Bold, honest, and inspiring, Rock Bottom Success is a journey of loss due to poor decisions and triumph from learning in life’s most teachable moments. Author Keysha Dale painstakingly gives her readers a Birdseye view of the good, the bad, and the ugly of growing up while you level up professionally. Filled with pearls of wisdom derived from Keysha seeing the lessons in failure, which ultimately catapulted her
from sleeping on friends’ sofas to having a seat at the table in her chosen career, Rock Bottom Success is a handbook every career woman needs in her briefcase.
Keysha Dale is a healthcare executive and an influencer who uses her business acumen and professional prowess to help other women succeed in the workplace and in life. She does so much more than play her role at work, she actively seeks ways to improve the profession through service. Dale is the District of Columbia (DC) Long-Term Care Administration Board Chairperson and the National Association of Long-Term Administrator Board (NAB) State Governance and Regulatory past Forum Facilitator. Currently residing in the Washington, DC area, the wife and mother tours the country sharing pearls of wisdom from her book Rock Bottom Success. Keysha is committed to equipping women for career success through authentic mentorship.
Connect with Keysha
Step into the Boardroom for Keysha’s 21 Day Success Program: bit.ly/KD21DaySuccess
Q & A with Keysha Dale
You’re a successful healthcare executive, why did you decide to add author to your role?
During my Rock Bottom experience, I vowed to myself that I would help other women avoid the
mistakes I made that landed me in the situation. I also wanted to encourage women to be tenacious
and remain hopeful that at any given moment God can move you out of the Rock Bottom pit.
What do you hope readers will gain from reading Rock Bottom Success?
I hope my readers will gain truth; the good, bad and ugly about what it’s like to hit Rock Bottom; my mentors shared and exposed me to things however I really wish they had shared those details of their poor choices in the workplace.
For example, in the book I share that I didn’t find out until after I prematurely resigned from my job
that one of my mentors resigned from the same supervisor for the exact same reason as I did a few
years before me.
How did finding yourself at “Rock Bottom” propel you to success? In what ways did it make you dig deeper to see yourself and the world around you?
Wow! My rock bottom experience was the pivotal point of my life which carried over to my career. I
believed that God has so much for me that it was imperative that he prune all the things that were
not of him. This is the reason the pearls of wisdom have been incorporated into the book. A pearl is
made from the journey of being molded by an irritant and water that assist with smoothing it to a
gorgeous and elegant pearl.
If you could go back and change anything about your personal journey, what would it be?
Absolutely Nothing! Every iota of my Rock Bottom experience prepared me for my today.
How has having mentors helped you gain clarity about your career direction and overall
purpose in life?
Mentors have brought clarity by allowing me to share ideas off. I also allow them to challenge me
with the goal of identifying the next steps of my career.
How has mentoring others helped you to better understand yourself and women entering the workplace?
It’s helped me to keep learning. Mentees bring out the best in me and help me to see how much I
have matured as a businesswoman.
What is the most beneficial career advice you’ve ever received?
Never forget to assist others as others have assisted you in your professional development.
How do you balance career, family and service?
By taking care of me first; my order is God, me, and then my family. Live life and don’t let it live you.
Girlfriend time and me time is a must!
From a manager’s perspective, how can women in entry level positions gain the attention of decision makers when seeking advancement in the workplace?
By staying engaged company projects, volunteer to do various projects and trainings. Do the things
that others do not want to do. Always be willing to sharpen the saw and one day you will be the
most knowledgeable, visible, and noticed person in the workplace.
With harassment prevalent in the work environment, what advice can you offer women who
find themselves on the receiving end of a rude or insensitive coworkers attacks?
A person should stay focused on the bigger picture of why they are at the organization. Oftentimes,
rude coworkers are merely distractions. Find a safe place of coworkers, women or men, to connect
with. It’s always alright to address the rudeness by expressing how you feel. It’s not what you say but
your delivery. As it relates to harassment, always see your HR department and put it in writing to
carbon copy your HR file.
Moving forward, what’s next for you?
I have a workbook that assist those who desire to further their professional development. Also,
exploring future possibilities of having an on-line course on workbook topics.
