Beverly Aquino
I met with Beverly on a sunny day at San Francisco’s culinary treasure, the Ferry Building. After a fortifying lunch and a glass of wine (I have the best job), we moved outside and chatted while the ferries skimmed across the water.
Beverly believes that planning and taking small, but continuous steps lead to success. But, she says she shies away from taking big risks…let’s see what we think.
As a young woman she saw the proverbial writing on the wall and took stock of her situation: young child, no college diploma, soon to be single mother, working as a secretary in a quasi-high tech company. Flash forward. She attained her bachelor’s degree, fast tracked to the executive ranks, and raised a smart, savvy and beautiful daughter by example.
Along the way, she worked six years in a volunteer capacity for SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics). Her most memorable effort was as Chair of Graphicon ’91 – the first ever computer graphics conference held in the Soviet Union at the time that Gorbachev was still in power. It took two years, numerous trips to Moscow and many late nights but the conference was finally held at the Palace of Youth in Moscow in February 1991. The event brought together a working committee of fifteen computer graphics experts from the US and Canada, and the “Committee of Ten” from the Soviet Academy of Sciences and the Union of Architects to plan and execute the event. And, while she was in Moscow, the first Gulf war broke out…and ended!
Dr. Yuri Bayakowski, one of the “Ten”, told Beverly at the conclusion of the conference, that from the beginning he did not have confidence that their efforts would be successful because he didn’t think a woman (Beverly) could do the job. At this point, after attracting over 2500 scientists from all over the Soviet Union to attend the conference, he understood that Beverly was really “a man”.
When 45, at the end of a long-term relationship and having fledged her daughter, she realized that she needed to make some positive changes in her life again. Although she threw herself into her job that entailed non-stop travel, upon touching down, she realized that she was tired of type A egos, corporate politics, the competition, wasted resources and the what’s-in-it-for-me mentality that she continually had to circumnavigate. Her soul was starving.
She took stock again. She had a beautiful home but she didn’t actually “live” there…she just packed and unpacked there and the constant travel did not allow her to see friends and family or to develop new relationships. Her daughter often asked her why she had such a large house when all she really needed was a closet.
Flash forward. She left corporate, nested and created an indoor and outdoor oasis perfect for entertaining, signed on with a dating service, and joined a singles ski club.
Well, the dating service informed her that she was too tall, too “mature” and too successful. After being told that her choices were limited, she would have to accept men 20 years her senior, of any height, financial status and politics, she took a refund! She thought she could do a much better job on her own.
The ski club challenged her. So, what did she do first? Why, sign up for the racing circuit of course. Knowing herself, she committed to a ski lease that first year which provided her a place to stay and occasional company on the slopes. As a member of the ski race team her commitment was for eight race dates at a number of different ski resorts on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Oh, did I mention that she didn’t even know how to ski?
She also took sailing lessons in the dangerous waters of San Francisco bay where sailors must duke it out with a bay full of novice captains, and sailboats are dwarfed by cargo ships. Add the sharks and the legendary tide and you are in for some challenging days. She loved the thrill, the physicality, and acquiring a new skill. She also was not happy unless the sailboat was heeled over at a 40∞ angle. Where did this daredevil come from? 50+ years, that’s where! If not now, when?
Next, she finally dared to date a friend from the ski club. In her New Year’s dress that year, she was stunning and he was a goner. Within the month, her beau, a romantic at heart and smitten, drew a big heart around her in the snow on a lonely ski trail on Whistler Mountain in British Columbia. He dropped to his knees and we’ll never know exactly what was said, but six months later Danville, California, hosted a memorable wedding where instead of a wedding ring, the groom received a water ski!
Shortly thereafter, she bagged any thought of a return to the corporate ranks and instead, started to consult with a real estate developer to train the sales staff to use their computers effectively. At the same time, she earned her real estate license and invested in some property. No stranger to success, she was again able to travel often to visit her daughter and family and to bring her mother north to live close-by.
So, let’s take a look…single mother earns degree and gets on corporate fast track; navigates her daughter’s teen years and wins her respect and friendship; travels alone on business all over the world; fired a dating service and took matters into her own hands; signed up for ski racing before she knew how to ski; sailed dangerous waters from a vertical perspective; married at 50+; took a chance and bagged corporate for good; and started to work in a completely new field. Risk taker? I think so!
This busy woman likes to stay that way, and in addition to working full time, researches companies for her investment club, skis, and is working with her husband to design their retirement home. But, she finds the most joy spending time with family and friends. And, she gets a special twinkle when she talks about her granddaughters – two from her own daughter and two more from her husband’s daughter.
Her advice to other women? “Find fun and merriment along the way. Do things that you enjoy – people that you meet will have a greater gift to share with you. Take one step at a time, don’t allow the fear to slow you down, take three steps and then course correct. If you accept change and find it positive, rather than threatening, you’ll win the game. And she should know because she is a winner!
