I'm a product manager who grew my salary from $40K to over $250K. Getting an MBA changed the game for me.

Courtesy of Kris Martin; BI Kent Shen is a 37-year-old product manager in Seattle. Business Insider has verified Shen's income and employment history with documentation. The following as-told-to essay has been edited for length and clarity. I came from a lower-income family in Canada, and after graduating from the University of Waterloo in 2012, I spent a few years trying to build a business that ultimately failed. When I returned to the workforce, I felt two years behind many of the applicants I was competing against. Now, I'm a product manager at Expedia making over $250,000 a year. It took until last year for me to shake off imposter syndrome . After a decade of setbacks, I finally feel comfortable in my role and confident that I belong there. I am thriving now and feel capable of continuing to grow and earn more. Here's my salary journey.