AVON’s CEO Sheri McCoy Shares Sage Advice For Graduates

Sheri and her son Ryan at his college graduation this spring.

Congratulations! You’re about to embark on the next chapter of your life, and I know it took a lot of hard work and dedication to get you to this point: hungry, eager and ready for your big, bright future. It’s an exciting, sometimes confusing, sometimes overwhelming—but just as incredible—time. After graduating from Princeton with a Masters in Chemical Engineering, I had my sights set on a career in science. As I followed this dream, I never thought I’d end up as the Chief Executive Officer of a global cosmetics company — although, I have always had a thing for lipstick. Life had other plans for me, and here are four very important things I learned along the way.

Be Curious

As a child, you encounter new people, places and experiences everyday. The first time you taste your new favourite food, the first time you ride a bike without your training wheels—even the first time you meet your future lifelong friend. A sense of curiosity was behind all of these events. When entering the next chapter of your life, it’s important to sustain this curiosity. Never lose your innate thirst for exploration and discovery. Trying new things and meeting new people — facing the unknown — are the only ways we learn and grow, so approach these new situations with an open mind and ask questions. There are more than 7.2 billion people on this planet. That’s more than 7.2 billion chances to ask questions and really listen to the answers. Let these questions and answers shape you.

And what’s the next step after you’ve encountered something unfamiliar? To reflect. Consider how your curiosities have affected your future choices and current journey. You’ll be surprised at the parallels that present themselves. When I reflect on my early training in research and development, I’ve come to realize that my time in science and engineering gave me great insights that have prepared me for my experience in marketing, general management and now as a CEO.

Be Committed

Life will knock you down and pick you back up, time and time again. It’s important to maintain a sense of commitment throughout the inevitable highs and lows. When you fail, ask yourself, “Why?” One of the greatest things my career as a scientist taught me was how to put together a hypothesis. Test, revise, repeat. Test yourself, your choices and your experiences. Revise your attitude, lifestyle and behaviour when things don’t go as you’d hoped. Repeat this process until you’re satisfied with the outcome.

Be Courageous

Fear can be crippling, holding you back from truly living your life. But for every fear and doubt you have, recognize those feelings and then crush them with courage. This is something I learned in my years as a scientist. Science is about taking risks, experimenting, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes and doing it all over again. Many innovations, breakthroughs and precedent-setting findings are a result of a mistake; so don’t be afraid to fail. View failure as a lesson that brings you closer to success.

Find Your Confidence

If you stay curious and committed to your life pursuits and confront each situation courageously, you will become more confident. Your confidence will become a crucial factor in your future. Whether it’s in your career, your relationships, or your dreams, having faith in yourself makes all the difference. So set your sights high, and don’t limit yourself with doubt. Have the confidence to trust your gut. Listen to yourself. If it’s still on your mind, it’s worth taking the risk. Following these lessons led me to my current position, where I’ve had the dream opportunity to lead a team of 6 million amazing Avon Representatives and a staff of inspiring and passionate people to achieve the lofty goal of creating a better world for women.

Here’s to your future!