Photo by angela n.

Mayor Muriel Bowser has been dubbed a “trailblazer” by Fortune Magazine. In recognizing the most powerful women across the globe, the publication launched a video series featuring women who are paving the way for others in their fields. In today’s installment, Mayor Bowser speaks about her experience in D.C.’s political arena.

“The biggest obstacles are people who will try to put you in a box or try to discourage you from moving ahead and so I think that a lot of people—if you are under 40, if you select a non-traditional path, if you’re a woman—you’re always going to have people who doubt and who try to dissuade you,” says Bowser, who is the second woman to become mayor of D.C.

The real challenge, she continues, is “putting that static or noise to the side and focusing on what I think is best.”

The video series also includes interviews with Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, the first woman to lead a U.S. Department of Defense service academy and Anna Maria Chávez, the first Latina CEO of Girl Scouts of America.