I had a dream job working at NASA and the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my
the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my
the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my career was to leave that job now this
career was to leave that job now this
career was to leave that job now this might sound crazy to you but when you
might sound crazy to you but when you
might sound crazy to you but when you hear how incredibly important this job
hear how incredibly important this job
hear how incredibly important this job once was to me you’ll probably think I’m
once was to me you’ll probably think I’m
once was to me you’ll probably think I’m even crazier so what I’m about to tell
even crazier so what I’m about to tell
even crazier so what I’m about to tell you is my journey and how I discovered
you is my journey and how I discovered
you is my journey and how I discovered success in this process I had an
success in this process I had an
success in this process I had an interesting childhood aside from being a
interesting childhood aside from being a
interesting childhood aside from being a homeschooled only child my family had an
homeschooled only child my family had an
homeschooled only child my family had an interesting take on vacations every year
interesting take on vacations every year
interesting take on vacations every year we would travel to Florida and whenever
we would travel to Florida and whenever
we would travel to Florida and whenever we could we would schedule our trips
we could we would schedule our trips
we could we would schedule our trips around space shuttle launches so I had
around space shuttle launches so I had
around space shuttle launches so I had the chance to see four shuttle launches
the chance to see four shuttle launches
the chance to see four shuttle launches in total including the very last and I
in total including the very last and I
in total including the very last and I always remember that very first launch
always remember that very first launch
always remember that very first launch experience I remember the lights and the
experience I remember the lights and the
experience I remember the lights and the sound and more than anything I remember
sound and more than anything I remember
sound and more than anything I remember the way that the ground shook and I
the way that the ground shook and I
the way that the ground shook and I thought in that moment that I want my
thought in that moment that I want my
thought in that moment that I want my life to feel like that and so I set my
life to feel like that and so I set my
life to feel like that and so I set my sights on a goal that one day I would
sights on a goal that one day I would
sights on a goal that one day I would work at NASA as years went on I decided
work at NASA as years went on I decided
work at NASA as years went on I decided the best way to reach my goal would be
the best way to reach my goal would be
the best way to reach my goal would be to study engineering in college and so
to study engineering in college and so
to study engineering in college and so despite some rather poor grades in math
despite some rather poor grades in math
despite some rather poor grades in math and science I stubbornly walked into my
and science I stubbornly walked into my
and science I stubbornly walked into my freshman engineering class went up to my
freshman engineering class went up to my
freshman engineering class went up to my professor and said what can I do to work
professor and said what can I do to work
professor and said what can I do to work at NASA
at NASA
at NASA lucky for me my professor understood my
lucky for me my professor understood my
lucky for me my professor understood my dream and he said
dream and he said
dream and he said why not get involved in research
why not get involved in research
why not get involved in research projects or robotics competitions where
projects or robotics competitions where
projects or robotics competitions where you can compete at NASA centers and
you can compete at NASA centers and
you can compete at NASA centers and maybe even win an internship very
maybe even win an internship very
maybe even win an internship very quickly I was often running involved in
quickly I was often running involved in
quickly I was often running involved in four or five different projects on top
four or five different projects on top
four or five different projects on top of trying to take classes I’m sure my
of trying to take classes I’m sure my
of trying to take classes I’m sure my classmates thought I was crazy but I was
classmates thought I was crazy but I was
classmates thought I was crazy but I was motivated because I was chasing my dream
motivated because I was chasing my dream
motivated because I was chasing my dream I also had a hunch that my homeschooled
I also had a hunch that my homeschooled
I also had a hunch that my homeschooled upbringing had something to do with my
upbringing had something to do with my
upbringing had something to do with my attraction for this chaotic work
attraction for this chaotic work
attraction for this chaotic work environment you see my mother worked
environment you see my mother worked
environment you see my mother worked very hard to ensure that every single
very hard to ensure that every single
very hard to ensure that every single day was different for me I experienced
day was different for me I experienced
day was different for me I experienced my education through hands-on projects
my education through hands-on projects
my education through hands-on projects travel and field trips and I was never
travel and field trips and I was never
travel and field trips and I was never confined to the four walls of a
confined to the four walls of a
confined to the four walls of a classroom little did I know at that time
classroom little did I know at that time
classroom little did I know at that time what an incredible impact this would
what an incredible impact this would
what an incredible impact this would have on my career and so I made it
have on my career and so I made it
have on my career and so I made it through college in this way and when I
through college in this way and when I
through college in this way and when I graduated low and behold I had my job at
graduated low and behold I had my job at
graduated low and behold I had my job at NASA waiting for me I was so proud
NASA waiting for me I was so proud
NASA waiting for me I was so proud because I thought I had successfully
because I thought I had successfully
because I thought I had successfully manufactured my dream job I was working
manufactured my dream job I was working
manufactured my dream job I was working alongside the brightest engineers on the
alongside the brightest engineers on the
alongside the brightest engineers on the planet on incredible technology and yet
planet on incredible technology and yet
planet on incredible technology and yet very quickly I realized that something
very quickly I realized that something
very quickly I realized that something was wrong the once motivated and excited
was wrong the once motivated and excited
was wrong the once motivated and excited college student had disappeared into a
college student had disappeared into a
college student had disappeared into a demotivated employee at first I panicked
demotivated employee at first I panicked
demotivated employee at first I panicked and I thought my gosh maybe I was never
and I thought my gosh maybe I was never
and I thought my gosh maybe I was never gonna help for engineering all those bad
gonna help for engineering all those bad
gonna help for engineering all those bad grades they were right but then I
grades they were right but then I
grades they were right but then I thought about me in college and the
thought about me in college and the
thought about me in college and the child that sat watching the space
child that sat watching the space
child that sat watching the space shuttle launch my passion for technology
shuttle launch my passion for technology
shuttle launch my passion for technology had not gone away the problem was that I
had not gone away the problem was that I
had not gone away the problem was that I had been raised to be unemployable I
had been raised to be unemployable I
had been raised to be unemployable I would never fit in this nine-to-five
would never fit in this nine-to-five
would never fit in this nine-to-five work environment even if it was NASA so
work environment even if it was NASA so
work environment even if it was NASA so I had a decision to make do I do what
I had a decision to make do I do what
I had a decision to make do I do what society tells me to do and hold on to my
society tells me to do and hold on to my
society tells me to do and hold on to my achievement people would say to me
achievement people would say to me
achievement people would say to me Courtney it’s NASA how could you even
Courtney it’s NASA how could you even
Courtney it’s NASA how could you even think of leaving or do I dare to allow
think of leaving or do I dare to allow
think of leaving or do I dare to allow the question in my mind to be answered
the question in my mind to be answered
the question in my mind to be answered what if I’m cut out for something else
what if I’m cut out for something else
what if I’m cut out for something else so I decided to leave NASA and as I did
so I decided to leave NASA and as I did
so I decided to leave NASA and as I did this I went through a process I thought
this I went through a process I thought
this I went through a process I thought is it that I’m running away from
is it that I’m running away from
is it that I’m running away from something or am i running to something
something or am i running to something
something or am i running to something else what’s next for me for me I was
else what’s next for me for me I was
else what’s next for me for me I was lucky I had something to run to even
lucky I had something to run to even
lucky I had something to run to even though it was just a hunch
though it was just a hunch
though it was just a hunch see I had started a company by accident
see I had started a company by accident
see I had started a company by accident when I was in school it was something
when I was in school it was something
when I was in school it was something that I always thought of as a side
that I always thought of as a side
that I always thought of as a side project or a distraction on my way to
project or a distraction on my way to
project or a distraction on my way to reach my dream job at NASA but very soon
reach my dream job at NASA but very soon
reach my dream job at NASA but very soon I would find out that this job is where
I would find out that this job is where
I would find out that this job is where I belonged all along it’s working on a
I belonged all along it’s working on a
I belonged all along it’s working on a team of other students on an incredible
team of other students on an incredible
team of other students on an incredible new technology for electric vehicle
new technology for electric vehicle
new technology for electric vehicle batteries my professor recognized the
batteries my professor recognized the
batteries my professor recognized the potential in this technology and said
potential in this technology and said
potential in this technology and said why don’t you pitch this as a business
why don’t you pitch this as a business
why don’t you pitch this as a business idea I thought well I’m an engineer I
idea I thought well I’m an engineer I
idea I thought well I’m an engineer I don’t have any idea how to start a
don’t have any idea how to start a
don’t have any idea how to start a company but again the same question came
company but again the same question came
company but again the same question came about do I choose to stay in my comfort
about do I choose to stay in my comfort
about do I choose to stay in my comfort zone or do I dare to have that question
zone or do I dare to have that question
zone or do I dare to have that question answered what if we tried so we started
answered what if we tried so we started
answered what if we tried so we started a company in this set us on a seven-year
a company in this set us on a seven-year
a company in this set us on a seven-year journey we quickly gained traction
journey we quickly gained traction
journey we quickly gained traction winning business plan competitions
winning business plan competitions
winning business plan competitions raising funding I was named to the
raising funding I was named to the
raising funding I was named to the Forbes 30 and
Forbes 30 and
Forbes 30 and thirty last year and I thought well this
thirty last year and I thought well this
thirty last year and I thought well this is it I’m going to be a successful
is it I’m going to be a successful
is it I’m going to be a successful entrepreneur and make this company a
entrepreneur and make this company a
entrepreneur and make this company a success but then again I was reminded
success but then again I was reminded
success but then again I was reminded that if everything always went according
that if everything always went according
that if everything always went according to the plans we have in our head life
to the plans we have in our head life
to the plans we have in our head life wouldn’t be very interesting at all
wouldn’t be very interesting at all
wouldn’t be very interesting at all would it we had a team member enter our
would it we had a team member enter our
would it we had a team member enter our company and break the trust in our
company and break the trust in our
company and break the trust in our relationship
relationship
relationship this turned by exciting new dream job
this turned by exciting new dream job
this turned by exciting new dream job into a toxic environment so once again
into a toxic environment so once again
into a toxic environment so once again I’ve made the decision to move on in my
I’ve made the decision to move on in my
I’ve made the decision to move on in my career
career
career only this time for me the decision was
only this time for me the decision was
only this time for me the decision was much easier because what I’ve now
much easier because what I’ve now
much easier because what I’ve now learned is that happiness and
learned is that happiness and
learned is that happiness and fulfillment for me has always been found
fulfillment for me has always been found
fulfillment for me has always been found on the other side of my greatest fears
on the other side of my greatest fears
on the other side of my greatest fears that success is never tied to the name
that success is never tied to the name
that success is never tied to the name of the organization you work for to the
of the organization you work for to the
of the organization you work for to the mirror achievements of a goal or to an
mirror achievements of a goal or to an
mirror achievements of a goal or to an award or her fancy title success is an
award or her fancy title success is an
award or her fancy title success is an experience it’s something that we find
experience it’s something that we find
experience it’s something that we find only in the process of leaving ourselves
only in the process of leaving ourselves
only in the process of leaving ourselves behind and chasing after our dreams with
behind and chasing after our dreams with
behind and chasing after our dreams with everything that we have only to find
everything that we have only to find
everything that we have only to find ourselves in a better place than we
ourselves in a better place than we
ourselves in a better place than we could have ever planned for I’ll leave
could have ever planned for I’ll leave
could have ever planned for I’ll leave you with a final thought it’s my
you with a final thought it’s my
you with a final thought it’s my personal mantra I was a quote that was
personal mantra I was a quote that was
personal mantra I was a quote that was taught to me by my mother many years ago
taught to me by my mother many years ago
taught to me by my mother many years ago she would say to me Courtney go
she would say to me Courtney go
she would say to me Courtney go confidently in the direction of your
confidently in the direction of your
confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live a life which
dreams and endeavor to live a life which
dreams and endeavor to live a life which you have imagined then you will meet
you have imagined then you will meet
you have imagined then you will meet with a success unexpected in common
with a success unexpected in common
with a success unexpected in common hours thank you
hours thank you
hours thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you
”
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