History is filled with stories of extraordinary people who’ve defied the odds. But every one of those stories starts with a single step—the belief that something else is possible.
In this powerful segment of #ThroughlineThursdays, our host Neha Malhotra sits down with Cecil Plummer, award-winning CEO and President of Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council (WRMSDC), to explore the mindset that shaped his life.
You’ll hear how a childhood rooted in limitation gave rise to ambition, and how a teenage obsession with a fictional character helped light the way. At the heart of it? A single belief: Maybe I can.
What you’ll take away:
• Why belief is the foundation of any career journey
• How role models (even fictional ones) shape what we think is possible
• What happens when you choose to fight for your future, despite the odds
This is more than a story—it’s a lesson in mental resilience, hope, and leadership.
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Timestamps:
00:09 – Why belief is the first line of code
00:50 – Growing up with limited expectations
01:10 – The impact of TV role models
01:50 – Pushing against generational beliefs
02:20 – Building the will to fight
03:00 – Why belief always comes before success
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Leave a comment and tell us—what’s your first line of code?
0:09
Interviewer:
“You say that belief is the first line of code. How has this applied to your career journey and your life journey in significant ways?”
Interviewee:
“I think there’s a book called The Art of War that I’ve read, and while I may not be quoting the exact line, one of the military strategies talks about the best way to ensure victory is to remove your opponent’s will to fight. That’s a profound thought, and when I reflect on my own life, especially with the way my parents raised me, their message was often: ‘Don’t even try, there’s no hope.’”
0:45
“It’s funny, growing up in that environment, seeing others in the community striving for their goals, I started to wonder: ‘Maybe I can be something more too.’ One of my biggest inspirations back then was a TV show called Family Ties with Michael J. Fox playing a character named Alex P. Keaton. Alex was a teenager who wanted to be a businessman. Even in high school, he carried a briefcase and was interested in the stock market and politics. I looked up to him; I thought, ‘I want to be like that,’ even though my dad was pushing me toward the military or working at the post office.”
1:22
“Now, there’s nothing wrong with military service, but my dad’s point was, ‘You can’t do what you want, what you think you’re supposed to do because of the discrimination and disparities.’ But the concept of the ‘first line of code’ came into play. Just like every program begins with that first line of code, there is a clear distinction between a finished product and nothing. Without that first line of code, the product doesn’t exist.”
1:53
“Likewise, in life, you have to believe that there’s a possibility. That’s when I began to wonder: ‘Could I maybe do this or do that?’ Even though it went against what I’d been taught, I started to believe in the possibilities. So, I developed the will to fight, to try. That’s what made all the difference.”
2:20
“The first line of code—believing that there’s a possibility that you can—is so critical. Because if you don’t believe you can, I can guarantee you won’t. But if you do, just maybe…”
