Pay It Forward: "Be Prepared!" Advice from CommonWealth Partners' Amber Molina

Amber Molina is a senior property manager at CommonWealth Partners in San Diego.

Amber Molina.

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle as a woman in your particular role?  There have been times when I haven’t been given the same respect in a meeting full of all men. I can only speak for San Diego, but commercial real estate is a predominantly male-dominated industry, and let’s face it, a predominately Caucasian industry. So when you’re the only female Latina in a meeting and you’re not being addressed directly, or overlooked for input, it gets noticed. I don’t take this personally, as it could very well be an unintentional consequence of the dynamics of our industry. I’ve learned to have the confidence to speak up. Knowing that I’m in that meeting for a purpose and that I have an important role to play in the process is enough to validate that my contributions are important. Once I speak up and provide value to the conversation, it usually helps bring me into the fold, especially once they find out I’ve been in the industry for as long as I have and we have mutual colleagues.