Maureen Ames

I attribute my success to tenacity and grit, because especially as a woman, you get knocked down a lot, and you just have to pick yourself back up and keep going. I try to get up every day and know why I'm in this business - my why is that I love what I do, it's my passion, and I'm here to bring affordable medications to patients to increase access. I hold myself to the highest standard possible as far as integrity and work ethic, and I always look out for the patient, my company, and my colleagues. It takes a village to succeed. One of the huge attributes is surrounding yourself with positive, like-minded people that want to succeed in life and share that common goal of displaying kindness and generosity. I've had fantastic bosses and mentors - all men who have advocated for me and said my name when I'm not in the room - and that makes all the difference in the world.

I had a mentor who was just fantastic, and he told me to always strive for more, that I shouldn't limit myself by putting limits on myself. He said that if you love what you do, and you work hard, and you try and treat people the way you would want to be treated, you just elevate yourself. Basically, I should hold myself to the highest standard possible as far as integrity and work ethic, and always look out for the patient, my company, and my colleagues. It takes a village to succeed.

I would say that you can do anything that you decide to put your mind to, and that your network and the people that you choose to surround yourself with is one of the most important aspects to not only business, but life. I've had fantastic bosses and mentors - all of these men who have been bosses or mentors have all advocated for me and said my name when I'm not in the room, and that makes all the difference in the world. The key is surrounding yourself with positive, like-minded people that want to succeed in life and that share that common goal of displaying kindness and generosity. You have to know your why, and you have to keep going, because we have so many different aspects of life pulling at us from every direction, and it's not easy. But if you stay focused on making a difference, you can succeed.

The values most important to me are integrity, tenacity and grit, compassion and empathy. Especially as a woman, you get knocked down a lot, and you just have to pick yourself back up and keep going. I try to get up every day and know why I'm in this business - I'm in this business because patients need their medications at a price that they can afford. That's my why - to bring affordable medications to patients to increase access. I hold myself to the highest standard possible as far as integrity and work ethic, and I always look out for the patient, my company, and my colleagues. You have to have compassion and empathy. I also believe in surrounding yourself with positive, like-minded people that share that common goal of displaying kindness and generosity. And giving back is so important - you have to take care of you, but also give back.