My Story
Adversity. Disruption. Reinvention.
From Disruption to Reinvention
Before reinvention is disruption, an arduous road that takes all the courage and fight you have to see it through. It's the disruption of losing yourself after each traumatic event; the disruption of losing so much and so many out of blind trust; the disruption of learning to heal, failing at it and trying again. Reinvention begins when you choose yourself above all else. It begins when you exhaustively dismantle every piece of your life and start building a new one. Reinvention is when you stand firm on your new boundaries, your absolute non-negotiables and step into your new self as the person you are meant to be.
Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”
On the other side of disruption and reinvention, you are transformed. Free at last. You feel it in your bones. The war is behind you. Each step is new. The air is clear. Your breath is full. And you promise yourself this: Live the next chapter of your life with plentiful joy. Laugh out loud and laugh often. Take chances on yourself because you are worth it. A bright future awaits because now is your time. You deserve it.
— English Proverb
Adversity
Trauma. It comes in many forms. From sexual harassment, bullying, abuse, sexism and discrimination throughout my childhood up to my most recent past, I know adversity. I know loss. I know fear. And because of it all, I know strength. I know courage. I know purpose. This purpose is what inspires me to share my lessons about overcoming adversity through disruption and reinvention, and learning how to take back joy through the power of self compassion. Through short stories and poetry shared in my blog, my hope is you can be empowered to find the courage to reinvent the life you deserve. #becauseyoucan
A Hero in You
Buried beneath the rubble and sharp rocks of trauma-induced fear, failure and pain is self compassion. Through therapy, inspirational podcasts, webcasts and books, I willed myself to learn how to construct an unbreakable foundation. I also learned to unlock and unleash its power. And only when I allowed myself to trust in my self compassion did it become my superpower.
There is a hero in all of us.
When you need it most, find self compassion and take her hand. There is no such thing as an easy path to a better place, a better you. But there is such a thing as overcoming hardship and experiencing the pureness of joy, kindness and laughter when you get there. Dreams are hard to follow, but the journey is absolutely worth it. #becauseyoucan
Achievements
In late 2018, I took a leap of faith and pursued, with fervent passion, a mid-career transformation to specialize in cybersecurity. Without a dedicated technical background, I took a chance on myself. In a short span, I harnessed my strengths and achieved:
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Two post-graduate cybersecurity certificates from York University
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Proactively selected as a national cybersecurity instructor with York University
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Attained the following certifications: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), FAIR Analysis Fundamentals, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, ISO 22301 Certified Business Continuity Lead Implementer (CBC LI)
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Elected as board member of the SPIE Alberta Chapter
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Distinguished recipient of Deloitte's 2020 "Global Women in Tech Hall of Fame" award, successfully shortlisted for the 2021 Cybersecurity Woman of the Year award by Inteligenca, and recipient of the 2022 Teck Resources Employee Excellence Awards - Mentor Category
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Published the book Because You Can: Your Cybersecurity Career with my esteemed co-authors and cybersecurity experts Ali Khan and Gaurav Kumar
Adversity and disruption has also shaped my why. It is what inspires me every day to help others see what they can truly be through mentorship; to share strategies for overcoming challenges and finding success as a woman in cybersecurity; to speak truth about trauma, post-traumatic growth and self evolution.
— Marian Write Edelman
You can't be what you can't see.”
Adversity and disruption has shaped me into who I am today—a stronger, wiser and successful woman and mother. It took a long time to get here, and I am so proud of how far I've come.