Erica: Hey, girl. By now, you know I have Her Collective, my online community for ambitious women who are done doing it alone. Her Collective is for the women who are smart, capable, and driven, but they find themselves stuck on the sticky floors like self doubt, burnout, and waiting for permission that quite honestly never comes. Inside HER, you get more than motivation. You get real support, real strategies, and real momentum.

Erica: We work on things like clarifying what you want now and what's coming next, building confidence without burning yourself out, navigating hard conversations, career moves, and leadership moments with clarity, and surrounding yourself with women who actually get it. This isn't about hustling harder. It's about moving intentionally with the right tools and the right people in your corner. If you're ready to stop spinning, start choosing yourself, and build a career in life that actually feels aligned, I'd love to welcome you inside her collective. You can learn more and join us at www.joinhercollective.com.

Erica: Because honestly, girl, you were never meant to do this alone.

Erica: I'm your host, Erica Rooney. And today I have with us Nannette Ranger Duncanson. Now Nannette is joining us from Portland, Maine, where she lives with her husband and her two sea lion friends.

Erica: And she has been in the financial services industry for over twenty five years. But she's gonna share with us today how that happened by accident. So I'm super excited to hear the story, but her career successes have been driven by a passion for developing talent, inspiring others, and embracing change. She recently started a new career leading the colleague engagement and education program for environmental, social, and governance at TD Bank. And now I'm excited to welcome her, but I'm also very excited because this is the first woman that we have had on the podcast from the financial services industry.

Erica: So, Nannette, thanks for joining us.

Nannette: Oh, thank you so much, Eric. It was a very kind introduction. Yeah. My pleasure.

Erica: And the first woman from financial services. So I am excited because I love the fact that we can have a different industry, different perspectives, different stories, because I want this to be open for everybody. So, yeah, thanks for joining me.

Nannette: A lot of firsts, then it is my first podcast, Erica. Yay. Yeah. Good. So I'm stepping out of my comfort zone today.

Erica: Oh, that's awesome. Well, it'll be super cool. And we will just start with, I'd love to hear a little bit more about you and kinda tell me how did you get into this all by accident? Twenty five years. Let's hear it.

Nannette: It. It is. I so I grew up in a small town in Maine. So literally, I think there was 2,000 people in the town that I grew up in, Farmington, Maine. My long heritage in that part of the state, with my dad and my mom, they were teachers.

Nannette: So my parents were both in education and my mom was a first grade teacher. My dad was a history teacher in seventh and eighth grade. I was the baby of three girls. Had a great upbringing in a small town. I, from a career perspective, I just, I always imagined that I was going to become a teacher.

Nannette: Like I just, I remember going into my mom's classroom and pretending I was teaching with her and I would help her with her, her arch projects, like all the way growing up. And I just, I just imagined that was going to be my path. So that when I went into college, I moved two hours south to the big city of Portland, Maine. As you can see, I went really far. I fell in love with Portland and never moved away after going to university.

Erica: And I studied English.

Nannette: I will tell you my, my funny story is this is that I remember in third grade was when I stopped paying attention to math. So people laugh at me because I'd had such success in the financial industry, but yet math is not my strong suit. I remember I was joking recently. I was in my hometown and I was talking to my third grade teacher. And I told her, I said, you know, I remember when you started doing multiplication and we had the cards.

Nannette: I was just so intimidated by that. And looking back at that, you know, from my own education perspective, that was a point in time where I will just call out, like, it's really unfortunate that women, oftentimes we, you know, we are not going down the path of math and science, but I'd love to see where things are going in the newer, like the more recent generations that we're really supporting our young women to go into STEM. And we're actually, I think, looking at the data to make sure that we are encouraging the young women across our country to study within those areas where historically we were, not as successful. I'll just leave it at that. So I am from, I am a that generation.

Nannette: I'm turning 50 in a couple of weeks where I think math scared me. You know, it was just one of those things, for whatever reason, I was more, always more comfortable with the creative piece of my, my education, history.

Erica: Maybe it had

Nannette: to do with the fact that my father was a story history teacher. But I remember again, this third grade, you know, math was a, it was a challenge for me. And that sort of followed me all the way through junior high and high school that I continued to struggle with algebra, right. And geometry, and just barely was able to get through those classes to the extent that when it came time for me to try to figure out where I wanted to go to school and what I wanted to study, My parents had to sit down with the,

Erica: you know, the, the guidance counselor

Nannette: and talk about what were the opportunities for me because I had, I was not going to meet the minimum requirements to be able to go and apply for a business, you know, into a business degree. So I went towards an English degree at the university of Southern Maine. Again, just thinking I was going to become an elementary teacher. Fast forward into my senior year of high school. Again, I shared I was the baby of three girls.

Nannette: So my mom and dad were amazingly supportive and they had helped me a lot financially with school. And so it was that last year and they were actually planning their retirement. Right. So they had both taught for thirty five years playing their retirement around me finishing college, but that was the baby. I was the last one out.

Nannette: And I, I decided, you know, watching, watching them at the end of their retirement years, being in the public school sector, I would, I was concerned with my own ability, knowing myself to be able to handle, I think a lot of the bureau bureaucratic stuff, I would say, and the politics that they were handling, you know, well into their careers, the way that my parents had been able to address. I think I will say various situations over the years without having to involve, you know, social services or the, you know, department of human services. We won't get into the details there, but not having to deal with a lot of the bureaucracy there. I knew that I would, I would, you know, I would just take that one situation where I saw a child being abused and me having to deal with red tape. I knew that my, my personality was so that I probably would get fired.

Nannette: And I would not be making any fans probably with some parents. So I just, I decided to go into a different route. My funny story is that I was, you know, I was in Portland, Maine at the time I was finishing up my schooling. I was graduating in the spring. It was January 1994.

Nannette: I remember snow was falling. It was the coldest day of the year so far. And the local radio station was on the radio and I was getting ready for school and they, they threw out a day that if somebody would come into, the, the radio station, they'd put them on the air. So I lived across the street from them. I went, I went to the back door and I, I knocked on the back door and, you know, I had spent some time growing up.

Nannette: I'd shared in the arts. So I loved theater and music and I was, you know, I played the, played the flute and I was in the marching band and I loved to stage. So I went to the back door, knocked, knocked on the radio station back door and they brought me in and I ended up on the radio that morning, sort of co hosting and they, you know, I, I had such a great time and they sort of fell in love with me and I fell in love with the environment and they hired me to be their credit. So this was my funny story. I now mind you, I was graduating with a degree in English.

Nannette: I shared with you that I stopped really, you know, paying attention much to math in third grade, but yet I became a credit manager. I was in charge of accounts, payables and receivables. But what I found was that was simple math. It wasn't difficult. I was at first I was a bit intimidated, but it was all about working with customers and, you know, supporting that work.

Nannette: And that was really, I would say over the course of the twenty five years, I was successful in the financial industry because I put the customers first. I had listened. I was, I was actually a mortgage broker. That was my next step. I was in sales in the radio business.

Nannette: So they moved me from a credit manager to, into sale and I'd sold radio air. So that's quite an up commodity. Air. So you're selling air. I learned, I learned the sales side and worked with customers.

Nannette: And one of my customers was a bank. And it was the president of a small local bank that had just opened. And he said, Hey, you know what, Nannette? You would make a great mortgage broker. Now mind you, this was back in '96.

Nannette: So it was a hot real estate market then. He said, you'd be a great mortgage broker. Why don't you come and work with us? I'll train you. And that was, that's how it all happened.

Nannette: It was all by accident. A, you know, I heard a radio, you know, an announcement in the morning, one day daring somebody to come to a radio station. I went, I ended up in sales there. My customer was a bank and they asked, they said, oh, you'd be a great loan officer. Come work with me.

Nannette: And that was, I was a loan officer for twelve years and I loved it. That was totally question about

Erica: you. Because Yeah. I am like you. I'm like math out the door. And, actually, it's hysterical.

Erica: I think it was about that third grade time

Nannette: Yeah.

Erica: Math became hard for me at school. Like, it took more brainpower to do it. And so I just normally

Nannette: a kid who always did all their co work started getting hard, I just stopped doing it.

Erica: I was like, nope. That's it. I'm done. I'm done with math. And my mom and my teacher had to meet, and they had to get me on Daisy progress reports because they were like, nah, this is not happening.

Erica: But I imagine in my brain, if someone came to me and they're like, Erica, we're gonna hire you to be a credit manager, that I would be out that door so fast. So how did you, like, when you heard this, like what made you be like, yeah, I'm gonna be a credit manager.

Nannette: I just wanted to go back to the radio station environment so badly. I'm just, honestly, it was, it was fun with a capital s. I was they allowed me to, like, plan the backstage party Yeah. For, like, Garth Brooks, like, back in the day. And this was like Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks and Riva McEntire.

Nannette: So I'm dating myself here, but I planned along being the credit manager. They also allowed me to do these cool event planning and I did little voiceovers for the radio advertising. So it was a really, it was a small, a small radio station. So I got to do a lot of different things. Yeah.

Erica: Well, I mean, honestly, that's a wild story. I love it. And so thanks for sharing it because that's just, it's hysterical to me that like you walk across the street in a snowstorm and then your future is there, you know? Yeah.

Nannette: I know. You just never know. I think that, and that's where I like to underline for people when I'm doing, when I'm mentoring them. I said, no, you just, sometimes it just be fearful. Yeah.

Nannette: Right. And we talk about confidence. Sometimes you just have, you just have to put yourself out there. If I had just stayed in my, you know, my dorm room and not gone out the door that snowy January day, when something like that, my gut instinct was telling me to go put my boots on and walk across the two feet of snow across the sky. Sometimes you just gotta follow that, that intuition and that gut and just know that, you know, you may not know where it's going to take you, but you know, it's gonna be a journey.

Erica: Yeah. No, I love that. So, you know, with all of that in the story and kind of I love how you told it, but, you know, we've talked about sticky floors. So throughout your journey and even in the financial services industry, which is also a very heavily male dominated industry, What was your sticky floor?

Nannette: Yeah. I actually when you and I first met, we talked about this a little bit, and it's it got me thinking. And it was more of my sticky floor of where I looked back and I think that I didn't give myself the most support that where I didn't it didn't just I didn't take my own advice right here. Right? Mhmm.

Nannette: Yeah. You know, I lacked the confidence to really put myself out there. So it was in a role about a year ago that I, I knew that I qualified for, you know, and I, I knew that if I was to look at the job description, I had, you know, well over 50%, I would say of what they were looking for, maybe 60%, but that was going to give me that opportunity to grow. And I was hoping that they were not looking for somebody as I don't, when I'm hiring somebody, I'm not looking for somebody that has a 100% of what they're looking for because that person, you know, become stagnant and where are they gonna go? I'm not gonna be able to develop them.

Nannette: But it was I it was a very male dominated sector of the organization. But one that I had a tremendous amount of experience in, it was in the mortgage lending. And the mortgage lending component of my background was going to be a huge, a huge selling point the moment that I walked in. However, the person that was interviewing me was extremely a strategic analytical mind, somebody that I have known for as long as I've been at the bank. And I have a tremendous amount of respect.

Nannette: However, I know that for myself, my, my modus operatus, I would say the way I like to get things done is not, I'm not a fact finder. If you've ever heard of the Kolbe Index, you know, this person that was my interviewer is somebody that is, I knew walking in is going to be looking for somebody, or I made an assumption that he was going to be looking for somebody that was highly analytical and strategic the way he was, was loved the data, right? Where I am, you know, I've actually grown my career based upon my ability to not oftentimes get lost in the minutiae. I don't get lost in analysis paralysis. I need enough information to make a good solid decision, but I also can see the big picture very creatively.

Nannette: And I'm not afraid of all the steps it will take to get from point a to point b. But I, you know, my sticky floor, quite honestly, Erica was walking into that interview with assumptions, assumptions on what they were looking for and thinking that I wasn't enough. Right. And this is, you know, that, that was totally on me. And I bombed that interview.

Nannette: I know that I did. And I think one, I, I did the moment I walked in, like I, I had already I'd already failed myself and I'd already made the decision for the person that was interviewing me. And I honestly remember in the interviewing interview process and answering questions, admitting that I didn't have what they were looking for. Right. And I'm thinking that I'm like, oh my gosh, what's it?

Nannette: I pretty much were selling them out of it. I was asked to come to a second round of interviews and I actually backed out. You know, and I'll, I'll share part of my fear there was that I was afraid that they were looking to check the box of a, a diverse talent because I was probably going to be the first woman in that part of the organization. And I'm just, I'm terribly disappointed in myself. Looking back at that experience, I think I'm happy.

Nannette: I'm happy with where things landed because it just so happens that wasn't my job. That wasn't my dream job. What I'm doing now is it's a much better fit. But looking back at that experience, shame on me for all of the coaching and the support that I give, you know, to young women and, and, you know, various people like in my organization inside and out. I just, I just failed myself.

Nannette: And it wasn't his fault. It wasn't on him. He didn't do anything wrong. It was totally on me.

Erica: For sure. And I think all of those experiences, you know, are learning moments. Number one. That's right. You know?

Erica: But I'm interested in you know, you had this feeling, right, and you were just convinced that it wasn't the role for you. Why did you go to the interview?

Nannette: I think part of me could imagine myself in that organization. And I knew deep in deep down, I knew that I was gonna be able to make a big impact. And I did I knew that, like, in my gut. However, I just I wasn't able to sell myself. I wasn't able to bring forward in a really meaningful way when he was asking questions what I could bring to the table.

Nannette: So I shared I probably had about 50% of what they were looking for. I'm more than had, you know, all of the transferable skills that would have been really successful in that role. And I know how to sell myself in that situation. I could have shared how I could bring his previous skills, you know, to the table and help him and the work that he was doing. I should have been able to connect those dots in a really meaningful way.

Nannette: And not just say to him what I've done in the past and the skills I've developed, but how I'm going to bring those forward very tactically to move his strategy forward. Right. I should have speak during the interview to really understand that more. So I would have been able to connect the dots for him on how, what I've done in the past would transfer, you know, and how I would bring him success. Yeah.

Nannette: I just failed. And well, and I, by execution.

Erica: Yeah. And I don't think that that's something that's uncommon. Right. Especially for women when they're interviewing. But I think what I'm finding really interesting about this is where you have noticed the initiation of the problem.

Erica: Right. Which was you said finding assumptions from the beginning. So if you're looking back, you were able to be like that. I bombed it before I even walked in the door because I had the assumptions. And that's why, like, it's,

Nannette: that's right.

Erica: It's so important to talk about these things because

Nannette: there could

Erica: be other women out there who are listening, who are like, okay, I need to flip the mind script that I have going on. Like, they've obviously seen my resume. They've obviously called me for an interview. So like I am here for a reason that has to do with my skills, my abilities, you know? No, I may not hit all a 100%, but like you said, there, you, they're rarely looking for someone who can hit a 100%, you know?

Nannette: That's right. That's right.

Erica: Well, I find that so interesting that you were able to tie it back to just the assumptions piece. Cause I don't know that many people would to that point, you know? And then I'm also interested in, you know, you said you got called back for a second interview. So obviously you did something right. What really like, when you got that call and you declined it, what was your thought process know to an interview.

Nannette: Like I always drive it all

Erica: the way to the end and in my brain, I'm like, okay, if I get it, then I can evaluate if I don't want.

Nannette: Yeah. I feel like coming out of that first interview, I had a hard time seeing myself be, I had a hard time seeing myself being successful within a group of individuals that were highly analytical, where I just I, you know, I struggled with and I'll just share, like, I don't know if anybody on that's listening. If you've heard of the Kolbe Index, it's a great it's a great exercise. It's a program that you can it's not it you know, it's your modus operatic. It measures how you like to get things done.

Nannette: So Google it. You can find out more about it, but it's an assessment. And within a financial industry, financial service industry like I'm in, it's very rare to have somebody that is a long quick start. That's what I am. Right.

Nannette: I am a short fact finder, long quick start. Like I said at the beginning, I don't need a lot of information. I'll ask the questions that I need, give me the guardrails and I can move pretty quickly. Having somebody like that can be a fit of an admin run at a bank because people are so analytical and financially united and strategic. However, I'm, I am that person that I'm, if I'm in a, the boardroom and people are in analysis paralysis, I also can be the person that can insert myself and, and ask a few questions to start getting us going down a certain path, right.

Nannette: To just not get lost in the minutiae. I was, I think the reason, part of the reason that I declined the second interview was just, I had a hard time imagining myself. Being able to be successful in that environment of individuals that were so highly enrolled. So it was, and honestly, I should have, I should have just taken that next step and, and seen, but I just see if I couldn't I couldn't see myself. It was a gut instinct, to be honest.

Erica: No. I mean, no. I appreciate that, but that's interesting. Another thing that kinda pops into my head just when I think about this, and this is for anyone who has any male influences in their life that they wanna share the story with, or if there are any males listening, like if you are a male or any leader for

Nannette: that matter, and you don't have to be

Erica: male, any leader in an interviewing position. And you see women start to go down this path, right? Where you are, where you were like, I was giving them reasons to tell me no, you know, be bold enough to say, and to just call it as it is. And, and cause I feel like if maybe you had somebody who was sitting across from you and they said, Hey, no, no, let me just pause real quick here. We brought you in here because of your resume, your skills, and your experience.

Erica: You're selling yourself short. Like, do you wanna take a minute to regroup? You know, and then kind of Yeah. Been very direct, you know, but told in some people, this is what they think. They think they don't wanna say that because that would embarrass you, you know, and yes, it's tight, but you can, you can be direct and be kind and it's kind direct.

Erica: And if we had been direct with you in that moment. Now, again, not that matters because all this played out in the way it should have. Right. But in that moment, you, that as the interviewer, you're empowering the person across the table who's obviously in a moment of struggle, you know, maybe a moment of imposter syndrome, maybe a moment of the sticky floor where they're like, I'm not good enough. I'm not the right person.

Erica: To just give them a minute to evaluate. And, you know, if they still bomb it after that, then that's one thing, you know, but it does give the person a moment to reset and to get the confidence that they may carry them through. And that's really great for you as an interviewer. If you're the person looking for the job and you have somebody who's really struggling, they could be kick ass, you know, when you bring them on and maybe they just need that little boost. So like, it's, there's no harm, no foul, you know?

Nannette: Yes. And I love, I love that idea, Erica. I hadn't, I had not interviewed since 2008. Yeah. That's the last time I had actually had an interview just because I, I had moved throughout the organization just in a very, you know, distinct fashion through, throughout the, the organization, but throughout the department.

Nannette: So I wish, I wish yeah. I love that feedback and I love that thought that perhaps people are listening could, could take that away.

Erica: Well, in such it's such an empowering thing to be a to number one, as the interviewer to know that you're giving that person a moment to reset, right? Like giving them that little boost of confidence that they may need, because some are better at confidence than others. Right? It's, it's something that is, it's a muscle. You have to work

Nannette: at it.

Erica: And if you hadn't interviewed since

Nannette: 2008

Erica: Hey there, listeners. If you have ever felt like you're stuck in a place, held back by self doubt, perfectionism, or that pesky inner critic, you're not alone. We all face those sticky floors that keep us from reaching the heights we dream of. But guess what? It's time to shatter those limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors to uncover infinite possibilities.

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Erica: It's your road map to success, confidence, and freedom. Grab your copy of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors today at www.ericaandersonrooney.com. Whether you're in the boardroom, the classroom, or just starting out, this book is for you because no one, and I mean no one, deserves to stay stuck, no one deserves to feel small, and you have glass ceilings to shatter. Let's do this. Like, think of all the women out there who are stay at home moms and have a resume gap for years, you know, and then they're coming back

Nannette: and they're like, what am I

Erica: doing here? They have all those feelings. If one person would just take a minute and stop and say, hey, we brought you here for a reason. Like, we see something in you, so take a minute. Do you need to regroup?

Erica: Whatever. Like, I really wanna see what you have to offer. And then and then you get what you get, you know? But at least, you know, as the interviewer that I love, I, you gave them the opportunity. And then if it turns out awesome, cool.

Erica: If they're not for you, then they're not for you, but at least you gave them that opportunity. I think that's a little bit empowering. I love that idea. Agreed. Oh my goodness.

Erica: Well, that is a really cool story. I love how you did that. So then you, you pass over this sticky floor job. You're trucking along your way. How have, or if, right, have you seen that sticky floor, like reoccur as you've progressed through your, you know, twenty five years in the financial industries or what have you seen?

Nannette: Yeah. It's interesting. I have found now, you know, I'll just say I'm shi in this new role. Yeah. This is a this was a big step for me because it is it has a scope that is US wide.

Nannette: And in all of my previous roles, since 2008, it was for about 4,000 of our colleagues in The US. Now it has a 26,000 people in The US and I have an influence globally over 80,000. So I have found myself, having to prove myself again, right. In The US, I have built those, those relationships and I have earned respect and trust over the course of all of these years, you know, towards my passion of colleague experience and helping, you know, create great relationships across our various divisions. And I think I've learned that the importance of coming within a business line and operations of, like, developing those relationships with my HR partners and my communication partners and my marketing and audit and compliance and really being able to bring people together in a really meaningful way and supportive our strategy.

Nannette: So I've what you know, and I did that in that small sector, right, of in The US. And it sort of, holistically created more relationships across the organization in The US that it was helpful to build my brand. But now I'm finding this is a whole other ballgame where I'm now in a role that's a bit global and they don't know me. So I think my sticky floor right now is, and it's a lot of women I'll share. It's really amazing.

Nannette: You know, I'm, I'm actually in the legal department with the bank, and it's run by an amazingly strong woman who's the head of general counsel here at The US for the bank. And she's spectacular and she's so passionate about developing people. But I guess my point is now I'm having to earn, not just like they know me in The US but I'm working with my Canadian counterparts. Who've never heard of my name. Whereas in The United States, because of my work, I had a good solid brand and people knew me, but I'm having to sort of, I feel like I'm starting over a bit in building my network.

Nannette: So it's, I have to get unstuck, I'd say, and, and be able to have some pretty, you know, some good networking, like more of a networking plan and, and an approach. And really I'm starting to capture who are those individuals that are gonna be, I think, key advocates, right? As I build, the strategy that I'm supporting in my new role, like, and identify who those advocates are and be really purposeful in creating those relationships and identify for them how I can help them. How can I, how can I help them in their roles and the work that they want to get done and how an intern, you know, can that help? They can help me.

Nannette: So it's to me, it's like that and not take the plan. Right. And that's, that is also unlike me because I want to go and I have these quick wins and these initiatives that I really wanna get off the ground here in my, my role in The US but to be able to do that successfully long term, I need to take a step back and I need to really be methodical on building those, those advocacies and those champions. And that takes, like I said, that takes a plan. So I'm gonna press pause.

Nannette: Yeah. I love

Erica: that you call it a networking plan because I talk a lot about the power of your network and the power of networking, but I've never called it a networking plan. And you really should make it a plan no matter what stage you're at in your career. Right? Because if you're Yeah. If you're very early on, obviously, network often possible.

Erica: Find the powerful people that you need to be talking to. You know, those key advocates as you mentioned. But even as you, like, have been in the industry for twenty five years, there's still a plan to

Nannette: be had. Right? How are

Erica: you gonna connect with these people?

Nannette: How are you gonna network with

Erica: network with the people above you, below you, next to you? Right? Because you do really need to have in all levels Yeah. To be successful, you know? Right.

Erica: And I think so many times people overlook that step. And especially in your case too, where you've been around for a good a good chunk of time in the industry. You're like people in The US know me, you know, like, why do I have to waste my time doing this? But to build that foundational relationship, like you said, press pause, take the time to know, trust, you know, understand how people work or how they may not work, you know, and how you use that to make yourself more successful, I think is a really I think it's a really key step that people need to, like, take pause and remember to do. You know?

Erica: Agree.

Nannette: When I say plan, mine is literally an Excel spreadsheet.

Erica: Oh, that's great. No. I love that.

Nannette: That's awesome. Yeah.

Erica: And it's so interesting too, because being a chief people officer by trade, you know, we have new hires all the time, you know? And, only a few have reached out to introduce themselves on a one on one after they've gotten started. You know? And it's interesting because I'm open to meet anybody in the organization. You know?

Erica: I would love to talk to people. If I were in the office, we'd all be face to face.

Nannette: That's not the world we live

Erica: in today. But, yeah, only if only a few actually reach out to be like, I wanna get some fifteen minutes. That's all. I just wanna talk, get to know you, say hi. You know?

Erica: So it's interesting to see.

Nannette: And I'm like, unfortunate. Right? It is I tell people, like, just reach out. I said, don't make it about you wanting a job for them. Right?

Nannette: Like, if the I'm like, that'll be the biggest mistake. I'm like, if you're just creating a networking plan because you're trying to find your next great job and you're just going to go at these people asking for their help and they don't know you. I said, that's, that isn't the way they approach it. You need to be building your network ahead of that. Right.

Nannette: And have those informational interviews and, and you know, how ask them questions. And I said, you know, if you ask, you know, honestly, any leader in our organization or outside of the organization, I can't imagine a human being that would just say no to wanting to talk about, you know, their where how they got to where they are. People love people love to talk about themselves. Yeah. Let's just be honest.

Nannette: We're like, just share. Right.

Erica: Yeah. People love to help too. And I think that when people reach out like that. Yeah. You know, it's actually really interesting.

Erica: I have a LinkedIn training coming up that I'll be launching soon and it'll be free. It'll be out there for everybody, but it's all about making the most of your LinkedIn. And I was doing a ton of research around this. And I it was one of those things that when I tell it to you, you're gonna be like, absolutely. But it's not something that you would think about.

Erica: More people respond to LinkedIn messages for like people reaching out about mentorship and helping than they would. And I was like, that's so true because I know I knew it, you know? Like

Nannette: I respond, I need your training. I need your training. Let me know when you launch your training. You have because I'm quite using LinkedIn.

Erica: You'll have the access. It's gonna be really cool. It talks all about how to make the most out of it, you know, tips and tricks that you can do. But a big chunk of it is the networking plan.

Nannette: Yeah. You know, about that,

Erica: how to get systems content out there to serve because it's all about, and I talked about this in an episode, earlier that I recorded this week, but you cannot show up to a marathon expecting to run 26.2 miles. It's not gonna happen. Just like you can't show up to senior manager level role, a director level role, a VP, etcetera, level role without training for it first. So you have to train for success. You have to do the work now.

Erica: Part of that is your network, you know, getting out there, talking to people, figuring out where those opportunities for growth are. It's huge.

Nannette: That's right. That's right. Yeah. And sometimes you don't know. Right?

Nannette: Like, that's so it's like in our organization, I don't know if this is if it's probably similar in other large organizations. You look at a job description and you don't necessarily know what that job is. Right? So if you look at if you look at the maybe the job, like, what the code is or, like, even if

Erica: you read the whole description,

Nannette: I think that and that's I tell people, like, that's where, like, the value of getting out there and having a plan and introducing yourself to people and making sure that people know what it is that you're looking for. Like that's, you need to put yourself out there and you gotta make sure that your mentors and your champions who can help influence, you know, your path when you're not, you know, when they're behind closed doors and you're not there and they can represent you well, you need to make sure those individuals know and they can speak up for you.

Erica: Well, and to really talk about the power of networking, I once reached out to somebody on LinkedIn for a job that was posted, you know, but I didn't really feel qualified for the job. It wasn't something I really wanted, but I wanted to talk to them and I wanted to get in with them and they passed my name around and I met with a ton of people and they were like, this job is not posted. We don't have a job description, but we want you. So, like, we're gonna do this. And I had an amazing job for an amazing company for a couple of years because of that and the power of networking.

Erica: Right? So it you can't just scroll through job boards hoping something's gonna pop up, you know, like go out there and create that path. Yeah. So my one question too for you, Nannette would be if you had to look back at the woman who crossed the snowy street into the radio station. Yeah.

Erica: What kind of advice would you give her knowing everything that you know now about your city floor, about confidence, about, you know, not selling yourself short, not showing up, what would you tell her? What advice would you give?

Nannette: Yeah. I would say have the confidence. Right? Really recognize the power that you have, that you bring to the table. I, you know, it's, as I shared, I've been in the industry for a really long time.

Nannette: I think I've had to really learn the value of having that continuous learning mindset, just being like really flexible to the work that I was being given. I know that I've one of the values that I've brought to the organization that's given the experiences that I'm, I'm not stuck with a job description. Like it's, you know, I've shared like in my new role, it's, it's a blank slate. I'm creating my role and I'm comfortable with that. And I'd say, you know, I growing up, you know, in this industry asking for more opportunities, like asking to be part of a big project, like asking to do more, asking to lead a team on a program, asking for that little bit of extra, it, you know, it, it stretched me at my skillset, you know, and it made up for the fact that I'm not strong at math, but I love supporting my customers and my colleagues.

Nannette: Right. And that's, it's the people part of my business that I absolutely love. You know, looking back at my career, I will share the other sticky floor that I had, where I use this example a lot when I'm, teaching new supervisors. I was 26 years old and I found myself in my first like supervisory type of role and opportunity. And that was my other sticky floor where I thought that it was more important to be like, that I needed all my people to like me.

Nannette: That was a huge mistake. I didn't take my responsibility of developing those individuals to heart. Right. They had been my, they had been my peers and then all of a sudden I became their manager and that can be a really difficult step to take. So I'd say looking back on my, my career, that's my other learning lesson that I share with people when I'm, when I'm teaching is to really understand your responsibility when you become a supervisor, especially if you're becoming a supervisor for the first time of prior peers and that your relationships have to change.

Nannette: Right? And that you just need to sit down and understand that your responsibility to those individuals are no more like, perhaps you can't go out and have, you know, dinner with the ladies anymore because quite honestly, you are writing their annual reviews and you are the one that's making decisions on their income. Yeah. You know, it's looking back, that was a great learning opportunity. And it's, you know, that's why I think what I learned in those scenarios have helped me going forward.

Nannette: I would say the other piece of advice that's obviously I talk about the networking plan, having, having mentors inside and outside of the organization. Taking the time to, and you, you, you actually touched on it, taking the time to really build solid relationships with your peers, right? Across, across business lines and, and all of the individuals that help support you and find your champions, like the help people that can help influence your career. I think that they're a little bit different. Those champions are a little bit different than your mentors.

Nannette: For me, you know, having a champion, helped me because I I'd asked for a very specific role at the bank and it was one that would I would need to design. And the individual was at the time was my manager and I was working on my career development plan in a very it's a very tactical approach here at the bank. So here's what I want to be building for skillsets. You know, here's my five year goal. And I you're supposed to list out that I had wanted to build out my role to be able to support all of shared services, which is all of the operations group in The US.

Nannette: And he looked at me and he said, is that all you do you wanna put anything else? I'm like, nope. That's all I want. So back in 2015, they did a big reorg and they actually built the team out. And, you know, they gave me that opportunity.

Nannette: I'd say, ask for what you want. Right? You just and I'd say one of the one of my great mentors here at the bank who was here for multiple decades, she was an amazing woman. She said, don't never be afraid to ask for what you want and be clear on that. Write it down, Kind of plan.

Nannette: And help make sure people know

Erica: what you want. Yes. Absolutely. Well, I'd love that. Thank you.

Erica: I think I mean, yeah.

Nannette: Write it down. Ask for a

Erica: new what's the worst could happen? You know? They could say no. Okay.

Nannette: But you ask. Or they could say yes. Yeah.

Erica: Well, where can people find you, Nannette?

Nannette: Well, you can find me on LinkedIn. Awesome. I started sharing with you. I'm learning. I'm learning at LinkedIn.

Nannette: So you can find me there, Nannette Ranger Duncanson. So I'm looking forward to connecting with people. And again, I was super nervous this morning. I had to do a little meditation before the podcast about confidence. Yeah.

Nannette: So

Erica: Well, and see, look, working through the sticky floors, right? Always finding that meditation piece and showing up. Well, I appreciate you showing up. I thought it was super awesome. We shared

Nannette: a lot of really great gems with the people today. So, Nannette, thank you for your time, and thank you for the great work that you do for people. It's amazing work. Thanks. Thank you.