The gender gap in STEM occupations is wide in the United States, and unequal treatment at work is a leading reason why women leave STEM careers. This episode features engineer/consultant Jamita Machen and author/educator Dr. Mary Payton discussing their passion for science and engineering as well as seeing women--particularly women of color--thrive in STEM careers.
Show Transcript
Aliah 0:05
Hey everyone, it's Aliah Henry, and you're listening to the Aliah Henry show. Expect to hear insightful interviews and panel discussions covering community, entrepreneurship, health, and women's empowerment. Don't miss out. Keep listening. The Aliah Henry show is up next.
The gender gap in STEM occupations is wide in the United States. And unequal treatment at work is a leading reason why women leave STEM careers. Joining me in this episode are two dynamic women who have created unique paths and are passionate about Science and Engineering, as well as seeing women, particularly women of color, thrive in STEM careers Jamita Machen owns the software vault, a Dallas based IT consulting firm. And Dr. Mary Payton is a stem author, an educator, as well as the producer and host of the all about STEM internet radio show. You don't want to miss this conversation. It's up next on the Aliah Henry show.
Welcome ladies, welcome to the Aliah Henry show. You good so glad you're here. I have to have a shameless plug real quick for everyone. So these aren't just dynamic ladies in STEM, but they are my sorority sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and so I'm excited to have them here on the show as we're talking about Entrepreneurship, stem and the field of engineering and science, and why that is important. And so, again, Dr. Mary Payton, and Jamita Macen are here with us just to have a candid discussion about some entrepreneurship stuff. So this is good. So, I guess what we'll do so that everyone can kind of see where we are, Dr. Payton talk a little bit about your entrepreneurial journey, and then Jamita you can do the same. And then that way, we can kind of set the tone.
Dr. Mary Payton 2:39
Well, my journey was totally accidental. I started my radio show almost three years ago, just doing it as all about stimme radio just doing it because I wanted to, and I wanted to bring people in in the fields to talk about what they did to open people's mind. minds and open children's minds. Ooh, I can do that. Or Oh, that's what that really is. never considered it a business. And then I left and went to Korea and still do the show from there and started writing books. And when I came back, I had to get a tax ID and all this stuff. Business, so but it will it never felt like a business and it still doesn't because it's my passion. It's what I do. It's what I love to do. I'm taking the opportunity from working with adults to working with high school and middle school kids. And now I enjoy working with four year olds at my local elementary schools because I think the younger you can start, the more you're going to get involved or find out if you like it or not, and I was surprised at how much these kids have picked up.
Aliah 3:55
So Have you always been excited about science and math or Did it grow on you? have always I just didn't get that bug. You know, it's so funny because I was a great speller. I love to spell, I love English. And those were in social studies. So those were kind of like, and then I would cringe go into the math teachers class. And then a science teacher will come in and say, we're going to dissect such and such today and I'm sitting in the corner, like
Dr. Mary Payton 4:32
just the opposite. You know, reading a novel is like, okay, no, give me a science book or back back then because I'm a little bit older than No, give me like a book about building a car working on cars. loved it, really. You know, I had to put history into context, okay, because I hated it, or didn't like it as much for playing You started talking about things that were built designed and stuff like that throughout history, then I became very excited because I'm like, wow, okay. In high school, I went to triple Tech High School in Fort Worth, which was technical school. And I always liked the science part, the biology part. So I was in health occupations, and then also took Auto Body auto mechanics. And my mother just thought I was crazy.
She's happy. Let me do it.
Aliah 5:33
Good. Jimmy, what about your journey?
Jamita Machen 5:36
Well, my journey to entrepreneurship is also accidental.
I was working for a major airline company as an architect in it. And basically, LinkedIn, you know, I LinkedIn in case
Aliah 5:53
so LinkedIn,
Jamita Machen 5:55
crazy phone calls on my phone, you know, private or Received making a spam or, you know, some some, you know, playing on the phone, I finally decided to answer the call and they're like, Hey, you know, we're from the UK. We're a company we're trying to break into the US and we're trying to get into this other major airline and we need your help. So I'm like, okay, they like well, they tried to interview people Indian, if you interview the start means you start your company, and then you know, you come under a good contract rigorous. So that's how I started my 2011. Under just some random phone call. I didn't meet the people that was late on the contract. But you know, workout. I'm a huge advocate of LinkedIn, not only because of that, but you know, other other offerings it has as well, but that's how I got into
Aliah 6:51
that. That's really cool. Yeah. So you know, it's interesting. Now that we have such a heavy presence in the digital marketing space that a lot of those relationships are being met through linked in, or members, or if it's an opportunity or if it's an opportunity to speak. Really, it's kind of interesting, because that's just not been the traditional way of going and asking someone, you know, for business or looking at opportunities. Yeah,
Dr. Mary Payton 7:24
that's good. A lot of contracts like that.
Aliah 7:28
Yeah, that's really good. Yeah. So, let's talk a little bit about your journey with STEM because I think both of you all are very passionate about it, doing conferences and teaching and all kinds of workshops on STEM. Why do you feel that it's most important for our young people to understand, like, Why Why is it that why is stem just as important as maybe entrepreneurship
Dr. Mary Payton 8:03
Well, there are so many things in STEM that you can do as a stem entrepreneur. As we spoke earlier, you can do cyber security, you can do training development. One of the things I had the opportunity to do, because, you know, I spent 29 years in the military, but a young lady reached out to me some years ago and asked me to do writing for her pro development in STEM type things like auto dogs, Home Home Depot, teaching people how to use their cabinetry, and so on and so forth. And I never met this young lady until like three years after I, you know, did work for her, but to be able to look at things from a technical viewpoint is what she needed because she could write, she could develop training programs, but she did not know you know, you know, the math portions or the proportions are the ground It's our the physics of how things should work. And so that gave me the opportunity to really look at, wow, somebody like me, can do have a business that can get out and do these kinds of things for people, but we don't think of that when we're younger children are growing up, because we don't know those things are out there. So
Aliah 9:24
I would definitely say I think when I was even in high school, and getting ready to prepare for college, I think when in my mind, obviously, my dad was like, you have to go so that if there wasn't a prerequisite, you had to go so you knew you were going, but I think in my mind, I thought, well, I'll probably become a teacher or do something else that I mean, I don't know. I just think that that was just, that was the path, right? My parents were both educators. And so I kind of felt like oh, that as long as I did well In those subjects, or did it well enough, then I would be okay. So it's interesting that we it's so different now. And I think the opportunities are different for this generation as well.
Jamita Machen 10:14
That would be almost everything you do
something with technology or something with man. I mean, if you think about it differently cooking is chemistry and math. So that's your foundation. You know, things you need to know if you want to cook where you want to, like I have making sewing and everything so all that adding if I want to make my own dress or switch up the pattern, I had to know how to do that if you want to play golf, you need to know physics. So you know if you want to be good at so that's true, right? It's not just one out there all the time is swinging the ball or even just put other sports you know, writing an angle football, all this kind of stuff. All that is really, you know, man, just be started at the basics man. And then some Physics. So, I think if we teach more of that, from that aspect, not only will they elevate in the, you know, educational space, they might improve their of their athletic space as well. But they may also have something to fall back on in the future. So, it's true. Yeah, it takes, you know, exposures will. I mean, just like you're saying, you know, both your parents were educators, my mom was an accountant. My father was from the military. I want to be a fashion designer. You go to school, you can be and you're going to go to this school right here. Okay. And but it just happened to be she just, you know, recognize my strip. I just happened to like it. And, you know, the rest is history. So, just having, you know, an adult or someone to see that in me and then to expose it because she knows maybe take your science class in high school and I want to that she did yeah. You're going to want to keep taking your
seats. You saw that on it.
Aliah 12:06
So on your corporate journey, when you are working as an engineer, did you find that? Because you were probably, I mean, obviously, there's not as many women in that field, but did you find there to be those challenges within the working space as what it relates to your projects or what you knew how to do? Did you find that to be challenging?
Jamita Machen 12:37
It was challenging, but I can say kind of, I was blessed to have gone to school environment where I was minority, not only in race, but also in gender in that field. So I always use countering that already. In my undergrads things kind of prepared me for what to expect and I Go to the to the corporate America. Okay. Now, you know, it didn't prepare for the politics, but she had to, you know, sit back and learn about the politics and the hours they nowadays that I think a lot of the corporate politics make some of the people who are going to stand like the women make them not like me anymore and it's not because they don't like stand
totally out of it.
Aliah 13:25
Yeah. And it's unfortunate, you know,
Dr. Mary Payton 13:30
hey, we came from totally different generations because I'm a little older. So my,
Aliah 13:37
you're wiser. I'm a little wiser.
Dr. Mary Payton 13:40
Being a child of the 60s and the 70s. The things weren't shown to us that were out there. There were so many things we did not know about. There were opportunities that we never knew about. I was lucky enough to have the type of mother that was I knew about the Katherine Johnson's I knew about all of these these women of color and people of color insiders. And she allowed me to, you know, reach my goals and do the things that I wanted to do, despite my gender, despite my ethnicity. And when I went into the army, I was told, well, you know, you need to go into Quartermaster or go into logistics and go into supply. I'm like, that's not what I want to do. And what they say, Well, most minorities and women don't succeed in the chemical corps because I was the chemical officer, okay. And I was like, Okay. My background was biology. And I'm like, okay, so they don't, that's not to say that I won't. And when I came back from being stationed in Germany, I wanted to teach nuclear physics, radiation and the head of the school He's like, get up my office. I'm like, wow. Yeah, like, that's not gonna happen get at my office. I'm like, okay, so I went to my offset man's course. Obviously, I did well in it, because he came to me and said, you're going to teach nuclear physics exciting. But you know, it's, it's a whole different time. And just like to me to say it. I didn't see a lot of people that look like me, either by ethnicity or gender, but that didn't stop me.
Aliah 15:28
That's good. So, you each have like these very niche Rosalina in within your businesses, you know, so, you know, you talked about the radio show. And then of course to media, you're running your it firm, as well. share with us some some lessons that you have learned over this past year regarding to entrepreneurs
Dr. Mary Payton 15:54
to start,
Jamita Machen 15:58
biggest lesson The other Trinity which is like mattereum, an accountant, a lawyer and a financial planner when you start out so make sure you structured right everything is correct for your taxes everything also the support system make sure that if they make huge notes it's not always happy days. So you need someone there to push you through and then also know which are your tribe as I call it. They might need to fill in you know might be here today they might come Hey, can I meet you today? Can you come help me my soul can you come to let me do this and they help fill in you know, because some of those days are cash flow is a small business owner is not how you would like it. He has is to keep it real. So I think you know those things I admire and relationships so just definitely gal all the time. I mean, different people. relationships. Definitely.
Aliah 16:55
I would definitely will say that, you know, it's interesting how when people think Oh, you've got this podcast. So, you know, usually people are like, Oh yeah, you're just behind the mic and a couple of things. And I'm like, No, there's like other little pieces that are going to it. And it's funny that you said that because earlier for the other so I had a friend of mine who was actually filling in for one of the answers. who just started working. So I give it is like you do you have to have be able to have people that can help. Right? And so certainly I agree with you wholeheartedly. But people do have to understand that it's it is a different grind. It's a different animal to say the least. But it's fun. Yeah. But definitely like having those people that understand that and I can understand that is important.
Dr. Mary Payton 17:46
is so important. And on the other hand, just like you say you have people, they twice this year, I've had people not be able to show up on my show. Okay. When I first came back from South Korea. I was so I was 12 months out with people. Already on my show. I had a nurse Tomas had two people could show up. So I asked my son who is Media Production said, you got to come on the show. He comes on and does a wonderful job brings some of his other media production people on and started I got excited because they started talking about how to put on a show what you have to do, what equipment you hear how to edit it, and I'm like, This child is phenomenal. And then another show I I called my sister and my cousin. I said, y'all have to come on the show. And they were like, what are we going to talk about? came on the show and talked about how our families pushed us to be who we are. My cousin is my double cousin, my mother and her brother married to sister with brother. And, yeah, that we just had too much fun because we all got punished the same way. We all live the same way. But they talked about how our parents pushed us because all of us went to college. All of us either went to college or got a skill. And we've all been successful in one way or another. So it was like we didn't have a choice. It was either you're going to do this, or you may not live tomorrow.
Aliah 19:37
Funny. So as we talked about intermediate, you brought this up in terms of networking. Talk about some of those networking opportunities that have really hit home for you. And same thing with Mary. I mean, it's so interesting because I often have people reach out to me and they'll say, I just Networking like, okay, Leah, what do you do? And it's hard. I mean, it's hard for me because I'm, I'm a very people oriented person. But I will tell you sometimes I do get overwhelmed at the networking process. And I think having a business is difficult. So many things are being asked of you and thrown at you. And then you're like, I don't even know which one to go to. So are there tips and that you guys have when you're trying to decide like on what networking opportunities are good, what things do you seek out as entrepreneurs as well to kind of help move your businesses forward?
Jamita Machen 20:46
So I agree, just start now.
A lot of events that you would like to attend, but then you come back like When do I get to work? Yeah. So basically, just learning that you need to be intentional with networking events that you go to some posts, you know who's going to be there. So that might be someone I want to meet one on the inside, keep on the list. Okay, I can go to this event. So you know, several people that I introduced myself to other networking opportunities is when I'm going out in some part I like to learn I mean, just because you went to college, I mean, you learn how to, you know, the, the streets, the entrepreneur streets are different. So I'm always learning and I mean, different people there or I see the same people so they end up building a relationship with those people. And also bounce I like to volunteer different places. So volunteering, I see some of the same people over and over, they get to know you, we get to know each other, what each other what we're doing in in some of those come where they refer you like to different people. So that helps with business as well. It's like relationship equity.
Dr. Mary Payton 21:54
Since she's so right, and because I'm retired, supposedly But the volunteering has been really helpful to me, especially on the business aspect. Because one of the ladies that I volunteer with at the museum, she has her little business, she's been doing it and she, she sat me down, she goes, Okay, you need to do this business and your veteran, you need to find some organizations. And you know, I do a business plan and all this, but I would have known I would have been just treading water trying to figure this thing out. And she's a volunteer, but I mean, she's awesome. Yeah. And then the other thing is, I, the social media, LinkedIn, Facebook, when I was in South Korea, I was in stopped the show. I'm like, I don't know anybody over here. We don't even speak the same language. I'm a principal. I've got to work all day. But I just reach out to people on LinkedIn and Facebook and I met like some The most phenomenal people.
I mean, I've had guests from India, England, Vietnam, Canada, Tanzania,
United Arab Emirates, and few other places, but I would have never met those people. Except on on social media and these people have been like, just awesome and we've still stayed connected a lot. So
Aliah 23:31
that's really good. It's interesting. And I kind of for me to networking, you know, it's very intentional for me as well. As I feel like as an entrepreneur, you could get stretched way too thin, right? And so I typically you know, for one, I always set something every quarter like, no matter what I'm definitely doing something every single quarter. And then I try to similar to you to me that I try to think about, is it something that I can go and learn Is there something where I really just want to go and just find out what other people are doing and just really have an opportunity to meet someone. And so, and then it becomes less overwhelming. Because again, I think just that day to day of running your own business is challenging but then you got to think about how do you make sure that everyone knows about all of it, you know, especially it's challenging for for me because I have the podcast but then also have a consulting business I don't think a lot of people really realize that because they see the big, the big part of it, they're like, Oh, yeah, the podcast go great. I'm like, I like they're like, you're so you're working on that and I'm like, No, I'm actually working like I have like my mouth. So you know, it is kind of weird. Okay, I'm still having I have to market that business. I have to cultivate those relationships. So that that firm can can get girls stronger. And then now I have consultants in that in the firm as well. So I feel like the livelihood It is not just me, is it's of my consultants trying to get better as well, too. So yeah, that's good. I'm gonna switch gears a little bit. So, we talked a little bit about that family support, but what y'all do for self care? Because that's, you know, always a big question. Everybody wants to know about self care, you know, but as an entrepreneur, it's like, you know, so, are there things that you enjoy doing to kind of break up the monotonous of family and kids and whatever it is, Are there things that you just enjoy doing?
Dr. Mary Payton 25:38
I enjoy traveling. Okay. I mean, lately since I've been back, I have, you know, did things around here in Texas, because I'm, you know, me I have a business I'm trying to stay close, but I enjoy traveling like, one weekend, I'm gonna go to wake up and go to the mammoth museum and go to this Or that one week. I told my son, he wasn't working. It just graduated college. I said, I've never been the Big Ben, let's go spend the week. Oh my goodness, that place nice, beautiful. I mean, you don't have to do anything. She just be there. I mean, it was beautiful. But I like to travel. And, you know, I'm finding now that I can take more care of my health. because like you said earlier, you're not connected to I got to be at work this time. I got to be there from this time to this time. Here. You know, I can, if I don't feel well, or if I've got it, you know, something going on. I can make appointments and I can I can, I can put those into my schedule. So you know, is that kind of thing? Yeah. And I think that's awesome. But that's my phone. But one of the other things is it gives me time to Right, it gives me time to research it gives me time to think it gives me time to I love learning new things. I was in my 50s when I learned how to build robots and program them. Okay, and that I love building robots, I think they're likely to stay
Aliah 27:16
my husband.
Yeah, we actually do not have a robot in my living room right now.
Dr. Mary Payton 27:31
Just right now,
Aliah 27:32
just right now. About you to me.
Jamita Machen 27:39
Typically, I like to do staycations so I know there's always my hotels around. So just go on and get the hotel even if just for one day or over the weekend. Like to do them. I'm bad at it right now. But I need to get back into the swing of that. Also, like sitting on my couch doing nothing, no responsibility to A massive anything, my flip on the TV, whatever. I like to catch up on reading the magazine, fashion magazines, having to read and business magazines, you know what's going on in Dallas what's going on in Fort Worth to catch up and just casually, you know, read and move them out pace. So, yeah, that's what I like to do. And I like to tinker, tinker with learning more computer stuff at my own pace, you know, not under some deadline or something like that. But I do like to tinker in home renovation.
Aliah 28:33
Really
Unknown Speaker 28:35
good that was
Jamita Machen 28:38
redoing the closet or taking everything in and redoing everything.
Aliah 28:42
Very cool. And you know, it's so interesting because sometimes those things are just so relaxing. Whereas other people might think, Oh, my gosh, that's like a project. It's a chore. Yeah, no, but it's truly It's okay. Yeah, yeah. It's interesting. I feel that way. Sometimes about Just like I don't mind, like redoing my space or, and, you know, I might look the same and then I switched it up. But it's just like I like doing this kind of like a big job. Yeah, it's just fun. It's relaxing. So yeah, definitely. That's really cool. So I had to make sure that I know to call you if there's like a ticker project that I do. Yeah, with no. no deadline. Cuz Yeah, you might think like, yeah, I really want to do this and you're thinking, I don't even know where I would start or if I could ever finish something like that. But no, I would. I would definitely. look you up for that. So, if we were talking to your younger self, about your journey, what do you say to your 15 year old self
Jamita Machen 30:00
Question
definitely to
have it felt confidence in yourself, you know, no doubt yourself.
Don't quit. You're going to make mistakes, but they're really lessons. So definitely don't quit the faith. You are relying on faith for a lot of things that I do. So definitely, you know, believe in yourself and surround yourself with positive people and people that are smarter than you. So you can always learn
Aliah 30:41
it's my 15 year olds. Remember ages, why,
Jamita Machen 30:48
why?
Dr. Mary Payton 30:52
Just to be yourself.
If you try something and it doesn't work, it just Didn't work. You can either try it again, or you can rework it because you know, as you get an engineer, and you be in the field that you're a consultant. If it doesn't work, you don't quit. Yeah, you never quit. And that was the thing that was instilled to me by my mother. She, her comment was, no one can do more for you than you can do for yourself. And you pick and choose the things that you want to do to make yourself successful. But it's not always about success. Sometimes as you as we were talking a second ago, you have to just have fun. You have fun? Yeah.
Aliah 31:41
That's good. That's good. Yeah, yes. So funny. I often think about that question. And, you know, to ask, you know what, what I tell myself and I think the biggest thing for me would have been confidence. It's, it's interesting. I mean, I was a cheerleader. I ran track. I was on Student Council, but I really wasn't as confident as people thought. And I knew I could do things, but often sometimes, in wanting acceptance, you did all those things anyway. But I wasn't as confident as I really probably could have been. So I know for me, I would like people just always thought, oh, but that's been used since forever. And I'm like, I really, I mean, it was, but it was because I was really trying to cover you know, of the lack of confidence to push me out there. So I would say for me for sure. My confidence. Okay. Yeah. It's the same thing about being on the camera, and talking in front of the mic and all that. And I remember being in graduate school. I totally bombed. I bombed every almost every presentation. Everyone except maybe one I did really, really well. And classmate came up and said, like, I'm guessing, like, like, Don't you like, like you're like a people person you'd like to do. I was like, just because I'm in that space doesn't mean it makes it comfortable for me. Yes, sir. Like, I have to really try like, this is something ever since I was like, little, I was watching Oprah and I'm
Jamita Machen 33:31
here. Guys.
Aliah 33:36
I can't even remember most of my train of thought I feel bad. But all of those. So I was the 70s, kiddo. So anyone who was on camera at the time, like I always loved that. Like I just said, that's where I want to be. That's where I want to be. That's where I want to be. I want to interview people. I want to hear their stories. I want to talk and see the world. I want to talk about journeys. Loved community service work. That's kind of what I've always seen myself doing. But I was totally afraid. Totally afraid of the radio, the care for all of that. And so when you talk about now being an entrepreneur, having fun living, living like that dream that success, it's for me it is doing those things that I've always wanted to do. Yeah. And just let go and going with it. And however it it later. They'll let it go. Yeah. So it's kind of interesting because people just assume that because you're extroverted, or because you're just that people that that that comes easy for you. And so sometimes you have to do the hard thing. So that's one of the things that I when I coach, the women that I coach, I'm like, you know, you have to put yourself in front of the hardest thing and you know, and you try and Keep trying to figure it out.
Dr. Mary Payton 35:03
I never thought anyone would ever want
Aliah 35:06
to listen to a
Dr. Mary Payton 35:10
female, minority female talk about skin on the radio. And my friends kept telling me you have to do it you have to do it because we're sick of you talking to us.
Aliah 35:25
But see now you're talking to everybody about it which is great for the show.
Dr. Mary Payton 35:32
I hopefully those first few shows are gone. I mean, I have copies of them.
I was not very well. But I would listen to like y'all shows and different other shows that were on my network. And I learned I still do it.
Aliah 35:52
I left to pay.
Dr. Mary Payton 35:57
And then like I said, like to say you go to things with a purpose. That was how I met you. All right
was a I had not been to our sorority anything since I graduated because I moved out of the country. I moved to Germany after I graduated. And so I not good to anything. And I came to the thing was
Aliah 36:18
that the stem conference? Well, I came before the the travel thing,
Jamita Machen 36:23
right? We told her that.
Aliah 36:25
Yes, coming in. Very cool. And so see we recommend
it's all about you go with a purpose. Yeah, that's awesome. So as we wrap up
first, is there something that you're passionate about on the community side that just gets your to just makes you feel warm that warms your heart?
Jamita Machen 36:52
Well, right now, on the flip side of the for profit, I have a nonprofit called is the simulation foundation. So So I am very passionate with exposing the you stated earlier to this game fields and not just the the ones that are well known, like I want to just be a doctor or there's lots of fields and lots of careers to go into that are not well known. So just getting them exposed to that. And also we have another side where we have adults, we're trying to provide training to low income, underrepresented demographics and ex offenders to get apprenticeships and certifications and degrees in, you know, cyber security, artificial intelligence so that they can get jobs in those fields.
Aliah 37:47
That's exciting. That's good stuff.
Dr. Mary Payton 37:50
And because I've worked with people at so many different levels. Right now I am thoroughly enjoying working with children. I work with four year olds once a week to just do stem things with them. And I have and give them the critical thinking the vocab, the vocabulary has been huge. I've been so lucky that this teachers let me This is my second year, working with a group of four year olds, doing labs and projects, and so on and so forth. And hopefully, I'll be going to China early part of next year, to work at a school that's K through five, teaching them coding and stuff like that, but in a conventional sense, is just teaching kids how to think and problem solving. You know, just think of still in a different way and not Oh my, you know, oh my goodness. I had like you have to be afraid of it. Yeah. To take away the fear.
Aliah 38:51
Yeah, that's good. That's good. Well, ladies, as we wrap ourselves up, what would you leave our audience with If they were interested in starting either stemming career or stem on the entrepreneurial side, what would you What advice would you give to them?
Jamita Machen 39:14
Well, if you think you might be interested in a field in STEM, there's so many resources. I mean, go on YouTube. And like we say, we tinker around, tinker around, see if you like it, take a community colleges, you know, for low cost or those different boot camps. It may just go in and see if you like it. If you don't like it, it's okay. Just try something different. But definitely find something that you're passionate about. Because if you're not passionate about it, I mean, Cynthia, just a job. It's not fun. Like you say, you want to have fun while you're doing that. Same with you with being an entrepreneur, being a woman and a minority woman that that is the same with being in in corporate America. You're one of you so definitely have confidence. Stay with it.
And just you know, just believe in yourself.
Dr. Mary Payton 40:06
And remember, you have a life. You know, some of us have spouses, some of us have children. We have sisters, brothers, cousins, everything. You have a life outside of that. And within that, and you have a tribe, don't ever forget your village. Don't ever forget your tribe. Because without them, you couldn't really be here. And you know, that's that's a big thing.
Aliah 40:35
Wow, this has been great love the discussion around just stem and entrepreneurship, and how you all are really making your path very successful. And obviously, much success to both of you as you continue to your journey. Dr. Mayer Payton, Jimmy the mayton You have been listening to the Ilia Henry Show. And thank you for tuning in and we will see you soon.
Thank you for listening to the Ilia Henry show. Remember, be bold enough to use your voice, brave enough to listen to your heart and strong enough to live the life you've always imagined. See you next time.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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