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90 Profiles in Mentorship 90 Caroline Reaves Chief Executive Officer, Mortgage Contracting Services Chair of the, Property Preservation Executive Forum I am fortunate that the first real—and most important—mentors in life were my parents. Years ago, I would call my dad each morning on the way to work. I did the same (and still do) with mom on the way home, and together, the three of us would talk about everything from the family to sports, avoiding politics at all costs. My mom taught me the importance of a good work- and family-life balance, and as with so many things, did so by example; she raised six kids and always knew they came first, inspiring me to do the same for my five wonderful children. On the business side, those conversations with my dad helped me become the businesswoman I am today. My father was a businessman his entire life. An engineer by trade, he worked for large corporations before starting his own oilfield service company supplying for oil rigs anybody from a cook to an electrician. In that way—providing the best-qualified personnel to work at remote locations—I guess you could say he and I have done similar work. I have never felt my gender impacted my ability to succeed in the business world, and instead would say I was given opportunities that helped get me to where I am today. I can have a strong personality, and 10 years ago that was perceived differently than it is today. I had a few issues starting out in a high- level position working mostly with men, since men and women see and react to the world differently. But my father was constantly supporting me, providing a man's point of view and giving me advice that made me a better leader. e year 2009 was a difficult one for me, bringing both the highest highs and lowest lows. In that single 12-month period, dad passed away and I was named CEO of Mortgage Contracting Services (MCS). e business was growing and sometimes that can create all sorts of stresses on the people and the organization. And dad wasn't there anymore to be my sounding board. at's where the Steans family—owners of MCS then and part-owners now—stepped in, Harrison becoming something of a work father to me and Jennifer, a great role model. ey had seen this kind of thing happen with companies before and rather than give me a book to read as too many others had done, they took the time to sit down with me or called to talk. ey still come and speak at our employee breakfasts about family values, service, and hard work. It's always good to see a very successful family expressing these kinds of things, and it makes me want to strive to be like them, combining success with strong values. Now, as a business leader myself, the best advice I can give is to lead by example. My dad taught me that and I continue to see it from my mom and the Steans family every day. And it's important to give back. I actually do quite a bit of mentoring and love watching people excel based on their individual skills and motivation. I like to tell young people to focus on self- improvement rather than being position-oriented. One of my biggest pet peeves is when you promote someone and that person asks what it will take to get to an even higher position. Focusing on self- improvement will get you another promotion, but it will also make you a more well-rounded person, which is what all employers are looking for. Finally, the most important thing in business —and this is going to sound old-fashioned—is to do the right thing. It may be a new world, but ethics still matter, perhaps more now than ever. If you make a mistake, admit it, find a way to fix it and move on. Good, smart business people won't blame you for honest mistakes, but they will go elsewhere if you fail to behave ethically and lose that most valuable of all commodities: their trust. Caroline Reaves is Chief Executive Officer of Mortgage Contracting Services, MCS, headquartered in Plano, Texas. "I like to tell young people to focus on self- improvement rather than being position-oriented."

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