Natalie Galindo

I think some of the things that I'm most proud of are the people that I've brought with me and helped manage and work their way through the industry. It's not easy being a woman in this industry, so you have to have guidance, and I was fortunate enough to have awesome guidance from managers who knew that it was going to be hard for me and gave me the tools I needed to succeed. I feel like my greatest achievement is being stout at what I do. I come from a time before computers, when we had to go through paperwork, printing, going through books to get pricing, and so navigating the old way to the new way has been a huge challenge for somebody aging like myself. My ultimate goal is getting the pain point and fixing it, making sure that we get through it okay without too much interruption, and also training people to look for the things that have been missed with technology. You know, making sure that the things that are supposed to get done actually get done - things like rebates. At one company in particular, I was able to collect $86,000 of unclaimed rebates that they hadn't asked for. It's just like knowing on the back end what needs to be done because of the way things used to be and seeing those little pain points for companies.

Thick skin. You have to have a thick skin to work in industrial oil and gas, especially as a woman. But also know your worth and never accept somebody else's opinion of you on paper with your paycheck. Always make sure that knowing yourself and knowing what you're worth is also showing up on your paycheck. I spent a lot of time as a young woman just nodding and agreeing and saying, well, that must just be how it is. It's not. Not anymore, not in this world. There are HR companies for a reason, and they are there to protect you and to help you, so utilize them if you feel like you need them. But stand your ground, just be strong, and know - if you know, you know. And say it. Never just stay quiet. Make your point softly, because the majority of men, if pushed, will push back. They're going to assume you're wrong because you're a woman. I can't tell you how many times they've been like, I need to talk to a man. I'm like, you have me. You don't have to yell, you don't have to yell back, make your point. And if they choose not to listen, you gave them the rope to hang themselves with. So let them. Everything comes out in the wash. The old ways, the yelling, the throwing things, none of that is going to be accepted anymore. Knowledge - read, know the product that you're selling, know how to sell it, and do it your way. Always do it your way.

I struggle with hiring because the young generation right now is - I don't want to say lazy - I just think that they're used to things moving in a faster pace. Things, you know, they want to do it one and done, they want to get done with it and get over it. So take a minute, look, breathe. Double check yourself and just make sure that you're doing the best you can with every single thing that you do. Technology only knows what we know, so if we don't put the information in, it doesn't know that it's supposed to be looking for it. Navigating the old way to the new way has been a huge challenge for somebody aging like myself. You need all of it to put your niche in the sand, you need all of it to weigh you down so that you don't move, so that you're strong enough to withstand the force against you, and there always is. Even women by women - when you've got somebody much older who is very tied to the old ways or just had enough with the young silliness of the world, you lose ground with them because they don't respect you. So earning that respect and showing them, showing up every day and putting the work in - that's how you earn that respect. And you have to learn every step, not just the easy ones. And you have to go the long way sometimes.

I wanted to be independent. I didn't want to have to rely on somebody else to house or feed us, so I just went to where the money was. Knowing yourself and knowing what you're worth is important - always make sure that's showing up on your paycheck. Never just stay quiet - if you know, you know, and say it. Stand your ground, be strong. Showing up every day and putting the work in is how you earn respect. You have to learn every step, not just the easy ones, and you have to go the long way sometimes. Make sure that you're doing the best you can with every single thing that you do. My ultimate goal is getting the pain point and fixing it, making sure that we get through it okay without too much interruption. You need all of it to weigh you down so that you don't move, so that you're strong enough to withstand the force against you.