How to Make it to 30+ Kellie Conrad, Cisco Systems Session Length: 1 Hour There is a how to for everything, except for life in your 20's. Women in our 20's face unprecedented challenges in an age where we are told all that matters is how "successful" we are in business. We are told the only way to get there is to pay astronomical amounts of money for higher education. From preschool to graduating with an undergraduate degree in the US, most people follow the exact same education and life path. The only major differences occur in what pair of shoes, extracurricular activities, and friends we choose. All your life you are told the golden ticket to the 100k, fulfilling, and world changing job is waiting for you at the end of the college stage. Once you get that diploma, you will be fine. My girlfriends and I are all well on our way to making it to 30 and beyond. We have learned several lessons along the way. We all struggle and our mistakes are universal and can be shared, learned from, and prevented for others. The most valuable lessons to learn in your 20's: 1. How and why to get into technology 2. How to thrive in a man’s world without becoming one 3. How to stay in technology and work your way up the jungle gym 4. How to avoid, get out of, and stay out of personal debt

2. Why am I talking?
• Book: The Defining Decade: Why Your
Twenties Matter--And How to Make the Most
of Them Now
• Blog: Facebook Kellie Ann

3. How to Get Kellie Gold Stars
• Anytime you see a ? Put your answer in the
chat window
• Kerry will be in charge of distributing all gold
stars evenly to every person

4. What is a Millennial
• 1980-? (92-2000 depending)
• Gen Y -
• NOT ME!!!! I am Special
• FYI- I never asked for a trophy (mom- do you know where all
my last place ones are?)
• Had no IDEA what I wanted to do when I graduated college other than
find a job…and that I did for 30k. Thankfully I did not negotiate my
salary.
•Lived at home with my parents for a year
•Went to grad school for a year (worst year of my 20’s)
•Moved from Indiana to Nc for two years
•Got dumped by fiancé
•Moved to Austin tx for 1 year and 3 months
•Moved to Dallas and been here for 4 months
•Still have NC drivers license
•Spent roughly 22k moving
•Have traveled all over England, Vienna, Zurich, Thailand, costa rica,
Mexico, Canada, Italy, Dublin, Singapore, every state except Oregon
and Alaska
•I have left a little or big part of me in every place

5. My Millennials “Urban Tribe”

6. H2- Advice from MY Manager
• Take on hard tasks
• Forget about what you thought you wanted to
do
• Do not think of yourself as Woman
• I adore this woman and not just because..

7. Millennials
• If I were you I would not be paying attention
right now
• If I can have a career in technology YOU can
do anything….but you have to want to
• You have to make up your mind
• Define your own success one decision at a
time
• There is a season for everything

8. Analysis Paralysis
“The one thing I have learned is that you can’t
think your way through life. The only way to
figure out what to do is to do— something”
Jay, Meg (2012-04-17). The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter--And How to Make the Most of Them Now (p. 15). Grand Central
Publishing. Kindle Edition.

9. H2- Begin with the End in Mind
• Professionally
• Economically
• Romantically
• Reproductively
• STOP sliding and START deciding

10. H2- Network Make Friends
• Book: How to Become a Grown-up in 468
Easy(ish) Steps
• Stop looking for mentors to only benefit you
• Be a friend

11. H2- Make it to 30
• Stop comparing!!!
• Once you graduate HS you will never be on
equal playing field ever again
• Go after your own version of success
• Stop beating yourself up
• Stop taking every piece of advice to heart

12. H2- Handle Drama
• Don’t ignore it as in you have no idea it exists
• Don’t apply directly to the forehead
• Give it time
• Confirm your suspicions
• Never believe anything unless at 3 least
people confirm or 2 special people do
• Go with your gut

13. H2- Identity Crisis and Move on
“Twentysomethings who take the time to explore and also
have the nerve to make commitments along the way
construct stronger identities”
Identity capital is our collection of personal assets. It is the
repertoire of individual resources that we assemble over time.
These are the investments we make in ourselves, the things
we do well enough, or long enough, that they become a part
of who we are.
Jay, Meg (2012-04-17). The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter--And How to Make the Most of Them Now (p. 7). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.

14. H2- Integrate Personal life
• Keep separate first
• Over time, slowly work it in
• Only you know best all parts
• BALANCE- there is no perfect answer for
everyone and I plan to work on this forever
• Priorities and they should shift depending on
the season

15. Weak Ties
“Weak ties are the people who will better your
life right now— and again and again in the years
to come— if you have the courage to know what
you want”
Jay, Meg (2012-04-17). The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter--And How to Make the Most of Them
Now (p. 31). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.

16. H2- Handle Finances
• Stop being afraid to set a budget
• Start talking about it in general terms
• Stop feeling guilty
• Start thinking about what you and your future
might want
• STOP TRAVELING

17. H2- Handle Finances 2
• Stop going to grad school because
1. You hate the “real world”
2. You are not sure what you want to do
3. You think that you will make a lot more
money
4. You think that any employer will choose you
over another candidate
Make up your mind before you are 35

18. H2- Relationships
• Stop talking to ALL of your girlfriends about it
• Start talking to 1 or 2 friends
• Start talking to guys
• Start thinking about what you want in 5 years
• It is ok to break up and cry
– My greatest failure and greatest learning lesson to date is
my broken engagement
– This slide is last because I know the least and I hope we run
out of time
In fact, with the average first-marriage age hitting 30 for
women and 32 for men in 2009