Deborah Deras Deborah Deras Co-Founder and President, Synergy Unlimited

“It is the journey and what you make of it.”

Name: Deborah Deras
First Job: Cashier at Target
Location: California
Age: 15
Wage: $5.00/hour
Current Job: Co-Founder and President, Synergy Unlimited
What important skills did you learn in your first job?
The number one skill I learned at Target was that in order to move ahead in your career you must be able to communicate effectively and get along well with co-workers. You need to have those abilities. Another one of the first things I learned in my job was to be reliable. That was the major way to get ahead. The management saw me as trustworthy and reliable. They knew they could depend on me to be at work on time and get my job done. I realized the importance of this during my first job.

How do you use these skills in your position today?

As an independent business owner, I need to communicate and create good relationships with people. I do this by proving to clients that they can trust me and also that they can rely on me. My clients know that I am very dependable. I am always available to them. I always take their calls. I share my expertise and knowledge when they ask for it but always listen to what they have to say first.

Did anyone ever give you advice that you carried with you in your career?
My grandmother was always my role model. She told me that I could do anything I wanted to do. She taught me to not let what anyone says stop me from believing in myself and achieving my goals. It was her belief in me and the constant positive re-enforcement she gave me that made me confident. That confidence exuded from me and my clients have a lot of faith in me because of that confidence.

What obstacles have you experienced on your career path?
In February 1995 my brother passed away very unexpectedly from an epileptic seizure. I was devastated; I couldn’t function. I could not imagine my life without my brother. In a way though, this obstacle gave me a wake-up call. I realized life was short. I wanted to do something career-wise that I could love. His passing made me realize that I needed to find my calling whether it be in business or counseling or something else. I believe it was his passing that really inspired me to push forward in life and in my career and find out what I loved to do and then doing it.


What motivated you to succeed?
My parents are big factors in my motivation, even more so when I began my career. They were both immigrants and they knew the importance and value of education. When it came time to go to college it was not an option to not attend. Their belief in me and their recognition of education being the foundation for a great career and positive life are both still huge factors in my motivation to succeed.

What advice would you give to a young person starting his or her career?
When you are on the career path you have to start at the bottom. You are going to have to do the grunt work and probably do things that are not fun or glamorous or even related to what you want to be doing. You have to be humble about that. And more importantly, keep at it. Eventually it will pay off. It is the journey and what you make of it.

What skills do young people need to have to work in your industry?
The first thing is that you have to want to be noticed and then you have to get noticed. Stand out. Do this by becoming an energetic self-starter, a problem solver. If you learn these skills then you will go very far.

What is most rewarding about your job?
The most rewarding thing about my job is that I am a leader. In this role of leader I can touch others and help to motivate others. I love playing the part of mentor to members of my team and then seeing what they accomplish. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing your influence help others to succeed in life both professionally and socially.

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