Rebecca Falk MBA

I give a lot of kudos and credit to the powerful women in my life. First, my grandmother, who was forced to leave school in the 8th grade because she was needed at home. Although she only had an 8th grade education, she was the most genuine, most influential person in my life. Her and I were best friends up until she passed. Second, my mom broke a lot of barriers. She passed away in 2006, but she was the first female Senior Executive Vice President for Wheaton Van Lines out of Indianapolis. That was a huge event back in the 80s when women were not seen as corporate execs. It cost her though - she traveled a lot, was only home two weekends out of the year, so my grandma came to live with us when I was in elementary school, which is probably why my grandma and I got so close. I look up to her and her professional career, and the things and the barriers she had to pave the way for other females. That's very inspiring to me. Third, I had a really good leader in my early professional career that I still think about and model after today. She really showed me that women can be in a place where we have a lot of good stuff to offer, and women can do that maybe in places where it's not always welcomed. Those are probably the three things that have shaped who I am today and model paying it forward.

When you're thinking about stepping outside your comfort zone, you need to step so far outside your comfort zone that you can't find your way back. That's when real change happens, that's when growth happens. It's a constant reminder that I can do and be whatever it is I want to do, or whatever it is I want to be, and that there's not a limitation. I continue to do that over and over.

I believe every experience—good or challenging—is a chance to learn and grow. Even when things don’t unfold the way we hoped, there are always moments worth examining. Those lessons might be positive or they might be constructive, but both are valuable.

I also think there’s tremendous power in pushing yourself far outside your comfort zone. When you stretch yourself to the point where the way back isn’t obvious, that’s where real transformation happens. It’s intimidating, absolutely, but the fear is nothing compared to the opportunities that come from taking the leap.

In the financial services industry, we’re not typically the first to embrace new technology or modern experiences. Our biggest opportunity lies in improving efficiency while elevating the overall agent and customer experience. The reality is, we’re a bit behind.

We can talk about implementing AI, RPAs, and other advanced tools, but if we’re layering those innovations onto an already clunky or outdated platform, we won’t see the meaningful improvements we’re aiming for. The foundation matters.

Our real opportunity is to look through both lenses—experience and efficiency—and identify the solutions that strengthen both. That’s where the true win‑wins are.

Integrity is the value I hold above all others. It’s the foundation of my credibility, and it shapes how I show up in every environment. When integrity is missing—whether in people or in decisions—it stands out to me immediately. Credibility can’t exist without it.

At the end of the day, I’d rather uphold my integrity than compromise who I am just to conform. That’s what allows me to build trust and maintain credibility in any environment.