Heard of lather, rinse, repeat? In life and business, it’s plan, pivot, adapt. Repeat. If you went back to the day your third-grade teacher asked you what you wanted to be, would you say exactly what you are doing now?

I bet you a lunch, the answer is no. Life has a way of taking us on a different journey than we plan for.

Although I love what I do now, when I was in third grade, I didn’t say I wanted to be the CMO for the most powerful software in the private lending industry.

So how exactly did I get here?

Born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, I came to the U.S. when I was 15. In Colombia, I attended a great Catholic school. I was president of the classroom, a biology and math tutor, and the only student to whom the nuns gave a copy of the classroom key. I was also president of the basketball team and a very fast track runner.

I left all that for a new country. At my new public school, I used a translator to tell my high school counselor I didn’t want to be a freshman. I was told I’d been put back a year because I didn’t speak English. I asked my translator to say: “Tell him I don’t now, but I will soon.”

The counselor said if I could pass all my finals for my freshman and sophomore years, I would be a sophomore. Six months later I went back, without a translator, and asked my counselor for all the finals. I walked in a freshman—and walked out a sophomore.

I graduated at 17 with high honors, earned a free ride to a state university, and pursued my dream of music. I also waited tables to help my mom, a single mother who worked multiple jobs.

After a couple of musical auditions, I was selected to tour as a backup singer for a famous act. I was only 20 years old—and I was getting paid to do what I loved!

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I was cast in a Broadway musical—”Working,” by Studs Terkel. I wasn’t looking to go to Broadway—that was never my dream. I auditioned to get myself out of my comfort zone. Besides, what was the worst thing they could say? Don’t call us. We’ll call you. Next! After three exhaustive auditions I got the part! Now run with it!

Both Broadway and touring were always Wednesday through Sunday engagements, so I became a substitute teacher for those two extra days a week. Someone warned me I would fall in love with teaching. They were correct. Seeing the expression of a student who “gets” what you’re teaching is a feeling like no other. I was impacting lives in a positive way at an early age.

As a teacher, I fell in love with data. I strongly believe if you don’t measure what you do, you can’t improve it.

In spring 2014, I found myself holding a pink slip, along with thousands of others who were laid off. I’d already finished my MBA, and Applied Business Software was looking for a marketing director. But software? I don’t code. I interviewed anyway. What’s the worst thing they could say? Don’t call us. We’ll call you. Next!

I got the job! Now run with it!

Marketing a product like The Mortgage Office software is a delight. After all, how many people can say they work at a software company that’s been around for 42 years? Amazon/1994, Google/1998, Microsoft/1975, Apple/1976—The Mortgage Office/1978! It was built by visionaries who continue to rock the industry with cutting-edge technology. Working here is more than a delight—it’s an honor.

Touring for so many years taught me to read people better. Loving data allows me to make decisions quickly and accurately. Being around artistic people gave me a better sense of what people want to see. Being a teacher gave me a sense of how people want to see it. Being a marketer is all those combined and so much more.

Get out of your comfort zone and run with it!