Ep07 Ashley Moreno, Manager at Amazon™: Leadership Development

About this episode

HOST: Ovi Vasquez, author of six books, and National Inspirational Keynote Speaker. Born and raised in rural Guatemala off-the-grid, worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. Learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a bachelor's in management, in two years. He is a TEDx speaker and a social entrepreneur. 

GUEST:  Ashley Moreno is an Area Manager in operations at Amazon, based in Washington, where she focuses on fostering inclusive work environments and making positive impacts on teams. Raised in Central Valley, California, where education was often undervalued, she overcame cultural challenges at San Jose State University to build real-world skills through mentorship, internships, and clubs like the Latino Student Business Association. Moreno emphasizes overcoming imposter syndrome, prioritizing health and financial literacy, and leveraging AI tools for productivity. As a leader, she advocates for grace, group collaboration, and community-building, having launched Women at Amazon affinity group to promote professional growth and diversity. 

 Find our guest at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-jmoreno

 Find our host at:  https://www.ovinspires.com

Keywords
education, leadership development, imposter syndrome, mentorship, personal growth, culture shock, financial literacy, AI tools, diversity, real-world skills, affinity groups, health, motivation

Summary
In this podcast interview, Ashley Moreno shares her inspiring journey from growing up in Central Valley, California, where education was undervalued, to becoming an Area Manager at Amazon in Washington. She discusses overcoming culture shock at San Jose State University, the importance of real-world preparation through internships and mentorship, and strategies for leaders to foster growth in others. Ashley emphasizes dealing with imposter syndrome, giving grace, making an impact, and using tools like AI for productivity, while highlighting the value of clubs, financial literacy, and self-care in personal and professional development.

Takeaways
* Education transforms opportunities; seek mentorship and internships early to build real-world skills.
* Overcome imposter syndrome by reminding yourself of your preparation and progress.
* Incorporate group work in curricula to practice leadership and collaboration.
* Give grace to others, recognizing diverse backgrounds and challenges.
* Join clubs or affinity groups for community and professional growth.
* Use AI tools like ChatGPT for planning and Google Gemini for design tasks.
* Prioritize health and mental well-being to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
* Financial literacy, like understanding 401k and stocks, should be taught early.
* Free resources like LinkedIn Learning (via library cards) and Coursera offer valuable learning.
* Making a positive impact on others fulfills beyond financial stability.

Titles
* From Central Valley to Amazon: Overcoming Challenges
* Conquering Imposter Syndrome and Building Leaders
Sound bites
* "Once I got to San Jose, it was a complete culture shock."
* "You're always going to feel like you don't belong... reminding yourself that you are somewhere different than you were prior."
* "Making an impact... changing the culture of a building."

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