Catalina Herrera Roca: My Pivot Point Pushed Me Out of My Comfort Zone

To celebrate International Women's Day, Catalina Herrera Roca, Country Officer for Citi in Trinidad and Tobago, shares her pivot point.

Throughout my long career in the field, I have experienced many pivotal moments that impacted and shaped the way I view my work, but the most vivid in my mind is a conversation I had with a new boss seven years ago.

The conversation was not easy. My boss encouraged me to challenge myself, leverage my experience to grow faster, step out of my comfort zone and take more responsibilities. I was asked to leave a comfortable position I'd had for eight years managing a small area, and to take on more responsibility managing a different, bigger one.

In the beginning I was reluctant. I felt comfortable with my job and was afraid of not being able to grow professionally and still make time for my family. I changed my approach by involving my family in the decision making process and asking for their support. After doing a deep internal analysis of my personal and professional goals and dreams, and discussing it with my family, I decided to embrace the challenge and believed with my heart that I could handle both in a balanced manner. I changed my attitude and became more confident and aggressive about what I wanted and what I could achieve.

I now understand that sometimes assertive bosses and tough conversations that challenge you can make the biggest difference in your life. A great boss is the one that sees your potential and brings out the best in you even if it is painful. He or she also encourages you to get out of your comfort zone and go beyond your instinctive limits. I'm grateful that my boss was willing to push me to grow, and I realize now that even though that tough conversation wasn't enjoyable, it positively impacted both my personal and professional life.

Since that conversation, when I feel like I'm in my comfort zone, I seek opportunities to grow and challenge myself. Most recently, I have embarked on a new journey leaving behind my native Colombia to assume a new role as CCO of Trinidad, which has been an enriching experience but with a steep learning curve. From adapting to the culture and language, to new foods and thinking patterns, my family and I are being supportive of each other and embracing this new challenge.

I believe I am capable of keeping a good balance between my professional and personal life, which is one of my priorities. When new opportunities do arise, I sit down with my husband and our three kids to weigh the pros and cons, and make a decision as a family.