Hillary Hancock

I would say stick with it. There's a lot of different avenues that can be pursued within HR, whether it's employee relations, performance management, benefits, or leave of absence, and it's not necessarily a one-size-fits-all. You kind of have to figure out what your niche is, or what is something that you really like and enjoy. Way back in the beginning, I worked for a TPA, and I didn't know that TPA would turn into me working on the corporate side, so there are many different areas where you can really fall into, whether it's for the employer itself, the TPA, or the actual insurance company who's working with the employer. You just have to really explore the different avenues before you can really settle in. There's a lot to know between a TPA, the employer, and the insurance company of how to navigate all of this. My piece of advice would just be to really stick with it, kind of put your head down, listen to those who are your mentors and who have done this before, and really follow suit and figure out what's best for you. Sometimes it's not the right thing, but it's not the end of the world. Don't give up. We hear those things all the time, where Oprah didn't start a talk show until she was in her 30s, and Apple wasn't successful until Steve Jobs was a certain age. Just stick with it. You really have to have the desire and determination to continue forward.

I have a really invested interest in doing the right thing, personally and professionally. From a professional perspective, the law is a really big thing for me. Originally wanting to be a lawyer and having that legal mindset is very helpful in making sure that we're not putting the company at risk or putting our employees at risk, and not turning anybody into a liability. I bring a unique skill set in accommodations from a disability perspective, which I learned from a really well-rounded attorney who was my mentor, and that helps make sure we're doing a really good job and we're not going to be sued or something like that. From a personal perspective, I'm a mom at the same time with four kids, so there's the juggling act of working full-time and being a mom. My kids know that this is work I really love and enjoy, and it's important to me too, and they're just equally as important. I just have to split my time, unfortunately.