Success is almost never linear. Isn’t that so frustrating!? We work so hard to achieve our dreams only to be let down at the finish line. But successful people know that failure is not the end, it's just the beginning. More often than not failure is redirection - it's not the end of the line. And before you write me off as an optimist, our guest has experienced this redirection firsthand. This week's guest is a former Courage Driven Latina student, Courtney Gutierrez! 

 

Courtney Gutierrez is an inclusion, diversity, equity, and access consultant. She also worked in access and accommodations in higher education and got her Masters in Master's in Social Justice and Human Rights at Arizona State. 

 

Courtney was working as a case worker for a nonprofit when she realized she wanted something more. She wanted a role that matched her leadership skills, she wanted to make more of a difference, and she wanted more of a purpose in her life. But it wasn’t until she was rejected by her preferred Ph.D. programs that she knew she had to make a change. That’s when Courtney found her courage and turned her entire life around. After finding her confidence and advocating for herself, Courtney got the promotion she deserved, was accepted into a new Ph.D. program, and found a new career path that she was excited about exploring. Listen to this week’s episode to learn how she did it. 

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Courtney Gutierrez brings ten years of expertise in equity-focused roles, working with marginalized communities and optimizing processes for data-driven outcomes. With a Master's in Social Justice and Human Rights, she has published articles on various topics, including autism, belonging, and immigration reform. As a fourth-generation Mexican-American on her maternal side and first-generation on her paternal side, she understands the complexities of living in-between cultures and navigating intersectional identities. She's passionate about inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) initiatives and believes in honest, transparent, and compassionate client relationships. She's experienced the impact of assimilation, acculturation, and being the first in her family in many ways, and she is dedicated to supporting conversations on inequities, power imbalances, and cultural competencies. For self-preservation, Courtney dances flamenco, hangs with her dogs, invests in mental health therapy, and enjoys reading.

 

Connect with Courtney: Instagram @‌stepintomyofficeconsultingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneygutierrez/

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Website: www.theerikacruz.com

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

How to work with Erika:

Sign up for the Mini Mastermind Retreat hereJoin the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

 

Post-production for this episode was provided by CCST.