Learning how to advance in your career and field doesn’t come easy. As CEO of Cisneros, I went through many ups and downs to get to where I am today, including the challenge of carrying on the 100-year-old legacy my family built while making a name for myself and staying true to my vision.

Understanding the many career challenges women face today, I’m always delighted to share my experiences in the hope of being of help to others, particularly during these uncertain times. This is why I was truly humbled to receive an invitation from Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, the two masterminds behind theSkimm, to have me as their next guest in their Skimm’d from the Couch podcast.

During the podcast, I shared some tips on how to balance personal and professional relationships in a family business and my thoughts on the importance of thinking ‘big picture.’ We also delved deep into how to navigate times of change. Here are some of the key takeaways and insights I shared:

– On future planning: When making any decision, whether it’s a big investment, a new launch, or a new partnership, it’s very important to be able to play it short and long. By long, I mean that it’s important to play it forward and think: how is this going to impact my business in the next ten, 15, or 20 years? When thinking that far in advance, you’re protecting the impact of your decision. By short, I mean you should move and execute quickly on opportunities.

– On curating your team: To move quickly, it’s important to set up a well-rounded core team made up of generalists that are good with many things and bring in different perspectives. This allows you to evaluate and make sound decisions quickly. As a next step, you can look for specialists or experts on the matter at hand.

– On leading by example: Every time you come up with a bold business idea, you should always think about the benefits for society. It goes back to the perspective of playing it long. If you want your business to be around for the next 20 years, you have to be a good citizen and lead with transparency and honesty.

Right now, a lot of companies and business leaders are faced with tough decisions and challenges. While a difficult time, this serves as an opportunity to put things into perspective and really think about what truly matters to the core of your business and where you want it to be in the next few years. The moment something feels like it’s extra, or a little ‘fluffy’, is the moment to rethink priorities.

It’s always a pleasure to share my personal and professional experiences, but even more so when doing it with two female entrepreneurs who are disrupting their field and providing a platform for female millennials.

You can hear our full conversation at https://www.theskimm.com/live-smarter/career/skimmd-from-the-couch-adriana-cisneros.