Blog Posts by Secrets To Your Success

"Empathy is such a critical trait, even if you're sitting across the table and somebody has said to you, 'Yes, I've murdered 48 people,' and I've had that happen," explains Mary Ellen O'Toole, a psychologist and FBI profiler.

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At a very young age, she wondered what people thought about when they murdered other people. Mary Ellen says, even though these thoughts scared her mom, she was fascinated with people who do violent things.

Mary Ellen studied psychology in college and went on to get her PhD. She worked briefly as a therapist, but felt drawn to a career in law enforcement. She says it must have been in her genes to choose that path. Her father was an FBI agent, her mother worked for the FBI, and her brother was a San Francisco police officer.

She began her law enforcement career with the San Francisco DA's office as a criminal investigator, and in 1981, Mary Ellen became an FBI agent assigned to

Chef and Vosges Haut-Chocolat founder Katrina Markoff uses chocolate as a medium to tell stories. "For some reason, I went into my kitchen, and I made an Indian curry, coconut, milk chocolate truffle," she says. "And that was when the epiphany occurred."

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Katrina grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, near her grandparents. She says her grandmother was the one who taught her how to cook. Katrina studied chemistry and psychology at Vanderbilt University, but found herself struggling with choosing a career as graduation approached. Katrina moved to Paris to study cooking at the famed culinary school Le Cordon Bleu. She worked in top European restaurants, but took a leave of absence to embark on a round-the-world trip.

She spent nine months traveling through Southeast Asia, discovering the close connection between people and food. When she returned to the United States, however, she realized she didn't want to be a chef.

Growing up, singer, songwriter, and "Man In The Mirror" co-writer Siedah Garrett occasionally was a guest singer at churches, but it wasn't until she was in junior high school that she knew she had to be a singer. A guitarist at her school wanted to participate in a talent show, so he asked her to sing while he played. She says the next day she received rave reviews and praise for her performance.

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In her 20s Siedah worked as a backup singer for Sergio Mendes, but got her big break at an open audition for producer Quincy Jones. In a room full of producers and songwriters, she sang the demos from several songwriters. Siedah joined one of Quincy's bands as a singer and went on to become one of his songwriters.

Tasked with finishing Michael Jackson's album, Quincy asked his songwriters to come up with new songs for Michael. Siedah says her songwriting partner Glen Ballard started playing a chord

Like the first day of school, the first few days of a new job can be absolutely nerve-racking. Among the butterflies of a new job, like what to wear or where to park, making a good impression probably tops the list of anxieties. Colleagues' opinions are often set early and can greatly impact your achievements at work. So, how can you set yourself up for success on day one? Here are four tips on how to make a good impression in a new job from four successful women.

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1. Be curious It's not enough to come early, stay late, dress nice, and act polite, says Kat Cole, Cinnabon president. "You don't stand out if you do that," she explains. "You do stand out if you're naturally curious, respectfully curious." She advises to ask questions and inquire why things are done a certain way.

2. Eye contact, a smile, and a good handshake "Brave" producer Katherine Sarafian explains that it seems so simple, but not enough people do

In January, the Pentagon lifted a ban on women in combat. Coach, leader, and four-star U.S. Army General Ann Dunwoody says this policy change is a recognition of women's roles on the battlefield today. "When I look back at how far we've come, it's really amazing," says Ann. "I'm very proud of that."

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With her father in the military, Ann grew up in a military-centered family. As a tomboy, Ann participated in as many sports as she could, like gymnastics, tennis, and cheerleading. She went to college hoping to become a physical education teacher, but while in school, she applied for an Army program that offered scholarships in exchange for two years of service. She thought of it as a small detour on her path to becoming a coach and teacher.

Ann was sent to the airborne school. "All I wanted to do was jump out of airplanes," she says. It came as a surprise to Ann when she decided to stay in the Army

"I can be anything in voice over. I can be five, or I can be 85. I can be an elephant, or I can be a human," says Jennifer Hale, a singer, actress, and voice-over queen. "Some of my characters can be all about seduction," she explains, "and others, it's about a five year old going, 'I want that!'" Originally moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, Jennifer quickly found voice acting work on cartoons and video games. She says she's now appeared in over 130 games.

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As a child, Jennifer says she loved books, animals, and singing. A self-proclaimed "dork," she began singing and performing in clubs in the 10th grade while a student at a performing arts school in Alabama. She says singing is what she really loved, but Jennifer got a job at a video production house next to an audio studio where they would ask her to come do voice overs. "I was just blown away that they'd pay me $30 to go talk," says Jennifer.

After

Filmmaker and producer of "Brave" Katherine Sarafian says the best piece of advice she ever got was from Pixar founder Steve Jobs. "He said, 'You never regret the things you do, only the things you don't do,'" explains Katherine, "and that was pretty important for me, even in the very beginning of 'Brave,' when I wasn't sure whether to take the job." Katherine took the job, and it turns out that was pretty great advice. "Brave" recently won a Golden Globe and is nominated for an Oscar.

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Katherine, the middle child in her family, says she was always an artistic and creative child, begging for attention. She went to UCLA and struggled to decide on a career. Seeking advice, a career counselor suggested pursuing film, and in 1994 Katherine began working at Pixar on "Toy Story" as a production scheduling coordinator. She has since worked on some of Pixar's biggest hits, including "A

Getting the respect of your coworkers, leading your team, and meeting the demands of your company are all part of being the boss, but it's not always so easy. These four successful women share what they wish they knew before they became bosses.

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It's OK to get a little bossy Shabby Apple founder Athelia Wooley says she naturally had never been a bossy person and never wanted to be in charge. Although she found leading people difficult, Athelia says it's necessary. "It's really not fair to your employees or to the company to not do that. People need instruction, and it's OK to give it," she explains.

Value your employees Kristen Trattner, Nickel Diner co-owner, assumed everyone had the same work ethic, but soon realized that in a small business just one employee can make a difference in the operations. "If the dishwasher doesn't show up, who's the dishwasher?" she says. Kristen says she treats her employees