Haley Kolaczynski

I would attribute my success to having a very strong imagination when I was little, knowing that there is a whole world out there that is meant to be explored and meant to be seen. There's much more than just the four walls in the house and the town you grew up in. I always had a great big imagination of success and what that means for me. I think that's been a constant driver for me as an adult, to achieve all of those things that little me always dreamed of.

The best career advice I've ever received is don't wait until you think you're 100% ready to go for anything or do anything, because you may never be 100% ready, or you may be 200% ready, but your mind plays tricks on you sometimes. If you want something, you just have to go for it. Worst case scenario, it's a learning experience. But if you keep waiting until you're ready, you're probably going to be waiting a long time, and you could have missed out on a whole other world of opportunities in the meantime.

I would say just take it all in and learn. Never stop learning. Even if you think you have become a master at a certain topic or a certain subject, I can almost guarantee you there is someone else that is a bigger master and a bigger expert at that same topic. So I would say stay humble and never quit learning, and don't be afraid to take constructive criticism, because it's only going to make you better on the back end of things.

The biggest challenge is simply being a woman in the equipment industry. There are not a lot of us. There are very few. As of now, I'm actually one of only two women sales reps in my whole district, which is tough, especially when you're new. You kind of have to prove yourself a little bit more, because I'm also fairly young. I just turned 27 last month. A lot of these male reps have been around for a lot longer and have experience in the trades that we work with, like electricians and general construction. I don't have a background like that, so I have to prove myself more, not just because I'm one of the only women, but also because I'm fairly new to the industry. But strangely enough, the biggest opportunity for myself is also being a woman. Because there are so few of us, it really sets me apart and I stand out. When I do achieve certain things and overcome certain obstacles in the field and show off how much I've learned and how many skills I've developed over the last 3 years with the company, it's funny that being a female in the heavy equipment industry is probably the biggest obstacle and opportunity at the same time.

I would definitely say number one is honesty. With my customers every day, especially in the heavy equipment industry, things happen. We're dealing with machines that malfunction, delivery drivers could be stuck in traffic, it's not always good news. So I pride myself on being fully 100% transparent and just letting them know, hey listen, this is what we're dealing with, this is the case. I find that customers really appreciate that, and even if it is not the best of news, if you are putting yourself out there and laying it on the line and not trying to make excuses for anyone or anything, they tend to react to that a lot better than if you just try and lessen it, because it's a people's industry and they can tell when you're not being totally forthcoming. I pride myself on being very straightforward, very clear, and honest. In my personal life, I do that as well. Some people tell me I'm too honest, but I find that that is a better way to live your life than being too dishonest. The second value I would pick is being communicative. It kind of goes hand-in-hand with honesty. If you're dreading a phone call, it's much better to pick that phone call up and face it and say the situation and be clear, blunt, and straightforward, than it is just avoiding it.