Gina Hansen

I attribute my success to recognizing the growth and maturity in myself - my personal growth. I came from a very good home growing up where my parents did foster care, and that gave me the patience and grace that I have today, because that was a lot to deal with. To actually see all that I went through during those times and how it affected my adulthood, and that I'm still able to give back at the same time - that's huge for me. Children are always priority. They're never overseen, they're never unheard. When people are in my presence, they know how strongly I feel about that. Just to recognize the importance of our children these days - that's the biggest accomplishment for me, is me, making sure that no child has been left unseen or unheard at this point.

The most important values to me are empowerment, unity, and finding the good even in difficult moments. Everybody's so quick to beat everybody down, but I believe in empowering people. I always want to put myself in someone else's shoes. Your work field is your home away from home - you put just as much time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears into it as you do your own home. When you grow at home, you grow as a unity, as a family, but that's what you do with your work too. When you're going through struggles and hard times, or just a bad moment, you still have to find the good in it. Even if it's just something as simple as a smile or an acknowledgement, just to make everybody know that you're in this together and you're not alone. Communication and body language become so much more important than the actual verbal. Being genuine and letting things flow naturally rather than overthinking is key. And most importantly, children are always priority - they're never overseen, they're never unheard. I also believe strongly that women need to know we are empowered, we do have power in this world, and we have to realize our own self-worth and be able to acknowledge who we are, because it doesn't matter who you are - you are somebody.