Shy, But Not Silent: Brandi Caton on Networking, Leadership and Integrity

Episode Discussion Summary

In this episode, Brandi shares how her passion for healthcare technology started before she even graduated high school and why her vision for making a difference hasn’t changed. We talk about:

• Starting with purpose – how her original goal of helping low-income patients led her to HTM.
• The mentors who shaped her – including lessons learned from calm, confident leadership.
• The evolution of HTM – bridging the gap between IT and biomed, and embracing AI as the next frontier.
• Breaking comfort zones – how attending her first AAMI Exchange became a masterclass in networking and connection.
• The power of representation – seeing 75+ women in leadership gather in one room and the ripple effect it has on the next generation.
• Leading with integrity – why honesty and accountability are non-negotiables in protecting patient safety.
• Next-gen outreach – the importance of intentional programs in schools to create a pipeline for future HTM professionals.

Brandi’s story reminds us that sometimes the most impactful leaders are the ones who start with a quiet determination and let their work do the talking.

Big thanks to our podcast partners: College of Biomedical Equipment Technology, A.M. BICKFORD, INC., UptimeServices AND GMC Healthcare Solutions. Your support keeps the HTM mission alive!

Transcript

Introduction to Brandy Katen

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome back to HTM on the Line, where we bring you real stories, real people and real impact from the healthcare technology management industry. I'm your host, bryant Hawkins Sr, and today we're talking with someone whose journey into HTM wasn't just a career move. It was a passion. It was a passion From dreaming of designing affordable prosthetics for veterans and undeserved communities to leading with integrity in a male-dominated field. My guest has been breaking barriers and building bridges for nearly a decade now. She's a leader who believes in autonomy, a mentor who leads with calm confidence and a connector who knows the power of networking. Today, we're joined by the one and only Brandi Katen. Let's get into it. We have another great episode on HTM Online. I have a special guest, miss Brandy Caton. How you doing today, brandyy Caton? How are you?

Speaker 2 1:26

doing today? Brandy, I am well. How are you?

Speaker 1 1:29

Doing just fine. Thanks for asking. Well, welcome to the show.

Speaker 2 1:34

Thank you.

Speaker 1 1:35

We talked about it at Amy and here we are, finally.

Speaker 2 1:40

Like a few reschedules, but we're here.

Speaker 1 1:42

Hey, hey, that's the world of HTM. Well, look, let's just, you know, get things going first off. I just ask this question, everybody how did you get into biomed? That starts from the beginning. What drew you to htm?

Speaker 2 1:59

surprisingly enough, I have wanted to be in the HTM field since I was graduating high school. So I originally wanted to do design and make affordable prosthetics for lower income and veterans. So I started in school for biomedical engineering when I was 19. That was expensive and fast forward and I went the army route.

Speaker 1 2:27

but that's I mean, I started at 18 wanting to do it wow, so somebody came to your high school, or how did you know about? How did you hear about bomb man?

Speaker 2 2:41

no, I actually just started looking into it. So, because I wanted to do prosthetics design, I started looking at programs that were close to my house or close in my city that would most align with what I wanted to do, and the community college where I lived had a associate's in biomedical engineering, and so I just enrolled in that program to get started oh man, that's great.

Speaker 1 3:09

That's different. I had a co-worker. He went to school for prosthetics and he couldn't find a job in it, so he just came over to the biomed, where he's still in it. Where he's still in it, it makes sense. Now, when you think back to your early days, you mentioned a lot how you wanted to build things, and you mentioned something about low income. What you meant by that, I mean? Just elaborate on that a little bit more for me.

Speaker 2 3:40

So low income, no insurance, just designing affordable prosthetics for the average person.

Speaker 1 3:50

Okay, that's good. Since you want to give back, that's great. Now, I'm more than sure when you first got into this industry, or when you were trying to get into this industry, you had someone who helped you, probably a mentor or someone who had a good influence on you. Who were those key people? If you had to mention them, I like to give those people a shout out. So who was your mentors, you would say, when you first started out?

Speaker 2 4:17

I would say I didn't really get mentors until I was in the field, so that's fast forwarding to like mid-20s. I would say my biggest mentors were probably Linda Jones she's at WOMAC now, and then he was actually my shop at NCIC Master Sergeant Brunson.

Speaker 1 4:39

Okay, that's good and he pretty much helped you get into the leadership role that you're in now, or he just was more helping you with technical things as a technician or kind of a little bit of both, I think.

Speaker 2 4:51

Just watching him so he he has a very calm leadership style and so just watching how he approached the techs and how you know cause we had a really large shop on base and so just seeing how he interacted with everybody so calmly was definitely a change from other leadership styles I've seen.

Journey into Biomedical Engineering

Speaker 1 5:13

Great. Now, where were you? I should have asked that from the get go. Where did you start your career at? Where was your location?

Speaker 2 5:21

So my first and only duty station was Fort Bragg. Yeah, it is Fort Bragg, at Womack Army Medical Center.

Speaker 1 5:30

Now for us non-military folks. Give me a city and state Fort Bragg.

Speaker 2 5:35

Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Speaker 1 5:37

Okay, and where are you currently now working?

Speaker 2 5:41

I am currently in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Speaker 1 5:44

Great, great. So that's where you working with Allison at one time, right, yep? Now let's shift it a little bit here. How long have you been in the industry? First, let me ask you that.

Speaker 2 6:01

I am coming up on 10 years.

Speaker 1 6:03

Okay, 10 years. So now in 10 years, a lot have happened in this industry, seems like in two years. So have you seen any changes in the last 10 years since you've been in the industry, from when the first time you came in to now?

Speaker 2 6:19

I would say the biggest would probably be how, earlier on, it and biomed kind of had dichotomous roles and now between it and biomed there's there's a lot of cooperation and handshakes that have to happen, a lot of inner you know activity between both departments. Instead of you do your portion, I do mine. It's working now.

Speaker 1 6:48

Yes, because that's definitely something that's a challenge today. What is one misconception about HTM or MIT that you think is out there that needs to still be corrected or cleared up?

Speaker 2 7:05

I'd say that oftentimes HTM, biomed, we're kind of seen as the go-to for all, when in reality we have a very structured role that we have to play in the hospital. A very structured role that we have to play in the hospital and when we're off doing other chores, other tasks, you know, that takes away from the patient care aspect that we have. And so, yes, we absolutely want to be helpful, but we also need to have those fine lines.

Speaker 1 7:41

Yeah, now you're in a leadership role, right. Yeah, now you're in a leadership role, right. Your current role is as the, so how is your approach when it comes to team building, leadership, how you go about approaching your team?

Leadership Philosophy and Team Building

Speaker 2 8:00

so my leadership style is I believe, believe A an autonomy. Everybody is there for a job. We're there for the same reasons. At the end of the day, you're an adult. You know what you need to do. I am there for support. I'm there to be your backbone. I'm there to be the person who steps in when you need to escalate things because you're not getting the help that you need. But I truly, truly believe in autonomy of work. I don't want to micromanage you. I don't want to have to micromanage you. So I truly feel like building technicians is giving them freedom to make mistakes. It's freedom to learn, it's freedom to ask questions. That curiosity is what builds good technicians.

Speaker 1 8:50

Yes, that's it. Yep. Now I met you at Amy in New Orleans. Was that your first show, or have you been to any other shows?

Speaker 2 9:03

Nope, that was my first show ever.

Speaker 1 9:06

Oh, you couldn't tell man, you was around there talking to everybody. So that's your first show. Wow, you went to the show. Your first show was the biggest one, so why is it? Well, okay, let's ask this way, then. Most people go to the shows to build relationships. Do you think networking is a critical part of being an HTM?

Speaker 2 9:32

I think it is yes.

Speaker 2 9:34

At the end of the day, it's who you can count on, who you can rely on. I know that there are people in this industry that, from the management aspect, if I have a question, I'll shoot a message over to Zach Silas. If I have a technical question, there are any number of people that I can send a message to text call. When it comes to shows and asking questions about you know who's going to be there if people need help. There are any number of people that I can send a message to and see if people need help. There are any number of people that I can send a message to and see what they need help with or you know who they need there to help represent. So I think networking is probably one of the biggest factors.

Speaker 1 10:22

Shout out to Zach. Yeah, shout out to Zach. Yeah, shout out to Zach now. So it's safe to say that networking has played a very important part on your career so far 100% now being you've only been one show. What other ways have you been networking? Because I know you haven't met all these people, amy, but are there any other ways you network besides going to Amy?

Speaker 2 10:52

Yeah, so I mean I keep in contact with people that I've worked with, both for and with. I think that's important is keeping those bridges. And then women in leadership is we have all come together through LinkedIn. It's a huge network of women working together to uplift each other in the HTM community and I mean that has been a major networking portion.

Speaker 1 11:20

That's great. Great. Now, being Amy was your first show show. What would you say to a tech who says man, I'm not really into networking or going to conferences. What would you tell them?

Speaker 2 11:36

I would tell them that that is me. So I I'm actually a pretty shy person, especially in large rooms with big crowds. So the whole point of going to Amy was to get myself out of my comfort zone Because once again, I've been in the industry for almost 10 years and had never been to a show. So it was to get me out of my own comfort zone to meet people face to face to have conversations. Me out of my own comfort zone to meet people face to face to have conversations. So I would tell them, like they are me.

Speaker 1 12:15

So sometimes you just have to break down your walls and meet people. Wow, that's to say that was your first show. I don't see shyness, but I guess you know what was one of your most memorable moments, you could say from attending Amy.

Speaker 2 12:27

Yeah, there's probably a mix between being on the show floor and just seeing all of the vendors, everybody there, the conversations, and then the women in leadership happy hour. The come together with just seeing 75 plus women in the same room within the HTtm community, like that's just something you don't see and you know most, most people when they walk into their shops. There there might be one other female, but to see that many that do the same thing in the same room was was amazing yeah, yeah, I'll tell you that's the last three years.

Speaker 1 13:13

I'm telling you. The shows have been a big switch in how many young ladies are now coming to the shows, and I can tell you from my experience here in New Orleans, we only have three out of all eight hospitals, so there's still a need for more. But to see that many females is amazing. Even the 40 and the 40 for technician they weren't paying attention, but they had 44 people I mean 40, but out of the 40, 22 were females. So there were more females than males. So that's in itself a statement of the females are coming.

Speaker 2 13:53

I was going to say the tides are changing.

Speaker 1 13:56

And they're in a lot of leadership roles. I mean, especially the company I work for, the company we work for, there's a lot of females in leadership roles, and that's amazing. So someone you mentioned that that was you, when you thought you would never go to a show. So now, if someone knew decide to go to a show, what could they do to make the most out of their first conference or networking event, for that matter?

Speaker 2 14:25

I would say network beforehand. I know that, like we, we knew the same people and so we had been put in contact before the show. Just reach out to people, meet people, find out who's going and just build those small even you know. Start off small, build the hey, how are you, I'm gonna be in the same area relationships and then when you get there, don't be afraid to find somebody to walk with you and just walk around together, be be uncomfortable together, and that way you build that comfort. You build that confidence.

Speaker 1 15:01

I love the way you say that Be uncomfortable together. Now, one thing I do at the shows I will literally, because you can tell the people who's a first show and they may be there alone and I usually will go walk up to that person, sit by them, talk with them. I'll give you one example. I got a friend of mine His name is Jeff Salmon. You'll meet him at the next show. You go to New York City and he came all the way to Indy Expo in Las Vegas and he's just walking around by himself and I just went over, introduced myself, I took him around to the guys and the next day he was walking around with somebody else showing them around. And that was just the second day at the show.

Speaker 1 15:43

So there's fruit in what you're saying about just getting out of that comfort zone. And right now he's amazing. He knows tons of people, just like you did from your show. So coming out the shell is a perfect way. Now you mentioned how you know you could be uncomfortable together and, amy, you also took part in career day that Friday, correct? We talked to the high school kids. So I mean, was that your first time talking to kids about the HTM industry also?

Speaker 2 16:15

Yeah, I believe so.

Speaker 1 16:17

You just had a whole lot of firsts. What you thought about that Talking to the kids about HTM?

The Power of Networking in HTM

Speaker 2 16:24

It was actually it was pretty rewarding, especially the ones that you could tell were really interested and really into it. That you could tell were really interested and really into it. Just some of the questions you get and their reaction to some of the answers. Like when they ask you you know what is the toughest situation you've been in while working in the hospital and you know you're describing having to go into like an open heart case. Just watching their expressions and watching their interest peak.

Speaker 1 16:53

Yeah, that's exactly Cause I mean. To us sometimes it seems like it's just everyday things, but to someone on the outside it's just. It's all inspiring. And I guess I think a lot of times we do it so much we don't even take a minute to sit back and think about what we actually do on a day in and day out basis. And it's amazing. And you wasn't shy that day either, so I don't know where you say the shyness comes from. You were very comfortable there also.

Speaker 2 17:23

I just have a good poker face.

Speaker 1 17:27

So that means now, you got to go to your local high schools now and continue this outreach, giving back to the next generation, because that's the only way they're going to get them in there. We got to, we got to pull them in. Unfortunately, they're just not a pipeline like they should have for our industry.

Speaker 2 17:44

I guess Ali and I will have to put something together then.

Speaker 1 17:49

Speaking of that, what are some ways you think we can bring awareness to the HTM industry?

Speaker 2 17:58

I mean, aside from doing these outreach going to the high schools, going to the colleges, I think just bringing visibility to the career field overall. I mean the more that people see you know HTM is now a top 100 industry, the more that we bring visibility, the more that we show the importance of our field, that will help bring people to HTM.

Speaker 1 18:26

Absolutely and honestly. You can bring awareness to the industry right there in the hospital. You'd be surprised how many people that work in the hospital don't know what biomed is. I know they don't know what HTM is, so I'm not going to even be greedy, but just to know what a biomed tech is. It's surprising. I mean, you have nurses that don't even know what we do and so you can start right there in the cafeteria just telling people about it because it's such a nice, it's a much needed industry, but at the same time it's like we're a secret society. It's just.

Speaker 1 19:08

That's why I was mind blown when you told me that you wanted to do it from high school, because a lot of people don't even know it exists in high school. So, yeah, you want to know before the military. So the military wasn't introducing you to it, because a lot of bombings are ex-military, but that wasn't your case. So you broke across that. Now we talked about the career day, and let's just streamline it some, because at the career day we had young men and young ladies. A young lady. She's considering doing biomed, like she could be like you. She's thinking about prosthetics and she's thinking about this, but now she's curious about biomed? What would you tell her or what would you say to her if she was thinking about if Baume was on that table? Also, what advice would you provide to her?

Speaker 2 20:03

Honestly, I would probably lead with questions to try and get her to come to conclusions and fill in the blanks for her. So you know, just ask what is it about the industry that you know piques your attention? What, what is it that you're looking for, like kind of. But I would honestly say, as far as advice, just find what you're passionate about, if you know. If you're passionate for helping babies, you know specialize in maternal fetal medicine. If the OR excites, you, go towards the OR. But just find what, what, where your passion is, and go for that.

Speaker 1 20:52

What, what, where your passion is and go for that. Yeah, I love that answer because a lot of times you're going to be telling her to find her passion, but she's going to be hearing your passion, telling her to find her passion, and that in itself is giving her a different outlook on what's going on and what we do. And let me go this route by you being a leader, I'm more than sure you probably lead more men than women in your department, you would say.

Speaker 2 21:19

A hundred percent.

Speaker 1 21:20

So what are some challenges you have then being you have a male-dominated industry, so what would you think would be a challenge? First I'm going to ask you what the challenges are and then I'm going to ask you what the advantages are. But first, what are some of would be a challenge. First I'm actually what challenges are, then I'm actually what an advantages are.

Women in HTM Leadership

Speaker 2 21:44

But first, what is some of the unique challenges you have being a woman to the older guys? But the guys that have been doing this for 30 and 40 years that are, you know, top notch FSEs and you call them and you're asking them questions about something you're in front of and you're explaining what you've done done. Sometimes the tone of them not thinking that you know what you're talking about is one of the biggest challenges, because you can just hear it. You can hear that they're trying to gauge how much you truly know. Yes, I can.

Speaker 1 22:30

I'm one of those 30-year vets but I don't do that. But I tell them all the time just because we've been in the industry for 30 years. A lot of the equipment today is not 30 years old. What they worked on 25 years ago it's probably not even in the building anymore, except for a surgical table. They may still be around.

Speaker 2 22:51

I was going to say, oh, our life.

Speaker 1 22:55

Sterilizer, except for a surgical table. They may still say, oh, our life, yeah, sterilizer if you gotta. If you gotta stare at sterilized, they last forever. Seems like yeah, but yeah now, what is some of the unique advantages by working in the male dominated field?

Speaker 2 23:08

if you could think of one I think once you earn their respect you earn a whole lot of loyalty. When it comes to some of the guys on my team, it definitely took them a while to open up, but once they have, I mean, they're not afraid to ask questions. And we're talking people who never want to ask questions because they think they know. They think they know they can find the answer. But when when you see that light switch go off, that they know that you know what you're talking about is when they start coming to you and I mean just popping in your office to wait coming to you and I mean just popping in your office to wait.

Speaker 1 23:58

Yeah, exactly now I could say, like you mentioned earlier, how you reach out to um a couple of different people and you talked to Zach, so you got some of the guys in this industry that see the potential, no matter if it's male or female, and just attract to that human being. Yep, and I think that's one of the great advantages. And just like when we was in new orleans hanging out, you know, you just one of us, you know we didn't see, we just saw brand you coming with us. Hey, he was who was the threesome. We were everywhere together, yeah, but that that's, that's some of the advantages, because some guys take on ladies as little sisters, just like a protector, even though you don't need protection. But we like to take that role on sometimes and that's one of the advantages, I think personally, that you get, and a lot of them want to see you win. I know I'm one of the ones that want to see everyone win, but especially the females, cause, like you said, you get people that question your ability all the time and that makes it real challenging to do your job, but you still got to do it. You know everybody's not strong will like you are, with a shy self, but I still don't see it. But I hear you, but I still don't see it, but I hear you.

Speaker 1 25:18

But let's jump back to the young next generation. How do we? You know, we touched on parts how we gotta let everyone know. But how could you be more intentional in your support of the next generation that's coming about? Because these young kids are gonna be not just B-Meds mad, some are going to go straight into leadership roles. How can we be more intentionally supportive with this next generation? When I say next generation, I'm not talking about the 17 year olds. You got some 22 year olds coming in, 23 year olds. So how do we support them?

Speaker 2 25:51

I mean, I think, having honest communications as soon as we can be it. You know, starting new outreach programs, you have. You know, you have your program. Jenny Chester has her program Like these programs are what starts it, that's what starts the communication. This is, you know, the beginning of it all. You know the beginning of it all. And so I think if we are intentional in trying to create as many of these programs as possible in local areas high school outreach programs, you know, stem programs, getting involved in STEM aftercare programs in high schools, middle schools I think that is the biggest and best starting point.

Speaker 1 26:37

Absolutely. And just how you just mentioned that, you mentioned Jennifer Tresser shout out to Jen, and you also got the bearded biomed. I mean just talking to those individuals, you can get some information from them and then you take that back to where you're from and now you're meeting some young people. You intentionally supporting them, but you're also bringing the fruits that you're getting from other people and vice versa. I could talk to you and hear something in your voice and I could bring that back to a young lady and say, look, I know a leader that's in Carolina and I'm sure I can just pick the phone up. Hey, brandon, I want you to talk to this new kid. You'd probably be like absolutely, put it on the phone.

Speaker 1 27:19

I mean I did that to Jennifer Chester one time. I was talking to this kid and there was like in her book. I said you want to talk to the author and it was like yeah. So I FaceTimed her right there. I was like man, I hope she pick up. And she did. And just that impression, because sometimes you might have a young lady and she may want to talk to some. You might not be with me and she may want to talk to a female. So you see my number come across during the day. Hey, that might be why.

Speaker 2 27:51

I mean call my work phone. If it's during the day, Call my work phone a visitor in the day, but it's funny.

Speaker 1 27:56

But, at the same time, that's why networking is so important, because you can learn from everyone. You can learn from the person that's doing it bad how not to treat the next person, or you can learn from the ones that's doing it the right way and that can help you also on how to treat the next person. 100%. Let's talk, and that can help you also on how to treat the next person. Let's talk. I don't like to go five, 10 years, because this industry changes like I think, yearly. Where do you see this industry heading in? Let's say, two years, what do you see this industry heading in?

Speaker 2 28:35

What should we be doing now to get ready for that? Honestly, probably working on bridging the gaps between IT and looking towards AI. I mean, a lot of these companies are coming out with AI systems to help with training and AI to help with capital asset planning, and there's any number of uses for AI, and it seems like between that and device integration, we're going to be heavily involved in both.

Speaker 1 29:06

Absolutely that IT thing. You're absolutely right. I mean it's a challenge because you think biomeds are introverts. It got us beat.

Speaker 2 29:13

I mean they don't want to talk. It's a challenge because you think biomeds are introverts.

Speaker 1 29:17

IT got us beat. I mean they don't like to talk and if they do talk, they're talking in another language and you need them and sometimes they need us. But it's a thin line you have to be. It's challenging, like you said, but it's getting better. I mean as we get more knowledge on how to talk, network talk and be more patient with them, because they're not patient with us. But we have to be more patient and AI is a whole nother ballgame. I mean that's changing like monthly, but that's stuff we all embrace in what we do. Now, ten years in, you probably got a good 20 or 30 left in you because you're young.

Speaker 2 30:03

So let's hope not.

Speaker 1 30:07

We're going to be working. I mean we're going to be working and it's not going to be because we have to, it's probably because we just enjoy what we do, 100% that. So what do you want people to know about Brandy, your legacy? What would you want to leave behind If someone had to say man, I know Brandy, she's blank, blank, blank. What would you want those blanks to be?

Speaker 2 30:40

I would say she led with integrity.

Speaker 1 30:46

Okay.

Speaker 2 30:49

Just because I feel like it's the epicenter of what we do, like you have to be honest about the work you're doing. You have to be honest when you're typing up your notes. You have to be honest about the parts that you're putting into equipment and the symptoms and issues you're seeing on equipment. You know if you're seeing repeated failures, even if you're the reason why it's not fixed correctly. You have to have that level of accountability and that accountability is what makes us make sure that patients are safe.

Speaker 1 31:28

Yeah, very good. Now I'll tell you what I think of you just from the few three days of you. Just from the few three days. I think you're very transparent, but respectful and approachable, caring and very passionate about what you do, and I pick that up from the three days we just hung out together and that's great qualities to have in this industry. And you like to have fun, Because some B-Meds don't like to have fun, so I like that. And you hang out with a lot of different people. It's not like you need to be with one type, Absolutely not All types. So that's a great quality also, especially for a B-man. So that's the legacy you put on me in those few days, so I can imagine what the next 10 years will look like, Not even talking about your things you're doing with Will and just the fact when you was taking that that I don't know if I I don't want to call it a statue the prop to the room meeting what you was doing with that.

Speaker 1 32:42

Like okay, that there shows you. Look, man, I got it. And it probably wasn't wondering how they going to get it there. You just took it upon yourself, I'll get it down there. So that shows a lot too. Now this here is going to call it the rapid fire. Ok, what's one piece Of technology or two you couldn't? Live without you don't want cell phone, cell phone. Why you say cell phone?

Speaker 2 33:12

It is no, I don't even have tiktok. It is every bit of knowledge you need at your fingertips. The frequency at which I pull up service manuals, or you know forums talking about troubleshooting issues. It's right there. If I don't have laptop, I have a phone that gets me what I need.

Speaker 1 33:38

Now, I don't know if you read books, or everybody read books, listen to podcasts or whatever, especially this one. Right, but what, or do you?

Speaker 2 33:53

have a favorite quote or motto that you use to keep you going, Not from a book, but motto phrase would just be authentically you.

Speaker 1 34:04

I like that. Now I had a video I created. It's called Dear 1993 Me, because that was the year I graduated from Bible Med School. I always talk to my younger self because when I was, you know, when you're young, you got all these crazy things you want to accomplish. So I kind of like kept that conversation going. I want to be this, I want to do that, I want to make this. So if you can give young Brandy a piece of career advice, what would it be If you could tell young Brandy I wish you would have did this when you first started what would it be If you could tell your younger self something?

Speaker 2 34:49

Don't let other people's opinions of your abilities deter you from what you can do.

Advice for the Next Generation

Speaker 1 34:59

I like that. If some young person is listening, that's some great advice. I like that. Well, Brandy, two more questions, and I always ask these. I want you to talk to the if you can give some advice. To let me change it around. I'm going to say it this way If you can give some advice to a young male in the HTM industry, I can say young lady, that's easy. A young male coming into the industry, Be mad one, Just start underneath you. What advice would you give him?

Speaker 2 35:40

Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be afraid to say you don't know.

Speaker 1 35:48

Awesome. I loved it. Love it Now. A senior Female. She's been in it. You've been in a senior female. You've been in it 10 years. She's been in it 25 years.

Speaker 2 36:08

What advice could you give to her? Honestly, I'd probably say the same thing. I feel like everybody has the ability to learn.

Speaker 1 36:15

Yeah, exactly, especially from someone that's not as much experience as they are.

Speaker 2 36:21

I mean, and like you said, the equipment that was there 30 years ago isn't the equipment that's there now? By all means, they may have a wealth of knowledge on a ton of things, but you might have a wealth of knowledge on something new, and they can. You can always learn from somebody else.

Speaker 1 36:43

Absolutely, and especially from the younger generation, because you, like you, a tweener, you know you're not up there but you're not down there, so you kind of can be a bridge between two generations almost. And that's what I lean on the young folks for, just so I can learn how to communicate with them, because sometimes we communicate a different way and it's a different barrier. You don't think it's that big a difference, but it's a huge difference, especially for individuals up where I'm not old. It's a huge difference, especially for individuals up where I'm not old but, you know, a little older. Trying to communicate with the young people, it takes a lot, you know, and I lean on the younger people because they help me, help them. I tell them all the time and that's perfect.

Speaker 1 37:32

And I appreciate you, brandy, coming on HTM on the line Perfect. And I appreciate you, brandy, coming on HTM on the line. You can welcome back anytime you want. It was great talking with you and till next time, keep in touch with me, I'll do anything I can. I'm going to tell you this now, before we leave. You know you say you reached out to all these people. You know you got my number. I'm jealous. You know I'm going to tease Zach about it after I delete his name from the interview. No, I'm joking, I'm not going to take his name off we can set up one on ones you know I'm here to help too.

Speaker 1 38:07

If you don't have no one else answering, you can reach out to me. I'll do what I can to support you, just like.

Speaker 2 38:14

I did the first day of career day.

Speaker 1 38:16

I took you in even though your girlfriend, adri, called me up and told me Low-key threatened me to do it. Nah, she ain't threatened me. She made it very clear.

Speaker 2 38:27

She doesn't have to threaten.

Speaker 1 38:30

All right B great talking with you.

Speaker 2 38:32

Good talking with you. Thank you so much. It'd be great talking with you. Good talking with you. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 38:37

Here's the truth you don't have to wait until you've been in this industry for 20 or 30 years to make an impact. Brandy proves that influence isn't about age, gender or job title. It's about integrity, consistency and the courage to step into rooms that make you uncomfortable. You want to grow. Do what she did Break out of your comfort zone, show up anyway and bring your passion with you. And when you get that seat at the table, remember somebody out there is watching you, wondering if they can do it too. So lead in a way that makes their answer yes, because the next generation isn't just coming, they're already here and they're looking for someone like you to go first. Thank you for listening. I'm Brian Hawkins Sr, and this is HTM Online. Y'all be safe out there.