Austin Business Journal:
“Profiles in Power 2009 Winner”
What has helped or hindered your career?
My husband, Chris, is an amazing individual and supportive to a fault. His willingness to invest in real estate with me and help flip our first homestead jump-started my interest in the field.
What advice would you give to women trying to achieve leadership roles?
First, I would say, “Try and try again, and don’t be afraid of failure.” One of my favorite books is “Failing Forward.” The central tenet of the book is that as long as you are moving forward, you are not failing. Mistakes will happen, deals will be lost, clients may go to someone else. That’s OK. You’ll survive and even grow if you seek out the lesson in every setback — great and small. So, pay as much attention to failure as you do success so that you learn from it.
Who is your mentor and why?
My mother has always been my mentor. She was a high school teacher when my parents divorced. She was forced into different work circumstances because she did not want our family’s lifestyle to have to change. She made a multitude of sacrifices for us and worked extremely hard. And, in working so hard to take care of us, she became a successful businesswoman in her own right.