[Editor’s note: This is an edited version of a speech given at PBN’s 11th Business Women Awards luncheon on May 24. The author received the career-achievement award.]
Let me begin by congratulating all of today’s honorees on your outstanding achievements. I would also like to congratulate past honorees on your success. And I would also like to congratulate future honorees, yes, the many future honorees who are with us today. Collectively, we can change the world.
I began my draft the usual way that you would expect, about the bank’s success, and then my colleague Wendy Kagan suggested that I tell my story instead. Life is a story, and our stories of real life can provide guidance and inspiration. I hope my story of my early career can do so.
I grew up in a blue-collar family. My parents completed 8th grade, so their goal was to have their kids graduate from high school. College was not a goal or option that was dismissed, it simply wasn’t talked about. So, I completed high school without any college-prep classes, I never even took an algebra class.
In my first job after graduating, I quickly realized that without a college degree, life was going to be more challenging than I anticipated. I was in a training program with a new college graduate and I discovered she was making $100 a week more than I because she had a college degree. I quit, and then panicked.
When I showed up at the door of my high school guidance counselor, he suggested I apply as a nonmatriculating student at what is now the Community College of Rhode Island. I didn’t even have the qualifications for CCRI and would need to prove myself, so I took my remedial classes at the same time as my regular classes, and completed my degree in two years, all while working part time at a credit union.
College was not a goal or option that was dismissed, it simply wasn’t talked about.
I didn’t know a lot in those days, nor did I know who to ask about things such as student loans, so I never had one. My parents made a deal with me; I could live at home rent-free while I was paying for my education. That was a good deal. The evening classes at Providence College that followed CCRI were a lot more expensive. So now the story had flipped, I was working full time and going to school part time. Easy enough. Except you know that life isn’t that simple. During this time my mom lost her battle with cancer, my dad later decided to remarry, and to sell the house where I was living. I opted to buy the house, so now I had work, school, a mortgage and oh yeah, trying to balance a social life.
When I completed by degree I was fortunate to be hired by what was then The Savings Bank of Newport as a consumer loan officer. Right from the start I would raise my hand and say, “I can do that,” which was usually followed by, “You don’t have any experience in that (you fill in the blanks).” I always responded, “But I can learn.” And I did. I found myself knee-deep in conversations about every area of the bank. I discovered I was pretty passionate about all of the nerdy stuff of banking and truly enjoyed meeting customer needs. And that hasn’t changed all these years later.
Today, there is a lot of focus on formal mentoring programs. I have been fortunate to have had many mentors throughout my career, none of which I recognized as a mentor at the time. I’ll share three of my examples because you may recognize that you also do have a mentor.
I often say I’m in my current role because of Jack Ellis. While he was the bank’s CEO, I never considered him my mentor. I considered him the hardest boss in the world. Jack challenged me by moving me from department to department. I’d leave the office on a Friday to assume management of a new department on a Monday, departments that I knew nothing about.
So, I never got settled in and was always in a position to learn. During this time, Jack wasn’t someone that I met with for daily or weekly advice but he was someone I talked to when I messed up, and in some roles that meant I was talking to him a lot. Only after he named me chief operating officer did I realize that by him getting on my case meant that he was confident that I had the ability to succeed.
When Jack retired, I interviewed for the CEO role. I did not get it. When I would meet Jack for an occasional coffee, I never complained about not getting the role but I would talk to him about what I was working on. When I told Jack the position was opening again, he responded with just two words, “You’re ready.” Thank you, Jack.
My second example was after I became CEO. You see, every time you move into a new role, regardless of what it is, your experiences have helped you prepare but you do face situations you never experienced before. Just a few weeks in, I had a crisis. I had to discuss this with my chairman of the board, who at that point, I never had really worked with.
So, on a Friday night, my very first call to my chair, Tim O’Reilly, was made to him on his first day of vacation. While I could hear a party going on in the background, I laid out the circumstances and he asked me what I wanted him to do. I asked him if he would listen to my thought process over the next few days, which he agreed to do. This was an “aha” moment, one that I wished I recognized earlier. Why hadn’t I asked other people to, literally, lend me their ear? Very early in my career I recognized that it was my responsibility to identify solutions but I could have made my life easier, and easier for the people I inflicted with some weak reasoning, if I had only asked a trusted individual a simple question, “Can I bounce an idea off you?” I want to remind all of you, you don’t have to do anything alone, just ask someone if you can talk to them. Very often, just by formulating your question, you may find the solution and see the opportunity.
My third example is my most important mentor, my husband, Ken. It is Ken who encourages me, pushes me when I’m worn out and accepts me when I have left my diplomacy skills at the office.
Success in any career isn’t without a great deal of sacrifice. We know it takes a lot of hours of evening prep, attending events representing the organization and probably being involved on a few more boards than optimal. I’m afraid I still haven’t learned life balance, so I haven’t seen my grandkids on the stage or on sports fields enough. When I’m down on myself for what I can’t squeeze in, Ken reminds me that I’m a strong role model, especially for my granddaughters.
So, this is my story. I had many more hurdles but we all deal with hurdles. It’s called life. But life isn’t about the hurdles you had in your past, it is about what you do with your today. When I was named CEO, a lot of people told me I was lucky. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. And I was lucky to be supported by a fabulous team of high-performing people who are with me today. But I was also prepared. I took every opportunity available to me. I never stopped working hard and never stopped looking forward. And I still haven’t.
The world presents us with new challenges every day requiring us to continue to learn, to re-create ourselves. So be ready for it. Work hard. Remember that even if you lead a team, you are always a part of a team. Be curious. Observe what is going on around you and learn from it. Be respectful to yourself and to others. Put fear behind you and step forward. And never forget that it is OK to have chocolate along the way.
Sandra J. Pattie is president and CEO of BankNewport.
