At IDX Broker, an Elm Street company, we celebrate the diverse and robust accomplishments of our female employees on International Women’s Day and throughout International Women’s Month.
Composing approximately 30% of our workforce, women hold positions of leadership and responsibility across the IDX Broker marketing, accounting, engineering, MLS, and support teams.
Representing a wide range of ages, experience, backgrounds, and life experiences, International Women’s Month has presented us with a platform to learn more about each other and reflect upon the journey we took to where we are today.
For many of us, this path was greatly influenced by our family members and the sacrifices made to support and encourage the first steps into our professional, working, careers.
Our Marketing Coordinator credits her parents for her own incredible work ethic. “I’m the daughter of an incredibly hard-working immigrant: my wonderful dad. My mom is an absolute rockstar and is easily the smartest person in any room. Together, they’ve raised my beautiful sister and I to feel confident and empowered despite living in a world that thrives off of gender inequality. Because of this, I have a great sense of pride in identifying as a woman.”
Our Operational Readiness Manager says she grew up surrounded by tech. “I became more immersed in the field of tech with my upbringing. My dad started his own tech business when I was fourteen and I worked there as a Network Analyst for about two years. I then worked in banking where I was an Operations Officer there for many years, worked as a paralegal, then a transaction manager for real estate for the top broker in Eugene, got my license and started selling on my own (still do every now and then). I moved to IDX Broker shortly after.”
Many times, history repeats itself and we appreciate the path that has been paved before us and how society has evolved as a result. Our MLS Accounts Coordinator shares a bit of her personal perspective, “I originally went to school to be a Court Reporter and then transitioned to get my degree in Information Technology with a focus on Computer Networking Systems. Many times in my classes I was the only female in my class, which I later on learned was also how it was when my mom was in school getting her degree in Engineering and she told me that when she started out in drafting she was also one of the only women in her department. My dad and grandfather would take care of my sister and I alot after school growing up while she was pursuing her degree. It is cool now to think back and see that the men in my family were making the sacrifices so my mom could succeed.”
Sometimes the friends we make along the way step in and fill the gaps in places we never expected. After receiving a degree in mathematics, our Support Manager found her calling after spending time with a friend she met while living in Virginia. “While living with her, I picked up my first real Tech Support job. That position allowed me to apply and develop the technical skills and knowledge I had been building up throughout my life. I eventually ended up back in Oregon to reunite with my family and friends–and finally, ended up here at IDX Broker where I’m really enjoying the opportunity to solve problems for our clients but also for my team, building useful and interesting tools and scripts and be the mentor I never had growing up, passing along advice and information to anyone interested.”
In many cases, skills developed in one career have provided a natural transition into our roles at IDX Broker. One of our MLS Coordinators explains, “My ability to listen, understand the issue at hand and creatively problem solve in the medical field helped me land a position on the MLS Team with IDX Broker. My compassion and communication skills have made it possible for me to thrive and become a ‘go-to’ for the MLS Team. Speaking Spanish has also made me the ‘go-to’ person for the company for any Spanish speakers!”
Our Director of Technical Operations credits her time as a subject matter expert on a phone system at a crisis center hotline as on-the-ground training for her current position. “In that position, I ended up taking on more and more systems administration responsibilities, which really just fostered my love of tech. This new found interest brought me to Tech Support at IDX, where I found the sweet spot of problem solving technical issues and using my psychology skills while interacting with customers.”
Our MLS Manager, describes working with the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) program at AmeriCorps as the Economic Development Coordinator as an amazing experience that helped prepare her for her current position more than any other previous position. She adds, “I attribute most of my success with the company to being at the “right place, right time,” but also to my innate curiosity and desire to continue learning and growing. I love the variety my role brings, and that I learn something new almost daily. There are always new projects and new challenges to tackle!”
In technical careers, our technical expertise develops in a stepping stone approach. This is case-in-point for our Assistant Controller. “After college, I managed a college town pizza restaurant, which gave me knowledge of reconciling, ordering, cash handling, etc. That moved into a job in Eugene working with medical office cash applications. Each job I had thereafter increased my bookkeeping skills and I landed as a part-time bookkeeper for IDX Broker, where I took on many office and financial tasks. It grew from there. I now know what API, SaaS, and ARPU mean, to name just a few of this industry’s acronyms.”
No matter the day, the month, the woman, or the position they hold, we pause and reflect on this opportunity to learn more about each other at IDX.
