Kent woman shows ‘Moxie’ in new book

Maureen Ezekwugo was raised to be respectful, even if that meant downplaying her talents.

“There were many times where I didn’t push ideas that I strongly believed in hard enough because somewhere inside of my Asian-self I believed, ‘If someone with authority is telling me it should be another way, I need to respect that’,” Ezekwugo said.

Growing up in a home where modesty was valued, she felt uncomfortable challenging authority. But eventually, Ezekwugo overcame those feelings and worked her way to a successful job in sales.

Today the Kent woman is the executive vice president of RealSelf (www.realself.com), a growing national website that connects doctors with patients. Ezekwugo instructs physicians on how to use social media to better engage and treat patients.

Ezekwugo’s ascension in business is one of the many motivational stories in Maureen Francisco’s new book, “It Takes Moxie: Off the Boat or Out of School to Making it Your Way in America”.

Francisco, an immigrant from the Philippines who grew up in Federal Way, wanted to share success stories, especially in the current state of the economy.

“It’s just so relevant now,” Francisco said. “We hear fiscal cliff and debt ceiling all the time, and I want people to know, we’re going to be hearing more of these jargons. Don’t be overwhelmed. You can still control (your) situation.”

Francisco pulls from more than 20 personal stories from people throughout the world, including: Ben Huh, CEO and owner of Cheezburger; Richard Cho, general manager of the Charlotte Bobcats; and Ezekwugo, her boss at RealSelf.

Although Ezekwugo didn’t consider her story to be extraordinary, her experiences lined up with the focus of Francisco’s book.

“Nobody in my family had a college education,” Ezekwugo said. “Being in sales was one of the ways to write your own commission checks. I’ve literally worked my way through the corporate sales ladder. Right now, my team is in charge of teaching doctors about social media.”

The book touches on a wide range of subjects from learning English as a second language to the importance of networking. But the book isn’t just for immigrants. She also addresses college students and working professionals when giving tips.

And Francisco has a lot of advice to give. She explains that even though she achieved her dream of being a TV reporter, she fell into debt. She continues with how she worked her way to being debt free and reached other lifetime goals.

“I want people to know I chose not to be a victim,” Francisco said. “I (wasn’t) looking for a handout from the government and these people whose stories I share, they (weren’t) looking for a handout either. They (wanted) to be self-sufficient.”

Some of the stories Francisco shares are from high profile individuals, like that of Dr. Connie Mariano, former White House doctor during the Clinton, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. administrations.

“Often times, she was discriminated against,” Francisco said. “When she was the doctor at the White House, people mistook her for a nurse. Imagine being in such a powerful position and all they saw was (an immigrant woman.)”

Other stories hit close to home, like that of her lola, a woman who began her career with humble beginnings.

“My grandmother came to this country in her 50s, and she was able to earn a hotel position in a laundry department,” Francisco said. “When (you) think of someone in their 50s, (you) think of someone ready to retire. My grandmother wanted to remain healthy – mind and body – because she wanted to work to support her children.”

To publicly announce the book, Francisco hosted a launch party at the Heathman Hotel in Kirkland last Saturday. Many of the people she mentioned in the book attended, including Ezekwugo.

“I thought the event was great,” Ezekwugo said. “I loved hearing from the speakers, and I learned a lot. I was able to connect and relate to what they were saying.”

Francisco says her book is “chicken soup for the soul” or at least “your one-stop guide to pursuing whatever it is that you want.”

For Ezekwugo, it has a similar meaning.

“The thing that I took away from Maureen’s book is that it’s really up to an individual as to how far they make it not just in America but in life,” Ezekwugo said.