Heidi Colone Age: 32 Job title: Sales manager, Three Rivers FCU Year you joined the company? 2011 Community organizations with which you are involved outside of work? I am the treasurer for the Fort Wayne Base Community Council. I am also a Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana member. I have been involved with various committees for the organization and, last year, was the YLNI chair for “Let’s Give Allen County” in collaboration with the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne. Most recently I became the co-chair for the 2015 My City Summit. Additionally, I work on the committee for Big Brothers Big Sisters Women’s Champagne Brunch. These three organizations support different missions in the community, but all are extremely important to me. Where did your first paycheck come from? What was your job then? My first paycheck came from Steak ‘n Shake when I was 16 years old. It was my first “real” job. At $2.13 an hour plus tips, my first paycheck was only a few dollars, literally. What kind of support did you receive along the way to help you advance in your career? I have been blessed to have the most competitive older sister. Looking back, I want to give her the most credit for instilling the entrepreneurial and fundraising spirit in me. She was the mastermind. When she was 6 years old and I was 4 years old, it was her idea to go door to door selling potatoes for $5 a piece. This allowed me to execute the “ask.” If you know both of us, you know we compete on anything and everything – who is better, faster, smarter, etc. I have a supportive family, who has always been willing to help me in any way possible. I also couldn’t ask for better friends that are always willing to stand by my side. I have a best friend since second grade who will tell it like it is, and is absolutely irreplaceable. The people in your life help mold who you are as a person. The person who refined my professional approach and ultimately furthered my advancement was Brooke Crosley of Crosley Inc. She was hired by 3Rivers for sales training but it wasn’t about how to sell or what to say to get a sale. Her training was based more around understanding yourself, your member or prospect and the overall relationship. What is your biggest accomplishment thus far in your career? In January 2013, I was the manager responsible for opening and growing the Page 16
new 3Rivers location at Harrison Square. That alone was no small task since we were not migrating accounts from a closure of a branch; we had no members, no parking and lots of snow. In addition, my husband was called to active duty service and deployed oversees. We had twin daughters who were 3 years old, at that time. It was extremely challenging not to bring work home with me or take home into work. We all survived, which is an accomplishment in itself. The Harrison branch was extremely successful for the first year, which has laid the foundation for all we have achieved today. What lessons did you learn from it? You can’t do it all alone. It’s OK to say “no,” delegate and ask for help. From a leadership standpoint, I had to ask myself, “What is it that will compel people to follow you?” I learned that if you are willing to do the work and invest your time in others, you will be rewarded with far more than what you could have accomplished alone. What would you next like to accomplish in your career and how would it benefit your company? I would love to have the opportunity to create and drive more strategic initiatives for the credit union. I want to develop further business, and reward the community in which we serve. How do you remain current/relevant in
your profession? For me, it’s all about building lasting relationships with every facet of my life. I ask a lot of questions to gain as much information as I can from various aspects in various fields of business. I stay involved in the community as much as I can, and I am always willing and wanting to learn more. How do you balance your career, family life and community involvement? The more I can integrate the community involvement with my career and my family, the easier it becomes for me. I am always open to suggestions on how to manage it better, too. What do you do to relax? My personality profile has made me aware that I function at my optimal capacity when there is chaos. With that being said, there isn’t much time for relaxing. If you could try another profession, what would it be? I would be a litigator. I feel I am very good at arguing my point in a rational, factual basis to come to a fair resolution. If someone were just starting out in your profession, what advice would you give that person? Build a network of people who want to see you succeed. Reach out to these resources as you need. Be willing and consistently provide value to your network.
Forty Under 40 • March 2015 • fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.