a compassionate lens allows you to navigate challenges without being overly critical, fostering a healthier and more balanced approach to life's demands.
7. Community and Shared Experiences: Finding Strength in Togetherness
Both Andrea and Monica stress the value of community and shared experiences in navigating motherhood and career challenges. Andrea finds solace in knowing she’s not alone, stating, "When we're talking about motherhood and how you're sick and being a mother... it is very helpful." The sense of belonging and support from others who understand similar struggles is crucial for personal growth and resilience. By engaging with our communities through volunteering and other activities, we foster a sense of connection and support.
Andrea's empathetic and engaging tone, combined with our shared experiences as Colombian moms, leaders, and entrepreneurs, makes these takeaways relatable and full of inspiration. These lessons on persistence, embracing loss of control, balancing multiple roles, and practicing self-compassion remind us of the importance of kindness towards ourselves and others. By valuing community and shared experiences, we can navigate the complexities of life with resilience and a sense of belonging. Whether you're a professional, a parent, or both, these insights offer practical advice and inspiration for achieving your goals and maintaining well-being.
Andrea Paola Marciales Ramirez is a dynamic professional engineer with a rich background spanning chemical engineering, the oil and gas industry, and internal corrosion management. Beyond her engineering expertise, Andrea is fervently dedicated to leveraging technology to bolster engineering businesses, enhancing their online visibility through innovative digital marketing strategies.
As a recent mother and a figure embodying multiple intersections—immigrant, woman in STEM, and person of color—Andrea is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion within the Canadian engineering sector. Her activism shines through her involvement with The Women in Engineering Summit, where she works tirelessly to foster a more inclusive environment.
Originating from Colombia and carving her professional path in Canada, Andrea's journey is marked by a broad spectrum of experiences, from conducting comprehensive scientific and applied research to executing professional engineering projects in the Oil & Gas industry. Alongside maintaining her full-time role, Andrea is also venturing into entrepreneurship. Her career encompasses roles in non-profit fundraising and marketing strategy, demonstrating her multifaceted skill set and adaptability. Driven by a commitment to community service, Andrea aims to create nurturing environments that promote optimal professional growth. Her mission is to inspire a more diverse engineering field, empowering individuals to pursue their passions and achieve their dreams through a results-oriented approach.
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Next Podcast Episode !!!
Industry events on the lookout !!!
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We will be chairing the session: Materials and Corrosion Management for a Sustainable AND presenting on the same title of the session - keep posted!
We partnered with the Women in Engineering Summit (WES) - SDG17 at its purest. Stay tuned to learn more about them and participate in the summit in June 2024. BTY Andrea Marciales our wonderful speaker showcased today is part of this wonderful organization!
We partnered with North West WOMEN in STEM - ever since speaking with Saba (co-founder) we couldn't resist putting #SDG17 in action once more. Have you listened to her podcast yet? https://youtu.be/fLP7yX1Bd7c?feature=shared
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