Interview: Rana Riad, Career Expert & Leadership Coach

By Angela Tai

You’ve held multiple positions at high-profile companies like Lockheed Martin and Apple. What factors led you to ultimately decide on becoming a Career Coach in the Science and Technology space?

A lot of different things - my love for engineering has always been there. When I was younger, my dad swore up and down that one of his kids would be an engineer. My brother couldn’t stand anything to do with engineering but luckily for him, I’ve always loved math and science. We always connected and I really got into the aerospace field and I absolutely loved building airplanes, it was the coolest job I’ve ever had and a lot of people are surprised to hear that. Throughout my career, I learned what it takes to get into these types of companies and to excel there. I realized that there’s a gap between understanding what it means to be very strong technically in the engineering and STEM field as well as being able to have strong personable skills. Whenever you have an issue at work, it’s almost always a people problem and not a product, operations, or business problem. Communication is always key and I’ve always been advocating for that in any position I’ve held. So overtime, my colleagues and friends have naturally come to me for advice because they want more for themselves but they don’t quite know how to properly communicate their value and these are really bright, smart individuals. I love people and I love engineering so it was the natural transition; I want to be able to properly coach people on how to tell their stories, share their values, and how it can be mutually beneficial. I absolutely love coaching my clients and learn so much about what they do on a day-to-day basis which helps me stay engaged in the engineering field. I offer that push and confidence so that they can properly tell their stories and shine.

You’re vocal about wanting to help fill the gap in the STEM industry by advocating for all women and in turn, challenging the status quo. And, you did just that by scaling MacBook production lines and working on different aircraft models such as the C130J and F35, which most people would dub as “masculine”.  What does being a Steminist mean to you? 

This takes me back to moments where my female coworkers and I would dress up and wear heels if there were customers coming to visit but you better believe that the moment we needed to be hands on, we swapped into our sneakers and climbed up on that aircraft to handle business! I absolutely love being able to step foot in a heavy manufacturing area - that brings me joy! I’m here to learn and as long as you show that you’re worthy, confident, and you’re supposed to be where you’re at, people will respect that. I love this aspect of the industry I’m in because it isn’t always about butting heads with the opposite gender and instead thinking about it like, “we compliment each other in the best way.” Together, we can create something really amazing. Being a steminist means showing the love for the science, the product, the engineering, and realizing that’s all that matters. It’s about proving to yourself and to everyone else that actually you can do anything your heart desires. Actually we can break negative stereotypes with grace and respect. It’s about educating and changing what it means to be a smart engineer, whether you’re a female, male, or however you identify. 

Have you ever felt discriminated or discredited at work based on your gender? 

I hate to say it but things have definitely come up over my career - of course. It’s all about how I was able to handle them; it was the power of knowing my worth and knowing when to speak up. For example, there are often times, especially in the defense industry, where I’d walk into a meeting and of course I was the only minority in the room. As we were talking and discussing ideas, I would say “Hey, how about this idea?” A male colleague would say an extremely similar idea ten minutes later and then everyone praises him. I would never stay quiet when it comes to that - I always use it as a learning opportunity. I’d call them out and let them know that I said the exact same thing but they weren’t listening. They tended to apologize, saying they didn’t mean to! But that’s what it’s about - taking the time to explain that they need to listen and realize when they do things like that, it can have multiple meanings. Many people don’t pay attention to their rhetoric but they are willing to learn and share as long as you are ready to educate them in that moment. What I don’t love is when people are too quiet to speak up because then you’re letting yourself down. At the end of the day, when you go home and ask yourself, “Did I do my best today?” you never want to be the one that let yourself down. Speaking up for yourself helps to progress the movement and inspire other women to check someone in a meeting, even if they feel like their confidence may not be all the way there yet. 

As an Egyptian who grew up in Orlando, how has your heritage influenced the way you work?

My mom is Egyptian and was raised in Kuwait. My dad is Egyptian and was raised in Cairo, Egypt and they met in Egypt. He was accepted to an English program at Carnegie Mellon which is ultimately why I decided to go to Carnegie Mellon for my MBA. He earned his PhD at NC State and they then moved to Florida. I grew up with very traditional and cultural Middle Eastern and Arab values. We’re extremely loyal, we tend to be loud and passionate - I swear I feel like I have a speaker on my voice box at all times! Being a minority in that sense as well, as someone of Egyptian descent, it has helped me to understand what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes and have empathy for why people do the things they do. It allows for me to have a wider and more creative mindset and provides me with the ability to understand my coworkers’ working methods and why they may prefer certain things in an office setting. I’m able to shift and mold into ways that make them more comfortable and that’s truly the beauty of diversity. I love just being able to understand people a bit more and being open to people from other cultures as well. It has been one of the biggest assets to my personal and professional life.

What is the most challenging aspect of the work you do now? 

I would say the most challenging aspect has to do with the way I work. I am an extremely personable person and I loved going to work, walking around in the mornings, talking to people! I was really missing that element - there’s always something to learn from the people sitting right next to you. Not being able to be around people all the time affected me and that social aspect that I craved. I enjoyed bouncing my energy off of people so that’s been a little difficult - but my clients help fill that gap! Which is why I love being a coach - interacting and having a mutual coach-client relationship has been the most rewarding and educational job I’ve had. Tactically, one of the most difficult things about being a coach is getting people to realize their worth and realize how valuable their experiences are and that they do belong where they are. That’s a constant challenge that I welcome and I really enjoy seeing this transformation in people after they go through coaching sessions. This confidence in people is something they will inherit forever and it’s always a great feeling for me to see that. 

Can you describe your coaching practice and the kinds of clients you typically work with?

My coaching style tends to be question and conversational based - I strongly believe that job fit is extremely important in the process and I won’t know my client unless we talk freely to allow me the time to understand what they love, and what they dislike, what makes them tick, and what lights them up with passion. This is so important to me because you might be amazing at what you do and the job you’re pursuing might be a great fit for the company, but if the individual themselves don’t match well with the job, it’s not going to work out. It’s really not about why you weren’t good enough, we just need to make sure that there’s a mutually beneficial relationship there. That’s probably one of my major points and why I spend time in just getting to know my client and their workstyle, their future hopes and dreams. I like to see what people enjoy doing and figuring out what their struggles are, and that’s how I’m able to figure out what their struggles are through talking with them. My average clientele typically has 5-10 years of work experience. As of recent, I’ve been receiving senior-level executives that have been reaching out in order to be coached on how to connect with the younger generation that’s now coming into the workforce. I coach them on what it’s like to have a millennial or Gen Z individual on your team and that has been a fun new challenge!

What do you love most about being an entrepreneur, especially someone who’s held corporate, structured roles? Is there anything (if at all) that you miss about working for a large corporation?

Yes, what I loved about corporations was having co-workers to bounce ideas off of. I loved having the structure that was already established, that accountability motivated me. However, what I very much enjoy about being my own boss is being able to make decisions quickly and being able to stick to them and know that every minute of energy that I put into my work will directly impact my business and my success. I get to create the rules now. There’s such a level of empowerment there that most entrepreneurs don’t even realize themselves. I used to put in 80-90 hours a week sometimes working for a corporation! I constantly remind myself that if I can put in all these hours for someone else, I can most definitely put in these hours for myself. 

How do you coach someone who’s an introvert? 

I was born to immigrant parents so I understand the frustration of wanting to be able to tell your story in the best way, being more private, and I have great empathy because of that. I enjoy being able to show them how to present their unique value and be true to who they are. If I tell an introvert they have to be extroverted to land their job, they won’t land the job because it’s not authentic for them. I like to help them uncover what is special and unique about them. I also work to show them the career growth opportunities they have for themselves that will ultimately make them happy and allow their strengths to shine. A world full of only extroverts would be exhausting! It’s not about getting everyone to be loud and open, it’s about strengthening your superpower. We will play off of these skills and help them to develop their story and what they value they can bring to the company. It’s truly about having confidence in yourself and allowing the other person to see that. 

What advice do you have for people who are in the process of looking for work during this COVID-19 quarantine after they’ve been laid off?

What’s going on right now with COVID-19 and how everything is handled politically is really a tragedy but I do see it as an opportunity. If you get laid off because of COVID, it most likely wasn’t your fault you need to think about what you’ll do now with what you’re left with. You’re blessed with the extra time to sharpen your skills; you should read a book or learn a new skill to feed your soul and your mind that maybe you didn’t have the time for before and that will give you the self-confidence for finding that new job or opportunity. You have to learn how to network online and be proactive, this is your time to shine and this becomes your full-time job. It’s important to feed yourself knowledge, love on yourself, and part of that self-care means sticking to a schedule and maintaining the qualities that create a responsible professional. What people don’t realize is that companies are hiring like crazy, it’s about finding the right industries and figuring out how you can fit in. Based on your skills, figure out what industries are hiring and network with people within those industries. For example, go online on Coursera and learn what C++ is, you can prove to the recruiter that you have become even better during your time off so that when you do land that job, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running.

We’re big fans of your “Caffeine Kick of the Week” series on Instagram. You’re very positive and want to help women recognize their full potential. What was the inspiration behind this and what do you hope to impart to other women, specifically other minorities? 

My Caffeine Kick of the Week was inspired by my love for coffee; I drink so much coffee! In Arab culture, it’s a big deal - we love to drink coffee and spend quality time with family. My favorite thing to do is to check out new coffee shops in any city whether it’s a hole in the wall or a unique Starbucks. Fun fact, I visited the first Starbucks in Seattle and the largest starbucks in Shanghai in the same week! I love people watching! I’ve met some of my best friends at coffee shops, I’ve studied for countless exams over a cup of latte in a corner of a shop, I grew my tutoring business at coffee shops - it's my happy place. I’ve missed that aspect with COVID, you can’t do that anymore because it’s just not safe yet. So, I figured why not take it to Instagram and share a coffee with my friends and I just talk about my intentions and affirmations for the week? It’s still important to continuously work on yourself and I believe that having a “theme” of the week or an intention to work on for the week helps progress you towards your goals. Now I get to do it with my social media friends! 

You also talk about what success looks like (and it may differ) from person to person. Do you feel successfully and personally fulfilled? 

Absolutely. I think, here’s the thing, even when I feel like I’m failing, I have to pause and feel grateful for the moment and realize that this is still a moment of success that just looks a little different. I think I’m successful when I get up in the morning and keep those promises I made to myself or whenever I get to help somebody unleash their potential. Getting those texts or emails that says “Rana! I got the job!” wil never ever get old. I also feel successful when something goes wrong and I’m able to handle my emotions while not forgetting to celebrate those micro-moments that will make you feel successful. On paper, my resume looks great and I’ve worked really hard for those achievements, but that doesn’t stop there. I have to think about how I’m showing up for my audience and clients and making myself proud every single day and