Episode 32: Mentors Don’t Have To Look Like You with Amazon’s Dora Maria Abreu

Are you looking for a mentor and having a hard time finding one? Dora Maria Abreu shares with us her mentorship journey in male dominated industries where she often found herself to be the “only one”.

Dora is a Regional Program Manager for Engineering Excellence at Amazon. She has worked in the Technology, Education, Telecommunications, Aerospace and Financial sectors. She is also an Executive Director of the John Maxwell Team where she contributes her expertise as a Leadership Expert, Motivational Speaker, and Mentor.

In this episode, Dora talks about how to build your community of mentors. Dora encourages us to bond with role models outside the comforts of your environment by simply thinking outside of the box and letting go of the notion that “you need mentors that look like you”. Dora also shares how she integrates work and life to create opportunities that allow her to shine and be her best.

 

Highlights:

[02:14] Dora’s story

[04:06] Switching lanes and accelerating success

[06:02] Overcoming limiting beliefs

[08:18] Showing up with confidence

[11:40] Staying ahead of the curve in the digital age

[14:41] Juggling competing professional and personal priorities

[18:05] Building your community

[24:50] Getting over the fear of networking

[28:48] Who would you love to learn from

[31:58] Dora’s superpower

[34:20] The key to accelerating success

 

Quotes:

“Don't have just one mentor. Get a variety of mentors, so you can get different perspectives.” – Dora Maria Abreu

“Take a moment and celebrate the wins.” – Dora Maria Abreu

“Your vibe attracts your tribe.” – Dora Maria Abreu

“Having a variety of people that you mentor keeps you in sync with what's happening today.” – Dora Maria Abreu

“I frame a lot of what I do by thinking about how to make things happen so that I can help others.” – Dora Maria Abreu

“Go into networking events with good intentions and assume positive intentions of others as well. That’s the key to positive outcomes.” – Dora Maria Abreu

 

About Dora Maria Abreu:

Dora Maria Abreu is a Program Manager based in NY on the Engineering Excellence Team. In her previous roles she has been an avid technology and education professional. She has progressive work experience in IT Support and as a Software Engineer / Developer, IT Support, Trainer, Educator but also in career, professional and personal development skills. She has worked in the Technology, Education, Telecommunications, Aerospace and Financial sectors. Dora has received a Bachelors of Science in Computer Information Systems and Applied Math and a Master’s of Science in Management Information Systems as well from Stony Brook University and then a Master’s of Education in Technological Information Systems from Columbia University.

Outside of work, you can find her on some adventure with her family and friends, listening to audiobooks/podcasts, reading books, helping youth of all ages and community at large through mentoring, coaching and providing a variety of programs and workshops on internship preparation, leadership / professional development such as public speaking as well technical classes for those within and outside the STEM field. By being part of the John C. Maxwell Team / Toastmasters she has been able to build on these skills and reach a wider audience. She enjoys music, dance, movies, sports, photography and poetry.

 

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmabreu/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmabreu/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmabreu