Her Story
About Cortney
Cortney Tyson serves as an Employee Benefits Consultant at USI, a national firm operating in all 50 states, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She joined USI in 2022 after four years in the software industry, including roles in payroll and HRIS software at PayCore and Paylocity. Tyson began her career after leaving college in 2007, starting with retail sales at Lord and Taylor before moving into copier sales at Canon and then into payroll and benefits-related software. She was promoted at USI two years ago after succeeding in the select market segment. Tyson holds life and health, disability, and long-term care licenses and is pursuing her GBA certification. She is a member of SHRM and has been recognized with President's Clubs honors and the Circle of Excellence Award. Outside her professional work, Tyson chairs the Coffee House ministry at her church, organizing monthly dinners for adults with disabilities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cortney
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a no-quit attitude and perseverance. I keep my head up even when luck is down. I believe there isn't really a closed door ever - there's another one opening somewhere else.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received was always be yourself and do the right thing, and good things will happen. It's easy to try to make a quick buck or do things in a shady way, but if you go into things with the intent of truly helping people, you get more referrals because people remember you.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When you first enter this industry it's really hard and competitive and you feel like you're not gonna make it or you wanna quit. That's when it's most important to keep going and keep pushing. If it's hard and strenuous that means you're learning and it'll all come together. Lose with grace and remember there's always learning.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is that healthcare costs are extremely high and renewals have been very high. The positive is that I've found some really creative solutions for people around disease management and targeting certain ways to help companies pay for certain drugs.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My family is number one. Being a servant in everything that you do. If you do things with the right intention and you're always doing the right things for people, those blessings come back to you tenfold.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.