Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. Every week we spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.
This week’s Q & A is with Mauria Finley,Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Citrus Lane, a fast-growing social e-commerce company focused on the $50B baby and kids market that’s backed by top-tier VCs Greylock and GGV Capital.
1. What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?
It was a big decision for me to leave my role at eBay. I had been at PayPal/eBay for six years. I had a wonderful job with amazing bosses, but I was looking for a new challenge. I wanted the chance to create from scratch and build my own company. I had been thinking about becoming an entrepreneur for a number of years, but had never been quite ready to take the leap. When my second son was nine months old and finally sleeping through the night, I decided to go for it. And, that’s what led me to start Citrus Lane.
2. Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?
I’ve been lucky to have a number of amazing mentors over the years. One who stands out is Stephanie Tilenius. I worked for Stephanie at PayPal and eBay. She took a chance on me several times, letting me tackle big challenges even when they weren’t in areas in which I had experience. In this way, I really grew as an executive and team leader. She pushed me hard to achieve, gave me blunt advice on things I could improve, and always made sure I knew she believed in me.
3. What is your biggest goal right now?
I don’t have one main, over-arching goal. I have goals for each part of my life. For work, I’m focused on taking Citrus Lane to the next level of growth. At home, I’m focused on being present with my four and seven year-old boys. As a wife, I’m trying to remember to use kindness in my thoughts and actions even when life is a blur of busyness. And, on the health side, I’m trying to be better about what I eat.
4. How did you get your first job? How did you jump to your second job?
I got my first job after graduating with a Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science from Stanford. I think people’s first job has a profound impact on how they see the world. My first job was as a product manager at Netscape working on the browser. It was a magical company and a special time – the beginning of the internet. I learned so much about how to build great software and about how software teams work. I also met a set of people that have gone on to be such important people in my life and network. My second job came directly out of the first one. The VP of engineering I worked closely with joined a startup, Good Technology, as the technical co-founder and recruited me two weeks later to run product management.
5. What time do you typically wake up? What do you do every morning
I wake up around 6:00am most days to exercise. I feel much better if I exercise each day. My team at Citrus Lane loves my “I had this idea while running” comments. Well, at least, I hope they do! I exercise early so I can be there for breakfast with my two young boys, get them ready for school, and get to work on time. Of course, I much prefer getting up early in the summer when the sun is already up, but in the winter, I’m out there running in the dark with a headlamp.
6. How did you feel on your 30th birthday? What were you doing at that time?
I felt much more anxious on my 30th birthday than I did on my 40th birthday last year. On my 30th birthday, I was getting close to changing jobs and was wondering if my long-term boyfriend was going to propose. On my 40th birthday, I looked around and realized my life was pretty awesome. I had two super-duper young boys, a wonderful husband (that same once-boyfriend who did, indeed, propose), an amazing company I was so proud to be create and a team I loved spending time with. Overall, at 40, my life is filled with friends, family, meaningful work, and happiness. When I think about my life, I realize that every decade is getting happier and happier.
7. What is your secret indulgence?
My secret indulgence is I watch one TV show before going to bed. After a busy day, dinner and bedtime for the boys, and endless work emails, I find it hard to fall right to sleep because my brain is still busy solving problems. But, if I watch a TV show, my brain turns off and I sleep well. Some favorites are Scandal, Good Wife, and Person of Interest.
Check out Mauria Finley’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!