3 Lessons That Elevated Me As A Woman CEO In Tech

Back in 2014, I stood proudly on the New York Stock Exchange podium with my Care.com colleagues, making history as the seventh female founder to take her company public.

It was a high point in my career after years of perseverance. B eing a woman of color, an immigrant, and eventually a female founder primarily focused on serving women, I faced expectations and stereotypes at every turn. Here are three key pieces of advice that I learned along the way.

Letting go of expectations can unleash your strongest, most authentic self.

We encounter our first gender-based stereotypes early in our lives. Growing up in the Philippines in the ’70s and ’80s, I often fell short of the expectation that girls should be passive, pleasing and perfect. (I call these the three P’s that plague me and so many Asian women into adulthood.)

My parents also had plans for me and my five siblings: Each of us had a designated profession. Imagine my parents’ surprise when I got pregnant in 1991 after my sophomore year at Mount Holyoke — a major detour on the road to becoming the lawyer they wanted. But even though I seemed to have a knack for flouting expectations, I still cared deeply about what others thought of me. I became determined to succeed even as I juggled my new role as a young wife and mother and completed not only my BA but also my JD/MBA.

As I began my career, I often lied by omission about my family in job interviews so no one could question my dedication. I couldn’t hide the fact that I was a woman of color, but I could hide the fact that I was a mom. I didn’t want to be underestimated and dismissed. I was determined to look and act the part of a young, hungry go-getter whose only focus was to win.

Soon, I realized that what I