Today’s interview is with Tamera Olsen, Executive Director, Mortgage Brokers Association of BC.  A very high-energy woman and mother of two boys, she has held some interesting jobs in the non-profit world and has some great advice for women in business about setting limits.

What is your current job? 

Executive Director for the Mortgage Brokers Association of British Columbia.

What do you do before this job? 

Executive Director for the Professional Ski Instructors of America/American Association of Snowboard Instructors – Northern Rocky Mountains.

What do you feel is the important thing you have mastered to contribute to your success?

My vision, diplomacy, integrity, conviction, and passion.

How do you balance family and work?

I don’t own a blackberry. I turn off my cell phone in the evenings. I work hard at the office so that I can focus on activities with my family when not at work.  I firmly believe in a work/life balance and my family comes first.

Words of wisdom for women entering the business world?

Negotiate your terms.  It is important to understand that you’re worth it. Without being pushy or ungrateful, counter job offers with competitive salary recommendations and decent benefits.  This positions you much more favourably when annual increases come up, and puts you higher on the corporate ladder.  It also shows you as a professional who deserves respect, in that you are capable of taking charge of your career. Lastly, maintain a work/life balance for ultimate satisfaction. 

I recently had the opportunity to hear Robyn Ritter Simon speak in LA on running for public office. Her message was strong and ear-catching so I interviewed her for the Women of Substance column.

Married, with 3 sons, Robyn began her career as a broadcast journalist and political commentator, producing and hosting her own public affairs program - Robyn Ritter Reports. In addition to being involved in several other projects, she is also President of the National Women’s Political Caucus, LA-Westside and in February 2008 she announced her candidacy for the Los Angeles City Council, District 5.

What’s the most important skill that’s gotten you where you are now?
A centered family life – everything for me comes from there. You sometimes have to make difficult choices. I always tell women you can have it all, you just can’t have it all at the same time. You will have to make choices but always remember that you can come back to it.
Define what you want and then have a plan that makes it happen. Your days will never be flawless; just keep your priorities straight and focus on what’s important.

Advice you’d give to young women in business?
Two things I want them to keep in mind:
1. You have to be a great listener and communicator to achieve success. If you don’t listen to your audience and get in tune with them – make a connection with them – then you will never be successful. Don’t rely on technology to make those connections - get out and meet people in person!

2. Do something today because tomorrow may not be here. Too many times I see young women who want to run for office but keep putting it off until the ‘time is right’. I want them to know there is no magic test for running for office. If you believe in it and go for it, then the opportunity presents itself.

Robyn has incredible energy and I found her very inspiring to speak to. She nearly got me running for public office! Read more about Robyn’s story here.

On a recent trip to LA, I had the pleasure of meeting Lindsey Horvath, who is a ball of fire. In her mid-twenties, she is already Vice President of Theatrical Print for bpg Advertising Agency in Los Angeles, where she develops creative marketing and advertising campaigns for theatrical film releases.

She also is heavily invested in her community, holding many leadership roles in various organizations. She is the President of the Hollywood Chapter of NOW, as well as the Vice President of Young Feminism for California NOW. She is the Vice President of Outreach for National Women’s Political Caucus – LA Westside. The City of West Hollywood’s City Council unanimously appointed her to the Women’s Advisory Board, which serves the needs and interests of the women of West Hollywood. She is on the Board for the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project, as well as the YWCA of Glendale. She is a Community Events Producer for the two-week Until the Violence Stops Los Angeles Festival, a project of the VDAY organization working to stop violence against women and girls. Lindsey also co-founded OBJECT, a women’s Conversation organization.

At the age of 25, you have accomplished a lot in a short time – what drives you?
I learned at an early age to go after what I wanted. I never let being female or other people’s limited thinking derail me from going after my goals. My passion is about making an impact and the work that I do in advertising and in the public arena is focused on creating education, support and network opportunities for women. It is about making an impact on the way women are portrayed and positioned in our society, about opening more opportunities for them.

What would you say is the most important skill for women to master to be successful?
Communication skills - it is not just what you say but how you say it. Your words and actions speak volumes. The people I admire the most lead a daily life of action. Be proud of who you are and speak with confidence. Communicate clearly what you want and expect from yourself and from others. Overcome your fears and go after what you want.

An extraordinary young woman, Lindsey is fiercely committed to making a lasting impact. To do this, she plans to run for elected office. Keep an eye on her – she will be a future president of the United States!

In my travels, coaching and speaking, I get the opportunity to meet with many successful women who are doing amazing things in business. So I have decided to add a new section to the blog: Women of Substance which will feature their stories.

And so I would like to introduce you to Lisa Watts who I recently met in California. She is the Operations Manager and Technical Adviser to the Vice President of the Digital Office Division at Intel Corporation. In addition to working at Intel for 14 years, she is also an entrepreneur and artist. She designs a line of artisan jewelry under the label L. Michele Designs and is an active partner is several Sacramento businesses, including Restaurant 55 Degrees and W Gallery & Studios. Plus she has two kids. This is one very busy, passionate lady! And she contributes to an interesting blog Damsels in Succes.

What made you go into IT? Before she went into IT, Lisa went to art school and did interior design. Then she tried accounting school and hated it, so she went into banking because she had a passion for business. She started playing around with software and thought it was interesting. She went to school in computing science and started her career at Intel in PC repair. Since then she has worked in many different areas of the company, gaining expertise. Her success is based on always stretching and taking on bigger and bigger responsibilities. Lisa believes in going after what you want; never worry about failing.

You work in a very male-dominated industry - what are the most common ways that women give away their power?

• They second-guess themselves.
• They don’t go for the high-profile assignments because they lack confidence.
• They focus on action, instead of results.

Words of wisdom for women on balancing family, work and life: Make sure you have a support structure in place - recognize that you don’t have to do everything yourself to be a good mother. Take advantage of technology - work remotely if you can. Chances are you will get more accomplished because of fewer distractions. Focus on what matters most to you; have a plan in place and only do the important stuff. Decide what you want and what’s important and go for it. Let the rest go!