Latina CEO Shares Her Secret to Success

According to the CEO of a worldwide luxury fashion brand Diane von Furstenberg Sandra Campos, she believes that she has to work hard to get what she wanted in life, said an article from CNBC.

Campos was born in Texas. She is a first-generation Mexican-American. She first moved to New York City after getting a college degree. She went to the city to pursue her dream of becoming an executive in the fashion industry. Also, she wanted to start a family in New York City.

After working in the fashion industry for more than 20 years, she was named CEO of Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) in 2018.

Before joining the team of DVF, she worked as a Global Brands Group co-president. In her position as co-president, she directed a women's apparel line such as Bebe, BCBG, Herve Leger, and Juicy Couture. Also, she was a co-founder of a company involving fashion brand-building. The company she co-founded partnered with celebrities such as Cee Lo Green, Selena Gomez, and Eva Longoria.

As an already established successful Latina, here are some of her advice for those who also want to make it big in their chosen career path:

Work hard. There are no shortcuts to success.

As a first-generation Mexican-American, Campos knew that she had to work hard to achieve her dreams.

Just like other immigrants in the US, her parents were also business owners. Her parents taught her that nothing in this world is for free. She shared that her mother prioritized education. She remembered her mother rewarded her with money whenever she was able to read a book or get an A on tests. 

According to Campos, they were able to have what they needed in life because of the sacrifices of their parents to provide for her other five siblings.

Teach children about handling money. 

According to Campos, her family always talked about money. She said that her mother learned the ways of how to save money when she was still young. 

Campos shared that her grandfather taught her mother to save. Campos had attended courses, finished degrees, and never stopped grabbing opportunities to learn new things. 

Learn from your mistakes.

Campos had seen herself as someone very ambitious, a leader, and an active participant in school activities. She saw herself as someone who will succeed in life. 

However, as she grew in the suburb of Dallas she realized that she needed to move to a more diversified environment and a more accepting community. That inspired her to decide to move to New York City.

According to Campos, the key to success as a Latina in the corporate world is to learn from mistakes and not repeat them. Also, she advised them to limit their regrets. 

Latinas should have support networks to rely on.

Latinas need a supportive structure to succeed. According to Campos, her observation of the passion and work ethic of Latino communities is a determining factor that leads to a belief of the good leadership potentials of Latinos. Due to the support system of Latinos towards each other such as providing support to extended family members, community parties almost every weekend, and the bond of the church community leads to the assumption that Latinos give each other a good support system.