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22 | TH E M R EP O RT FEATURE W e've come a long way since the '50s, when "barefoot and pregnant" wasn't just a saying—it was a way of life for women. Kept out of the workplace by societal expecta- tions, the women of years past spent their days cooking, cleaning and tending to the kids—and, most importantly, leaving the "real" work to their husbands. While few could say the situation has completely turned around—after all, women still earn just $.80 to every male dollar, there is one thing for certain: Women have become an integral part of the modern workplace and, in particular, the housing industry. Today's housing sector boasts females at the helm of nearly every major organization, initiative, and product, and that only stands to improve. Working women are taking it upon themselves to guide their fellow females, arming them with the knowledge and confi- dence they need to succeed in today's competitive market. The Female Experience T here are distinguishing traits in men and women that are important to have in business. As Donna Krall, EVP of Mortgage Fulfillment at Flagstar Bank, puts it, women are multitaskers—some- thing that makes them extremely successful in the mortgage indus- try, but they are also individuals who take things to heart and, often much more personally since they're natural caregivers. According to Laurie Pyle, EVP at Factom, it's definitely challeng- ing to be a woman, and there are distinct ways males and females tend to handle their work. Specifically, Pyle believes men are able to compartmentalize their jobs better. "It's a chess game, and you've got to figure out where you can put your priorities, how to prioritize, and how to be able to say, 'no,' which is sometimes difficult, too," Krall said. "I think women can pick up a lot from how the males can compartmentalize that and de- fine their role a little bit differently." There tends to be a perception that women either have to be a mother or a businesswoman—but the two aren't mutually exclusive. Though Michelle Garcia-Gilbert, Managing Partner at Gilbert Garcia Group P.A., said she wouldn't trade her time at home with her children for the world, that doesn't mean she isn't inter- ested in business; it just means she needs more flexibility. According to Garcia-Gilbert, being the primary caretaker for your children doesn't have to be an aspect of womanhood that females have to give up. Women can do both—as long as they have the right support in place. "I would say the same thing for women whose husbands are very high-power people in their professions; everyone has to be on the same page about what that means," Garcia-Gilbert said. "You really need your partner, spouse. Whatever relationship you're in, your family needs to understand what you're doing and why you have to do it. If you get lack of support or pushback at home, it makes it really tough to be suc- cessful." Life is all about balance, and that is one thing Caroline Reaves, CEO of MCS, embodies. To Reaves, it doesn't matter if the person is a woman or man; if they have a young family and want to spend time with them, it shouldn't mean they're less successful in their work and neither parent should feel they're doing poorly at work by focusing on family. "Don't push yourself so much and make your goals so strong with work," Reaves said. "Do well at where you are in that stage of your life. I believe people think they're failures if they're not mov- ing up as fast as they want to, but once they move up, they have more responsibility, and they're not happy. Do what you can and don't try to overdo it, because it's hard to be good at everything if you're pushing yourself too hard." In order to achieve balance in her family life, Reaves, who is the mother of five, would go into work extremely early in the morning while her husband took care of the kids. This allowed her to leave in time to pick them up and take them to their after-school activities. She realized in her formative years that while not being able to stay after 5 p.m. might hold her back at work, as her kids got older, she knew priorities and opportunities would change—and she'd get that chance to advance again. "I had a boss say to me, 'You can't leave at five every day, or you're never going to move up in this company,'" Reaves said. "I remember my exact words were, 'When I'm gone, I don't want people to remember that I was an executive. I want people to remember that I was a great wife and mother and that was more important to me." Reaves stresses that part of being a woman in this industry is understanding that you may lose some opportunity at the time, but sometimes you have to do what's right for yourself—and for her, that was being with her family. Advancement opportunities will come, she said, and when they do, women should take them on—but only when it's the right fit. The Long and Winding Road The industry has come a long way in terms of female representation, but there is still room to grow, according to experts. By Brianna Gilpin