Pollak’s interest in public speaking dated to her K12 years when she won a prize for reading a Shell Silverstein book. Next, a Rotary Club college scholarship requirement to give a series of Rotary Club speeches began a journey that has not ended. The speech requirement was four. Pollak did thirty-nine. “I realized maybe there was something about this that I’m starting to enjoy,” Pollak said. “And that’s how the writing and speaking thing came together.”

Finding the right career path to channel the joys of speaking and writing wasn’t always easy for Pollak. Eventually, the road revealed itself through many freelance writing opportunities and her first published book in 2007.

The key to success in any field is networking, but Pollak admits that many people, especially those getting ready to graduate from college, can find the term intimidating. “I think a couple of things hold people back,” Pollak said.

“Number one is the idea that it’s fake, and that you’re using people, and taking and not being authentic. In good networking, that couldn’t be further from the truth. But the second is, particularly for first-generation college students or whose parents maybe weren’t professionals, for those from under-represented groups, there’s this feeling that networking means you have to know important people. And that’s not true.” Sometimes, it takes guts and trust to start that networking journey.