International Women’s Day with Sivon Pichoto, Family First Funding
As a woman-owned business, we are honored to share the stories and messages of incredible woman leaders across a variety of industries for our International Women’s Day blog series.
This interview is with Sivon Pichoto, Creative Director at Family First Funding.
Why do you think it’s important to celebrate International Women’s Day?
Women rarely take the time to recognize themselves and their accomplishments, so the more that we can celebrate each other, the more we can inspire other women to become leaders, and the more connections we can create between us. This day brings together an encouraging community of women who see the potential in each other and want to see each other succeed.
What motivates you to be a leader in your industry?
The mortgage industry is very male-dominated, and that alone motivates me to keep growing and becoming a better leader within the field so that other women can consider entering fields and industries that they may have never seen themselves working in. It can be challenging, but it can also be very rewarding to be heard in an industry where male voices are often the loudest.
Are there any female leaders that have inspired you throughout your career?
Yes, I love listening to videos of Mel Robbins. I’ve enjoyed hearing the story of Canva’s CEO Melanie Perkins, and have been inspired by the values that the CEO of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, upholds in her company. In 2018, when I co-hosted a podcast, I was also lucky to have the opportunity to interview and hear the stories of Soom Foods CEO Amy Zitelman, and Koi Fly CEO Stacey Grant. But more importantly, I’ve been inspired by the women I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with over the past six to seven years. The women who have worked on projects with me or who collaborated with me on ideas all come from very different backgrounds, but one common theme I’ve found from working with these women is that we all share a goal of wanting to make things better for the world around us.
What advice or message would you share with young women who are looking to build their careers?
Never stop learning, don’t be afraid to share ideas, and continue making connections with other women, because there’s nothing women love more than helping each other. The knowledge sharing and collaboration that happens when you get together with groups of women is invaluable.
Read the rest of our International Women’s Day blog series here.
