We began by asking Leyde and Mixcy what International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month mean to them. Some believe it is a time to look back and appreciate all we have accomplished, others think it is a time to look ahead at what more can be done.
For Leyde, it means “being proud that women have been able to progress in a society where, historically, men have dominated leadership roles. It’s great to acknowledge that women around the world have been able to work and improve their status in society.”
Mixcy believes women of the world have to keep fighting for the rights of women. “We are on this side of the world where we are very privileged, but specifically, women in Islamic countries still need more rights and we need to keep fighting for them because Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day include women all over the globe,” noted Mixcy. Both women make powerful statements that while women have come a long way, there is still work to be done for women all over the globe to be seen as equal members of society.
Both, however, believe women have risen to a higher level of success in the corporate world. “Seeing more women starting their own businesses and not being afraid to do it on their own, like our female PFA agents out in the field, I think that speaks volumes,” Leyde pointed out.
Mixcy agreed, telling a story about how she felt very capable and valued in her work during a trip to Costa Rica to oversee the building of an apartment. “I was there for two months,” Mixcy explained, “I supervised everything. Given the opportunity, I was able to do that on my own. PFA allowed me to travel to Costa Rica to accomplish this project.” During her stay there, Mixcy became very concerned when her flights were canceled. She recalled, “Zach, one of PFA’s leaders, and my supervisor James understood my situation and were very compassionate. James checked in on me regularly to make sure I was doing okay. While in Costa Rica during my personal time, I was focusing on mission trips and working with children in need. PFA allowed me to work while still going on missions during the weekends.”
One of PFA’s core values involves lifting up others, and this encompasses both its employees and the charitable causes they hold dear to their hearts. Extending Mixcy the flexibility to pursue her passion allowed her the freedom to better serve others in her home country of Costa Rica.
When discussing how far women have come in society, and what makes Women’s History Month so special, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the women in our lives who have shaped us into the people we are today. For Leyde, this woman is her mother. “She is such a strong woman,” says Leyde, “as a grown woman now myself, I can look back and realize how much my mom truly did for us. Being a mom is definitely not an easy job at all. She inspires me.”
For Mixcy, her mother was also a shining influence as she took care of her 18-month-old son while she worked. Mixcy’s mother inspired her, even more, when she herself went back to school to become a physical therapist - taking her grandson with her on two buses to get to class. “Becoming a physical therapist while still keeping my son was hard, but she did it. She has passed on now, but I still admire her so much,” Mixcy reminisced. Another influential woman Mixcy holds in high regard is Deborah - a judge of Israel in the Bible. “She was a chosen leader,” Mixcy said, “and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible, so I admire her - along with my mother - a lot.”
PFA is known for its strong, female leaders. You can read about some of our top, female sales agents here. So we asked Leyde what it means to her to have a woman as her supervisor. “It has helped me be more confident in my job,” she stated, “Melissa, my boss, empowers all of us on the team to speak our minds. She has helped me grow, and guarantees my voice is heard at work.”
Mixcy may have a male boss here at PFA but she added, “PFA provides an equal footing for men and women, so I have had no obstacles working for a male boss at Premier Financial Alliance. James is great, and I have no issues working for him or with him.”
Lastly, we asked Leyde and Mixcy what advice they would give their daughters about being a woman in today’s world. Although neither of them have daughters themselves, they both had inspiring words of wisdom.
“I would tell her what my father always told me", Mixcy offered, "Study, be honest, and work hard. Never put yourself in a position where you have to depend on someone else. I live by that principle. I thank God for what my dad taught me because when I was going through my divorce, some women are financially wrecked by that and I was okay because I made my own money and was able to support myself.”
Leyde concluded that if she had a daughter she would tell her to be vigilant. "In the corporate world, I would remind her to speak her mind and not be afraid of being right. You should be able to open up about your thoughts.”
We are so thankful to have these two strong women, and many others, in our home office!
If you’d like to learn more about how Women’s History Month came to be, click here.
