Join us in congratulating CREW KC Past President Lisa Tomlinson on her retirement!
We asked Lisa:
What advice would you give to young women today?
Be diligent. Be yourself. Be humble. Be kind and respectful. Be professional in all your relationships. Then cut yourself a break when (not if) you fail. No one is perfect. So don’t let your failures define who you are, discourage you from taking risks or derail you from performing your best.
How did CREW helped your career?
I would say in two ways. The leadership opportunities whether in Committees or on the Board, were invaluable. Attending a CREW Network Leadership Summit or the Leadership Certificate Program is something one should seriously consider. They are high quality and a great way to know people across all the CREW chapters nationally and internationally. So I would say to all members, get involved in some way. Just attending the programs will not fully leverage the value of CREW KC. Which leads into the second way that CREW KC has helped my career and that is the richness of the relationships that I enjoyed making. I got to know so many truly awesome women among a variety of commercial real estate disciplines with different strengths, giving us all opportunities to learn from each other. I can’t say enough of the quality of women who make up the membership in CREW KC! I will miss so many of you!
What was the most memorable moment of your career?
Honestly, I can’t think of any one thing that was the most memorable. However, as a commercial lender, I helped a lot of business owners realize their dream of owning and building their own business. Whether that was in manufacturing or wholesale distribution or a real estate development, it has been incredibly fulfilling to partner with them in that way.
You served the community in many ways. What is your advice about connecting, collaborating and serving?
Connect and collaborate from an understanding that none of us possess it all. We need each other and it’s so much more fun and rewarding to reach out with authenticity to both receive and give to others for the greater good. Regarding serving on boards or volunteering, serve based upon your passions and skills rather than just a resume builder. There is nothing that will impact your reputation faster than performing poorly simply because you’re a “volunteer.”
If you had it to do all over (knowing what you know now) what would you do the same/what would you change?
Hands down join CREW KC. It has been a wonderful experience with so many meaningful friendships. What would I do differently? I would have taken more risks.
Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn