“Once you have come to the conclusion that this is who you are … don’t delay.” That’s the biggest lesson CEO Wynne Nowland learned through her gender transition in mid-2017, as she shared with Jade Scipioni, senior reporter at CNBC, during their interview to discuss her coming out story.
If you aren’t familiar, it wasn’t until a few weeks after her 56th birthday in 2017 and four months after promotion to CEO that Wynne had an “awakening” and decided she couldn’t hide her true self any longer.
“It was kind of a progression. At one point, if you had asked me “Do you think you’ll ever do this?” my answer would have been, “No, never.” Then at some point it became, “Well, maybe I could do this,” to “I can do this” to “I’m going to do this.”
Wynne’s advice for people going through a similar life change is consistent: I think it’s important to avail yourself of the professional help that’s out there to help guide you through what can be a confusing time. But once you’ve come to the conclusion that this is who you are, don’t delay. Because that’s my biggest regret. I waited until I was 56 to do this. However, I do give myself a little wiggle room there because I was brought up in a far different time.
You can read the full CNBC Make It article to learn more about Wynne’s transition.
