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My family immigrated from Poland a few decades back, and I am a
third-generation American. e women in my family are strong-willed
and opinionated—but my mom was not like that. She was more of
a cheerleader. She wanted me to do more, see more, and be a part of
something more than she ever could. As a single mother, she encouraged
me to become whatever I wanted and pursue success with confidence,
humility, and honesty. My mom also warned me about letting my ego get
in the way. She believed there is a fine line between being assertive and
aggressive—between finding your voice and using it wisely.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, "In a gentle
way, you can shake the world." I think that is
precisely what my mom was getting at. You
never know how your journey is impacting
others, so your voice needs to be positive for
anyone you may be influencing around you.
It doesn't matter if you are a man or a
woman, work for a mortgage company as a
loan officer or have a role in default servicing,
you must be able to stand up for yourself, your
convictions, and your capabilities. To do this
effectively, you must find your voice.
WHERE TO BEGIN?
I define "finding your voice" as the process
through which you determine your legacy. It
defines who you are and what you aspire to be.
Ultimately, your "voice" is how you want people
to describe you. e result of this introspective
journey is greater self-awareness and the
confidence you need to speak up for yourself.
It's important to go through the process of
finding your voice for one critical reason: if you
don't, you run the risk of others defining it for
you. Remember, it's your journey and no one
else's. You can be inspired by traits in others and
even admire those traits—but you don't have to
possess them. After all, if you adopt someone
else's approach but feel uncomfortable doing so,
it will look and feel more like imitation rather
than inspiration.
FINDING
YOUR VOICE
For women professionals in mortgage servicing and beyond, the first
step to career success and a lasting legacy begins by looking inward.
Feature By: Dawn Adams
