Rebecca Phipps

I attribute my success to a combination of curiosity, hard work, resilience, and a willingness to embrace opportunities that stretch me beyond what I already know.

I was raised by parents who believed strongly in hard work, education, and becoming a lifelong learner. That foundation shaped how I approach both my career and my life. I have never been afraid to ask questions, learn something new, or take on a challenge before I feel completely ready.

My career has been anything but linear—and that has been one of my greatest advantages. I began as an English teacher and Speech & Drama coach, then pursued my master’s degree in a rigorous two-year program that I completed in 12 months while also teaching three sections of freshman composition at Iowa State University. I later joined AAA Nebraska as a corporate trainer and was given opportunities to grow into Director of Marketing and ultimately Vice President of Marketing. From there, I worked with two global companies from a remote office—first as Vice President of Sales for Travelex, managing a key AAA Nebraska account, and later leading the prepaid travel card operations for the United States and Canada when Mastercard acquired the division.

Looking back, I see a consistent pattern: I have been willing to step into unfamiliar territory, learn quickly, connect the dots, and figure things out.

That aligns closely with my CliftonStrengths: Strategic, Maximizer, Ideation, Self-Assurance, and Significance. I naturally look for possibilities, identify what could be better, generate new ideas, and envision paths forward. I also believe deeply in the potential of people and relationships—which has made connecting people, building trust, and creating opportunities for others an important part of my professional success.

Most importantly, I don't believe success is simply about reaching the next position or achieving the next goal. For me, it is about continuing to grow, using what I have learned to create value for others, and having the courage to say yes when an opportunity presents itself—even when I don't yet know exactly where it will lead.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is: Never stop learning—and never underestimate the power of relationships.

Early in my career, I learned just how powerful those two principles could be.

When I interviewed for a position at AAA Nebraska, I had absolutely no business background. Not one business course on my résumé. They were looking for someone to develop and implement a customer service and sales training program for 350 employees across 12 branch offices. The CEO took a chance on me because of my teaching background and because I won over the executive team during a three-minute sample training session.

I got the job—and then I learned.

Because my master's degree was in English with an emphasis in Business & Technical Communications, I had some experience with editing, writing, and proposal development. That led to opportunities in marketing. Suddenly, I was writing radio commercials, developing a television campaign, writing scripts, going on location for filming, sitting in the editing booth at the television station, writing magazine articles, managing a creative team, and helping drive the launch of AAA Nebraska's first website alongside the VP of IT.

I had never done most of those things before. But someone trusted me to figure them out.

So I did.

That experience taught me something I have carried throughout my career: You don't have to have done something before to be capable of doing it. You need curiosity, confidence, the willingness to ask questions, and the determination to learn.

That lesson followed me to Travelex, where I was hired into a global foreign-exchange business despite having very little international travel experience and knowing virtually nothing about currency exchange. I learned the business, learned the industry, and eventually took on increasingly significant responsibilities.

The other piece of advice that has guided me throughout my career is: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know—and even more importantly, it’s who knows you.”

I've learned that this isn't about networking for the sake of networking. It's about building genuine relationships, earning trust, and becoming known for the value you bring to others. Looking back, many of the doors that opened for me weren't opened because I had the perfect résumé. They opened because someone believed I could figure it out—and because I had built relationships and a reputation that gave them confidence to take that chance.

So my advice to anyone building a career is simple: Keep learning. Keep connecting. Keep raising your hand. You may be surprised by what you're capable of when someone gives you the opportunity to prove it.



My advice is simple: Don’t wait until you feel completely qualified to raise your hand.

Be curious. Ask questions. Learn everything you can. Say yes to opportunities that stretch you, even when you don't have every answer. Some of the most important turning points in my career came when someone gave me an opportunity to do something I had never done before—and I was willing to say, “I can figure this out.”

Build relationships across your organization and your industry. Find mentors, but also cultivate a network of peers who will grow alongside you. Be generous with what you know and genuinely interested in what others can teach you. Your relationships and your reputation will become some of your greatest career assets.

And don't underestimate the importance of knowing your own value. Develop your strengths. Speak up when you have an idea. Be willing to take a seat at the table—even when you're not sure you belong there yet. When you don't know something, don't pretend you do. Be confident enough to say, “I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out.”

But there is one lesson I wish I had understood earlier in my career: Protect your energy.

When we're young and eager to prove ourselves, it's easy to give everything we have to our careers. I learned the hard way that there is a difference between being committed to your work and losing yourself in it. Your career is important, but it is only one part of your life. No job is worth sacrificing your physical or mental well-being. You are responsible for setting the boundaries that protect your health, your relationships, your time, and ultimately the person you want to become. Work hard. Be ambitious. Say yes to the opportunities that stretch you—but don't confuse exhaustion with success.

I've built my career by learning as I went, taking chances, building relationships, and being willing to step into rooms where I didn't have all the answers. My hope is that young women will do the same—but with the wisdom to know that success isn't just about what you accomplish. It's also about who you become along the way.

You don't need to have your entire career mapped out. You need the courage to take the next step, the curiosity to keep learning, the confidence to believe you belong in the room, and the wisdom to protect the woman who is building that career.

I believe one of the biggest opportunities—and challenges—is finding the right balance between technology and human connection.

AI is transforming the way we work. It can help us analyze information, generate ideas, streamline processes, and accomplish more in less time. I embrace those possibilities. But as technology becomes increasingly integrated into our professional and personal lives, I believe the uniquely human skills of connection, communication, empathy, curiosity, and trust become even more important.

We are living in a time when we can be more connected technologically than ever before, yet many people feel increasingly disconnected personally. That creates a tremendous opportunity for leaders and organizations to rethink what belonging looks like and to intentionally create environments where people feel seen, valued, and connected.

The organizations that thrive will be the ones that use technology to enhance human potential—not replace human relationships.For me, that is the exciting opportunity ahead: How do we use the incredible tools available to us while remembering that people still want to do business with people, learn from people, be recognized by people, and feel that they belong?

Technology may change how we communicate, but it doesn't change our fundamental need for connection. In fact, I believe it makes that connection more important than ever.Technology can create efficiency. People create belonging.

At the heart of everything I do is connection. I believe people are at their best when they feel seen, valued, heard, and connected to something larger than themselves. Whether I'm leading a team, working with a client, speaking to an audience, or sitting across the table from a friend, I try to make the relationship matter.

Integrity is equally important to me. I want my word to mean something. I believe trust is earned through consistency, authenticity, and doing the right thing—even when no one is watching. My reputation is one of the most valuable things I have, and I work hard to protect it.

I also value curiosity and lifelong learning. I don't believe we ever arrive at a point where we have nothing left to learn. I want to remain curious, ask better questions, embrace new ideas, and continue growing—personally and professionally.

Courage matters, too. Not the absence of fear, but the willingness to step forward anyway. Much of my career has been built by saying yes to opportunities I had never experienced before and trusting that I could learn what I needed to know along the way.

And finally, I value balance and perspective. I learned that lesson through experience: achievement is important, but it isn't everything. Our careers are part of our lives, not the entirety of them. The people we love, the relationships we nurture, the communities we contribute to, and the memories we create are ultimately part of the legacy we leave.

If I had to distill my values into one guiding principle, it would be this: Be curious. Be courageous. Be trustworthy. Invest in people. And live in a way that makes the connections you create matter.