Heroes come in many forms, from the underdogs who inspire professional triumphs to visionaries like Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs who motivate with their resilience and leadership. Style My Soul gathered heartfelt reflections from professionals ranging from Directors of Sales to CEOs, delving into the qualities that made their childhood heroes extraordinary.
Underdog Narratives Inspire Professional Triumphs From a young age, I found myself drawn to narratives that featured underdogs. The timeless story of David and Goliath especially resonated with me, though I can’t pinpoint the exact reason for this connection. Perhaps it’s the message that with unwavering determination and perseverance, anyone can conquer seemingly insurmountable obstacles. This fascination with underdogs has permeated into my professional life, where I find great satisfaction in helping smaller businesses achieve success. By rooting for the underdog, I believe we celebrate the potential for triumph against all odds. - Shawn Boehme, Director of Sales, PanTerra Networks Local Olympian Embodies Approachable Heroism My childhood hero was a woman named Amanda Borden. She was a high-level gymnast when I was just getting into competing in the sport of gymnastics. She was also from my hometown and worked out at a nearby gym. I met Amanda a few times during her run as an Olympian and always felt like if she could do it, so could I. She seemed “normal” to me, which made her an approachable hero to me. - Kelli Anderson, Career Coach, California Commercial Insurance Congresswoman Advocates for Gender Equity It’s difficult for me to remember one name typically. Practically, my childhood hero was my father. Because of that time, we did not have TVs, computers, the internet, smartphones, and other tech wonders. So, whatever I learned about the outside world was from my father, who regularly read newspapers. Trust me; there were a lot of people whom I admired for their personalities and work. But if I had to choose one name, I would definitely recall Martha W. Griffiths, a former congresswoman from Michigan serving from 1955 to 1974. As a woman, I admired her for her work against sex discrimination and for including women in the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She also filed a discharge petition in 1970 to get the Equal Rights Amendment out of committee. She literally opened the door for gender equity. As a young woman, I was overwhelmed by her. She also worked for beneficial amendments in Social Security and pension fund benefits to help widows. Griffiths was a lawyer, too. She also served two terms as Michigan’s lieutenant governor. An educated, intelligent, straightforward woman like her would be any young girl’s role model. I still remember her statement about the equality of women of all colors. She said, “I don’t know really that I have so much perseverance as I do a sense of indignity at the fact that women are not justly treated. I have the same sort of feelings for Blacks, Latinos, and Asians. If we are America, then we ought to be what we say we are. We ought to be the land of the free and the brave. What people sought in this land was justice.” - Loretta Kilday, DebtCC Spokesperson, Debt Consolidation Care Uncle’s Bravery and Principles Instill Courage When I was young, I had a role model in my Uncle Amir, who worked with the defense force. To me, as a young child, he was the epitome of courage and the ultimate in what it means to be a hero — the hero who died for the cause. One day, I recall, he was telling me about an episode where he had to drag a wounded buddy over hostile territory to evacuate him, and they nearly both got killed in the process. His bravery, commitment to his comrades, and self-sacrifice were remarkable to me. He had never boasted about his service — I had to force him to share some exciting stories. He demonstrated the true qualities of being a man of principles, especially his low profile, and focused on living the principles he subscribed to. Up to this very day, even when I meet any challenging situation in life, the question I always ask myself is, “How would Uncle Amir handle himself in this situation?” - Kartik Ahuja, Digital Marketer, kartikahuja.com Oldest Brother’s Inclusivity and Kindness Shine Growing up as the youngest daughter in a family that already had four boys before my arrival, the truth is that, apart from my oldest brother, my other brothers always had a way of making me feel like there wasn’t room for me, like the family was already complete before I was born. In fact, one of my brothers actually said these exact words to me, and I had to run off crying to ask my mom if this was true.In my childhood, my oldest brother was my superhero, and this was because, unlike the others, he always wanted me around, was patient with me, and would always take me with him whenever he had to run errands around the house. He had this sweet pet name he calls me even to this day: “Dimples.” He was the first to go off to college when I was only four years old. Although time has become a little hazy in my memory, I remember enough to know that he was the only brother who would call to tell me things about college, what he did that day, and ask about my day and all I have been up to. Although I am sure the rest of my brothers never meant to be mean, the truth is that it’s hard not to see the heroic features of the brother who notices and sees his lonely sister and made the sacrifice of making sure she never felt alone in the family. - Umeadi Grace Chisom, Marketing Manager, Expressdentist Nelson Mandela’s Resilience and Forgiveness Inspire As a child, my hero was Nelson Mandela. His unwavering commitment to justice, resilience in the face of adversity, and profound ability to forgive inspired me deeply. Mandela’s journey from imprisonment to presidency, and his dedication to dismantling apartheid and promoting reconciliation, demonstrated incredible strength and compassion. To me, his life exemplified courage, hope, and the power of one individual to effect profound change, shaping my values and aspirations. - Daniel Lynch, President and Owner, Empathy First Media Steve Jobs’s Visionary Leadership Motivates My childhood hero was Steve Jobs. His relentless innovation and ability to think differently inspired me deeply. Jobs’s journey from a garage startup to revolutionizing multiple industries epitomized creativity and resilience. His vision for technology’s potential to change the world resonated with me, shaping my approach to leadership and innovation at Webvizio. The blend of creativity, determination, and impact made him truly heroic in my eyes. - Dan Ponomarenko, CEO, Webvizio
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