In the eyes of her neighbors, Sukemi still seems like a successful career woman, a talented dressmaker who has worked abroad.

CNN: CRISIS COMES HOME

I'm a 33-year-old, attractive, single woman with a successful career.

FORBES: Readers Say

For more on how Sunny went from secretary to entrepreneur and her insightful advice on running a successful business, read her entire 1:1 feature interview on Career Woman Inc.

FORBES: Sweet Dreams Of Success -- An Interview With Sunny Kobe Cook

When I came out to my own mother, at 40 years old, I was a parent, I had been married to a woman I loved for 20 years, I had a successful career, we owned two homes, and there wasn't a single person who would have guessed my secret or my struggle.

CNN: Gender identity not just body parts

There are many career woman who are extremely driven and their personal priorities surround being successful at their careers.

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With two degrees from Stanford, including a master's degree in computer science, and a successful career in a male-dominated industry, Mayer is often held up as a woman to emulate.

CNN: How Marissa Mayer writes her own rules

Ms. Malcorra had worked hard to move herself from the working class neighborhood where she grew up, graduating among the top of her class (and as the only woman) of electrical engineers at the University of Rosario, followed by a successful 15-year career at IBM.

FORBES: A Daring Career Rebound: From Telecom Bankruptcy to the UN