Amy Bellows

I attribute my success to staying curious, taking initiative, and genuinely caring about helping others succeed. I focus on identifying gaps, solving problems creatively, and building strong, collaborative teams that deliver results for clients and organizations. Listening, analyzing, and implementing solutions—while staying persistent and positive—has been at the heart of my growth and professional achievements.

When I started out of college at one of my first jobs, my boss Barry with the American Dental Association, or the Nebraska Dental Association, really got me moving and made a huge impact in my life. He knew a lot of people and was always introducing me to people, and that's one of the things that kind of got me moving. Being involved with the Dental Association, I got a job here in Omaha and went to UNMC where I did a program that really allowed me to put myself out there by being given the confidence in using my own voice and asking questions. Barry really helped shape me into the woman I am today professionally by giving me that confidence and really identifying my potential. When I found something else I was interested in doing, he was like, go. Go to Omaha, go work at UNO, it's a great job, and you'll meet so many people. And you know what? It did. That was kind of the takeoff of understanding that you shouldn't feel bad about leaving a place and going somewhere else. I also have to highlight my sister, who has always been an incredible guide and mentor. She's kind of my mentor, but she's also the one who pushes me all the time. Right now, where I'm at going through what I'm going through, she redid my resume for me and rewrote my cover letter. She's like, you have all the right ideas, but let me go through and update it. She worked for a university and just recently retired, so she's pushing me because she knows what she has been seeing over the last few years. She is a powerpoint for me, that person who just always says, just send it to me, let me review what you have. She knows the right words to use right now for resumes and things like that. You know what? Take advantage of people that you know that know those kinds of things. Ask them if they'll help you if you've got an interview coming up. Ask them what people are asking now, how to pull keywords out of job descriptions. And you need somebody who knows you well enough that can say, you have this in you, go use it. Sometimes you need to hear that, especially when you are looking and getting turned down or getting turned away. You need that person that can uplift you and believe in your whole life. Every place I've worked, I've had somebody who pushed me, who egged me on, or gave me assignments that I was like, what? And you figure them out. I could give you a name every place I've gone, but Barry was somebody that I, you know, he was my first one out of college who kind of whipped me around.

It's all about curiosity. You need to stay curious and ask questions. If you don't know how something works, ask, and ask to be shown. I think that when you're young and you're new in the field or wherever you're going, not asking questions because you're timid and you're like, oh, what if it sounds stupid? Well, what if it does? You know, people are going to tell you, that probably isn't how you want to phrase that, but is this what you're looking at? People are going to ask you, and they're going to understand that you're new, and you can even open with that. Say, I'm new to this field, and don't be embarrassed about admitting it. Tell people that. This is what I want to know. Otherwise, how long do you want to go without knowing the answer to that? And the thing of it is, that's what I've learned about where I'm at right now. I have to ask the questions. I've got to get out there, I've got to find people that I know, and that's why I'm on LinkedIn, trying to find people I know to say, hey, I'm looking for a job. You've got to keep asking questions and stay curious.

Right now, one of the biggest challenges in my field is navigating downsizing and outsourcing, which can eliminate roles and require teams to adapt quickly. At the same time, moving between companies presents the opportunity to learn new processes, grow professionally, and strategically take a step back in order to move forward stronger.

I really do try to look on the sunny side. I could be sitting here moping and crying and doing things like that, but I can't. You're responsible for you. You need people to push you, to uphold you, or to back you up a little bit. You need somebody you could go to and have a glass of wine with just to get away. You need to take the breaks that you need and believe in you. You've got to. You have to know that you're valuable, that you can bring something to the table, and then you figure out how to present that or how to go from there. Every day, I get up and I'm still getting up at 6:30 in the morning, sometimes between 6 and 6:30. I get the dogs fed, my husband leaves before I get up, and you just keep your head up and your routine. It's so important just for your own sense of value. You need to find your crutch, somebody who knows you well enough that can say you have this in you, go use it. Sometimes you need to hear that, especially when you are looking and getting turned down or getting turned away. You need that person that can uplift you and believe in your whole life.