#28: Risk, Recovery & Reinvention - Mary Tidlund, Part 1

Mary explained her experience meeting Dalai Lama, who demonstrates the values of compassion, love, understanding, and respect. Mary describes her busy childhood in her adopted home, which she shared with her 45 siblings (yes, 45!) as filled with love, diversity, and philanthropy. 

Mary recalled the lessons she learned from her adoptive parents, which were the power of diversity and love. Her perspective on the context of philanthropy was broadened- which is the ability to show kindness, listening skills, understanding, and learning from people who don’t look like her or act like her. These qualities helped Mary relate to others both in school and as an adult. 

Mary credited her entrepreneurial spirit to genes from her biological parents and having grown up in a small town. She built many small businesses, which also allowed her to support other people. Mary dove into the topic of stereotypes that happened outside of her home- she found it challenging that most people didn’t have the same diverse view as her. She believes it was her confidence as a kid that allowed her to navigate through the stereotype. 

She went on to become a landman and never once considered it a ‘man’ job. It was the willingness and ability to learn she exhibited that allowed her to step into her role, plus the challenges she experienced being a woman in a man’s world. Mary explains her need for meeting her biological parents and how that happened. She was always fueled by courage and having the right support.