Page 10 - Shaw Wall of Honor

Regardless of the industry that you are in or your gender, finding your place at the right tables puts you in the mix for jumping ahead with the right people.
told me I was a diamond in the rough that was born to shine. He has been with me at many carrier meetings, trips, dinners or events where it was just assumed that he was the reason we were there. With a supportive laugh he would let them know in one word or another that I was the badass that made it possible for him to be the eye candy. By 2004 I was ready to become an independent agent as the captive path felt like being handcuffed; it was then that I met my “business dad,” Ken Walters. He believed that I could start our first contracts with national carriers for commercial contracts even though it was a heavily male-dominated part of our industry; he supported my innovative spirit and when it came time to retire, he chose me to carry on his legacy of not only our group, but his agency as well. Menefactors have been the cheat code in some ways in understanding how to navigate a career in a male-dominated industry; when there were times when my voice was not heard or considered, they were the microphone amplifying my message.
Regardless of the industry that you are in or your gender, finding your place at the right tables puts you in the mix for jumping ahead with the
Three Strategies
right people. To get there, you will need to lead with your strengths, not be afraid to do things you are not confident about, and get your ego out of the way. A book titled The Confidence Code talks about how women do not ask to take something on unless they are 100%, but men can be uncertain of their abilities and still take the leap. I greatly admire men who do this and especially do this without pushing others down. Personally, I have employed the just breathe method and embrace the unknown with enthusiasm. I will swallow hard before taking these leaps to push back the doubt, breathe in deeply, then breathe out that I am not only up to it, but that I am excited by the opportunity. Sometimes it comes out in a nervous, unsure, laugh, but the point is that it still comes out. It is progress not perfection, and often out of the fear of not being perfect we allow our ego to lash out in destructive ways. Our ego tells us to stay quiet, to not rock the boat, to stay small, to not allow ourselves to pivot when things get off course, and above all we allow our ego to tell us that this is what is expected of us because we are female. Instead of listening to my ego and going towards the dark side, I step into my strength of a lifetime
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