The following interview is the first in a series that will be featured in this eNewsletter.  It will provide us an opportunity to learn from seasoned leaders.

You're a very successful leader. What challenges have you had to overcome in getting to where you are today? 

The most significant challenges I have had to face in my career have been most recently, entering a “man’s industry”, as I did a little over three years ago.  The Electrical Wholesale Industry is very male dominated.  There are not a lot of females in the industry, let alone being a woman leader in the industry.  As a result, my challenges revolved around gaining the credibility and respect of other leaders, both male and female.   

Do you think these are challenges that every woman faces or were they unique to your situation?

They certainly aren’t unique to only this industry, but here perhaps, are just more obvious. I think those challenges added to my “inspiration to succeed” even that much more.  I now am an active board member in a national organization that brings women leaders together who work in the Wholesale Electrical Industry, either on the distributor, supplier or service role side.  We meet once a year at a conference to support and grow as women leaders in this industry.   By the success of this organization, there obviously were many more women, like me, that wanted to be successful in this industry and were determined to do so.

What are your top strengths? 

Those that I believe have served me well over the years are my ability to be a strategic thinker, look to the future and create a vision of where we want to go.  The value we bring to an organization by looking beyond the obvious to solve roadblocks our company may have or to inspire others to “think bigger” is a strength that leaders look for in the people they want to surround themselves with.  Others, may be the sense of responsibility and commitment I bring to my work along with always ensuring that there is a positive work environment where they are encouraged to contribute, grow and feel that same sense of responsibility.

Do you think your strengths have helped you get to where you are today? 

Without a doubt it has helped me grow into leadership roles wherever I have been.  I like to be surrounded by people who are positive and have a “can do” attitude and people that don’t feel that same way don’t seem to want to work with our team, and don’t seem to stay long.  It fosters a creative and solution centric team all working together for the same end result. . 

Who has mentored you in your career? 

Throughout my career, I have been lucky to find mentors in that industry that I look to for advice and direction.  They have always been women that held respected roles (not necessarily always leadership roles) in the workplace.  By observing how they treated others, conducted business and reacted to obstacles, I was able to learn and grow by their example and usually served me up some good advice as well. 

How would you recommend that women find mentors? 

There are mentors all around us, too often, we limit ourselves by thinking we have to look “up the organizational chart” to find one.  I look to women that live their life, both at work and at home, the way I aspire to.    

You've held many different leadership positions. What's the most important lesson about leadership that you've learned?

It’s an old cliché but one I have tried to live my work and personal life by…Attitude is Everything.  How did you learn this lesson?  In the very competitive women’s apparel industry for over twenty years, I saw many changes in that industry.  Working for a family owned business, I grew accustomed to working in a caring culture until one day, the owner and founder announced he had sold his company to a Canadian business group and the business at each of our 495 stores would be at risk to closures.  At that time, there were 26 regional managers who, like me wondered what our next day at work would look like.  Within two years, I saw 22 of those 26 regional managers unwillingly lose their jobs.  Each day, we wondered who was next.  It would have been very easy to have become discouraged or disgruntled over losing long time friends and co-workers, but that served no purpose.  Instead, the area I was responsible for stayed positive, productive, focused and creative.  A short time later, I was offered a Vice President/Midwest Operations with that Canadian Group.  Eventually, I was hired back by the family I worked for for twenty years, to be President of another division of their company that wasn’t sold to the Canadian Group.  

What's the best advice that you ever received for advancing your career?  

Treat others the way you would like to be treated.  In order for you to see success you need to gather a belief around you that together…you are making a difference everyday.

What's one piece of advice about career or leadership success that you would give someone who wants to move up to the next level? 

Never forget from where you came while always treating others the way you would like to be treated.  Always be humble and grateful. 

Deb Ricci grew up in Southern Minnesota in the small town of St. James.  After college, she spent twenty years working with the Seiferts Company, a national chain of women's wear stores, based out of St. Cloud, Minnesota.  Deb saw many roles in that company from Manager to Vice President/Midwest Region where she was responsible for twenty seven stores in five states.  She then took over the Presidency of a small chain of stores called Sox, etc. based out of Bloomington, Minnesota and the Mall of America.  As fate may have it, she met a man from Rice Lake, Wisconsin which brought her to the role as a General Manager of the Cedar Mall in Rice Lake.  Enticed to the radio industry, she worked as an Executive Account Manager for Koser Radio Group out of the Rice Lake area, until she took her most recent position as Director of Marketing for Werner Electric Supply.  Deb works with a very talented marketing team of seven including an event coordinator, two graphics designers and three interns.  Werner Electric enjoys a new corporate headquarters and regional distribution center in Cottage Grove, Minnesota and services seven branch locations throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.