Tap into Your Passion and Ask for what You Want

My best advice for women who are achieving their own definition of success and starting or building their careers is to be passionate. Tapping into your passion and making your dreams come true are great, but being truly passionate starts with loving yourself first.

I also believe you should stand up for yourself and ask for what you want. Women asserting themselves in a corporate environment is important, not only to the women, but also to the organization as a whole. Being silent can be harmful to the organization and its culture.

I became a leader by working hard, never losing sight of my dreams, and paying attention to what others needed. I’m sharing my experience and knowledge by mentoring other women and encouraging them to speak up for themselves. I’ve implemented a program at New American Funding called If You Want to Grow, We Want to Know, to provide employees an opportunity to reach their career objectives. I’ve also created Thrive and Lead, a quarterly mentorship program launched in October 2017, in which I mentor New American Funding employees and external mortgage professionals for three months.

I have worked diligently to create a diverse workforce at New American Funding and am proud to say that 58 percent of all New American employees are women, with many holding C-level positions, 43 percent are minorities, and 34 percent are millennials.

Be assertive and don’t be afraid to make mistakes, as these can be your best lessons. If you stay humble and work hard, I truly believe you can achieve your own definition of success. The power and difference is accepting adversity and realizing it is just a part of life. Very often, your greatest power comes from failure. It took me a long time to learn that.