Years in real estate: 15

How have you navigated obstacles to achieve success in your career: I was a psychology major from a smaller New England college.  Not your typical background to be a success in finance.  I had many people who doubted my abilities because I didn’t have a degree from a large university in finance.  However, opportunities came my way and I took advantage of them. My bank sent me to a large credit school training program where I was mixed in with people who had MBA’s from prestigious universities. I never doubted myself and finished second in my class.  Perseverance and confidence got me to the place I am today.

How do you play your strengths to your advantage in your career: I am a people person.  In making lending decisions you must look beyond the financials and the information on paper.  You need to dig in and get to know your customers, as well as their business. Real estate lending is more than the sale or the getting the loan approved.  It is about giving a business an opportunity to grow, which they might not get through traditional bank financing. I look beyond the numbers, but still balance the risk as a lender.  It is this balance that has given me success in my field.  

What trends are you seeing so far this year? In commercial real estate finance we saw some slowness in the first part of the year and then in the last month, things have started to pick up.  In my 15 years, I have learned, just when you think the industry is going one way – hold on – because it seems to always change!  It will be interesting the impact of the recent hurricanes in the South.  While we in New England were not impacted, several small businesses could see an impact.

What do you do for fun? I have volunteered in animal rescue in the past and now have a house full of animals.  After a long day in a ‘serious’ business field it is nice to come home and enjoy that unconditional love!