Kimberley Varano

I attribute my success to my mom. She instilled in us growing up to be strong, hard-working, capable women, and I truly believe that if it wasn't for how much she taught us, I wouldn't have grown up to have the work ethic and the drive that I have today. My mom didn't just tell us to work hard, she showed us what it meant to be independent and resilient. She taught us not to be a kept woman, to always have our own money, and to make sure there's always an out. She also made it clear that if we had something to say, we needed to make sure our voice was heard and not sit in the shadow. The older I got and the more women I met, the more I realized how vastly different my upbringing was and how much of an advantage those lessons gave me. My mother's guidance gave me the foundation of strength, independence, and confidence that has carried me through every challenge in my career.

The best career advice I ever received came when I took on a side project for someone who used to work with me. After I helped that person out, he told me, 'You know what, you should go into business for yourself.' That simple piece of advice changed the trajectory of my entire career. It gave me the confidence to step out on my own and build something that was truly mine. Opening my own business allowed me to help multiple companies grow and reduce their expenses on my own terms, and it taught me what I was truly capable of achieving. That advice to believe in myself enough to work for myself was transformative, and it's something I'm grateful for every day.

I think that the best advice that I can give to young women entering this industry is don't back down. Truly, don't back down. We are at an odd time now where there are a lot of people, especially if you're young and a woman, who are going to tell you that you don't have the experience and the know-how, and that they know better than you. But if you know your stuff, don't back down. Stand your ground and trust in what you know. We have made such amazing progress in getting in the door, but more work does need to be done. It depends greatly on what area you're in and even what company you're at, because some are embracing women in leadership really well, and others are not. What I tell my nieces and nephews is that the 90-day period when you go to a new company is not just for them to evaluate you, it's for you to evaluate them too. You're figuring them out and deciding if you want to stay. It's not just them figuring you out. And it looks a lot cleaner on your resume if you leave within 90 days rather than staying for 6 months and then leaving. So get out in the 90 days if it's not the right fit.

I think the biggest challenge is also the biggest opportunity, and that's all these changes with AI. The uncertainty and the transition of all of that is a real challenge because it's so uncertain and because all these models have not been tested and perfected yet. We're in a period where AI can make mistakes, and people are taking what it spits out as a guarantee, assuming that everything it says must be right. But I also think that this uncertainty is going to be the most rewarding thing in the long term. That's where the opportunity is, to get into the ground floor and use AI and build it out correctly to help businesses to the full extent that they can be helped. It is 100 percent a double-edged sword. Where AI is right now, and where I hope it stays, is more of a tool that helps you get it done faster and better. It is not supposed to take things over. I always say a partner, not a leader. At the end of the day, I can build out all these fancy formulas in Excel by myself, but all it takes is one person to go in and touch it, and if they've messed up that formula, nothing is working correctly. I still have to go back in, find that mistake, and fix it. AI is not going to do all of that. It's supposed to help us, it's not supposed to take over.

Honesty and transparency are the values that are most important to me in both my work and personal life. These two principles guide everything I do and every decision I make. Honesty ensures that my words and actions are always aligned with the truth, which builds trust and credibility over time. Transparency takes it a step further by being open about the why behind decisions and proactively sharing information. When you combine honesty and transparency, you create an environment where people feel secure, valued, and empowered to do their best work because they know the information they're receiving is both accurate and complete. These values prevent misunderstandings and eliminate the friction that comes from ambiguity or hidden agendas, and they're the foundation of any trustworthy and effective professional relationship.