Support Systems
On top of that, she also had the support of the Women in Pensions Network, a group that was created by women at the Standard. “So that served my soul and gave me the opportunity to be able to look to women for support and to support them,” she said.
The support of a coach and a women’s network gave her the confidence to become her own boss seven years ago. She created ShoeFitts Marketing, which in part teaches clients how to improve networking, enhance branding and leverage social media in order to attract and engage multi-generational audiences in the digital space.
Fitts said women in the financial industry have sought her advice on moving up. And the first thing she tells them is to “get into sales,” she said. “The sales piece comes into play because many times firms look to their sales leaders, especially from the CEO perspective and particularly in our industry,” she said.
“It’s ‘eat what you kill’ predominantly,” she said, adding that getting into the sales environment is an avenue to amplify visibility. “The experience will serve you well,” she said.
And as she has done, Fitts said she tells women to “actively manage your career and know that it’s a big game. And every job you take, know what your next steps are.”
Fitts said she also advises women to get a support system. “Support other women first and find other women who will support you,” she said.
And lastly, she said, “Sometimes we have to change jobs in order to move up, because we kind of get stuck or people see you as the marketing girl,” she said.