The Unexpected Origin Story: Why Necessity Is a Powerful Teacher — Courtney Smith Goodrich
My career in technology didn’t start with passion. It started with necessity.
I didn’t grow up with a lot of money. In my house, we had rules, we had responsibilities, and we had the expectation that you always contributed. That meant I worked early and often — paper routes with my brother, landscaping, whatever came along. But one job in particular shaped my perspective in a way that no classroom or internship ever could: the six weeks I spent working in a children’s clothing factory.
At my college, winter break stretched for six weeks. While some classmates relaxed or took classes, I didn’t have that luxury. Doing “nothing” simply wasn’t an option. So, I found a job in a local factory, ironing, folding, and packing children’s clothes.
I wasn’t there long, but the impact was permanent.
For me, it was temporary work. For the people around me, it was life. That realization was humbling. I saw first-hand what it meant to clock in early, to be fired if you were even a minute late coming back from a 15-minute break. I saw what it meant to stand on your feet all day, breathing in lint and clothing dyes, doing physical labor that left you exhausted, and still come back the next day — because you had no other choice.
And I saw dignity. These were not people with options. But they had resilience. They chose honest, hard work, even when life had dealt them a hard hand. I carry their example with me to this day.
I also carried away a renewed sense of urgency. I remember telling my dad, “There is absolutely no way I’m not finishing college.” It wasn’t just about upward mobility anymore — it was about responsibility. I had the chance to build something different for myself. That job made it real.
More than anything, though, it taught me empathy. The kind of empathy that doesn’t come from leadership seminars or business school case studies. It comes from working beside people who are just trying to make it through the day. It taught me that judgment and decision-making aren’t just about IQ. They’re about EQ. They’re about remembering what it’s like to be on the other side of power — and making sure you never lose sight of that.
When I talk to emerging leaders, I remind them: strength doesn’t always look like success. Sometimes it looks like survival. And survival teaches you to adapt, to listen, to move fast, to care deeply. Those instincts are just as valuable in the boardroom as any credential.
My start in my careerwasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t planned. But it was honest. And that’s what shaped the kind of leader I am today.
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