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Women Leaders in Payments: The Future is Human with Kim Molinaro, Fiserv | Episode 508 · Leaders In Payments

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Women Leaders of Payments Month, where we highlight and celebrate the women shaping the future of payments in FinTech through their leadership, insight, and impact.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: A special thank you to PayRock for sponsoring this year's series and for powering the continued advancement of women across our industry.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Now, on to the show.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, everyone, and welcome to this Women Leaders in Payments Month episode.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: Today I'm honored to have as our special guest, Kim Molonero, the head of ISV at FIServe.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: So, Kim, thank you for being here and welcome to the show.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, thank you for having me.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Excited to be here today.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: So let's start with a little icebreaker.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: If you could instantly become an expert in one non-work-related skill or hobby, what would it be and why?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: I think the last time we spoke to joked that my husband wanted a domesticated wife, which I always think is funny.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: But I mean, realistically, I think I would be working with people in in some capacity.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: It could be sales support.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that would have been, I mean, if you would have asked me when I was 20 years old, it would have been a buyer or a stylist.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: And as I got a little bit older, I loved dermatology and skin.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: So to me, it's whatever's making people feel good is where I'd be at in this world.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's talk about your background and career journey.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: Give us a quick snapshot of your background, maybe where you grew up, what you studied, and what led you into the world of payments and fintech.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I grew up in Naperville, Illinois.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: I studied marketing management, but it was an emphasis on fashion.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: I did a lot of work working at modeling agencies and scouting, which obviously is not a payments connection.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: When I graduated from college, I worked at the Merchandise Mart and I was selling like Kate Spade handbags and Patricia Lack Jewelry at the time for Marshall Fields.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: But New Girl in the Total Pole didn't have a stellar territory.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: And you had the time, if you had jewelry, to kind of like take your jewelry in your car.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I was driving to, you know, Minnesota and the Dakotas, it really wasn't ideal for me.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: So there was an opportunity.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: It was a sales support role for a company online data.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: And that is essentially how I started my career in payments 24 years ago as a company that was uh owned and operated by the name a guy named uh John Ranty.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: He was kind of the first to really focus on payments.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: And uh even I believe he had a patent on the online application, and he really kind of showed me payments in my career, and yeah, that's where I got started.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: Well, was there a person or an opportunity or maybe an unexpected moment that helped shape the direction of your career?
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think I I've been fortunate.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Plenty of people have definitely, I feel like, helped shape my career.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: I've always just been given opportunities to do more, to take over another channel, to take on an acquisition.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like I've just really been blessed with that.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: I really wanted to succeed.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the people that surrounded me also wanted me to succeed.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: So it was just, I mean, it was a plethora of people that I think just always I was also probably annoying.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: I always said, like, I want that acquisition or I want that channel.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: And and they always believed in me and they gave it to me.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: And that's kind of led me through my career.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: Well, tell us about your role today at FIServe and what part of you of your work are you most excited about?
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I to me, I feel like I have the dream position at FIServe as head of ISV.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think that's the nerd in me.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's, I mean, I truly love what I do, the people I get to work with on a daily basis.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the channel's special.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's to me like this little engine that could, and we've had multiple leaders and in and out of channel, but the team has always produced.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like such an amazing foundation.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: This channel actually came from the Car Connect acquisition that First Data did and the Blue Pay acquisition.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: And then essentially putting those two together and creating this ISV channel.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: So, like that was the foundation that built everything.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I think I was just very fortunate that the Car Connect team had an amazing group of people, the Blue Pay team, an amazing group of people.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: They actually both companies had a really nice base of ISVs, which it's amazing because a lot of those ISVs are still with us today.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that was the foundation I've got to grow with all those people over the last almost nine years since the acquisition.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: So, I mean, it's just, it's, it's a fun part.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think software is very interesting.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's shaping how people are accepting payments.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: You know, software, you know, the actual culture of software thing is really cool because they're small companies, they're fun to be around.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I love it.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: I love that I get to get out and go meet really cool people and help them grow another revenue stream.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: Well, maybe for those in the audience that don't really sort of live in the space of software and embedded payments, maybe talk about like what the ISV, you mentioned software, maybe give us a little more detail about what that is and sort of maybe what your mission is with the company.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean, so thing is, so any software platform, they have to have a way to, if they are, you know, needing to accept payments for their goods or services, they need a platform to do that.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: So our main platform is the legacy Car Connect platform, which is CardPoint.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: So just think of API connections so a software can easily consume uh the connection point to accept payments through the back end.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if you think about it, I mean, even 20 years ago, 25 years ago, when you were in the payment space, everything was very much like a standalone terminal.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: People weren't utilizing software.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: And over the last 20 years, that's completely shifted.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, software is the way that everyone is running and operating their businesses.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's very rare to me that you actually just see like a standalone terminal now.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: And people want to be smarter with how they're running the business and they want software that not only allows them to run their business, but makes it easier, gives them ways to, you know, to bring in marketing and to bring in other value-added services.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: And that's really what our channel is doing, saying, here's the foundation to accept payments, then here's all these other amazing things that you can consume within your experience so that when it comes to really leaving, it's a customer that doesn't want to leave because first of all, they love their software.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: And if they love their software, then they're going to be a customer for ours for a very long time.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where we've had a lot of success when it comes to even our attrition rates from an industry standard, they're very low because as much as the software grows within the space, it also grows our client base.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: And it allows you to reach thousands of merchants at once, which is really unique.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's pivot a little bit and talk about leadership and perspective.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: So this year's theme is the future is human.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: So when you hear that phrase, what does it mean to you as a leader in payments?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the future is human.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, to me, it's not AI taking over the world.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: To me, it's really becoming smarter with our time.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, if you think of like payments and tech, I mean, we can build quicker, we can be smarter and faster, and it's a win for everyone.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I I think the future is human, meaning that we are still going to be present.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like when it comes to sales, no one wants to, you know, have a sales conversation with an AI robot.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: But I think it's just going to allow us to be a lot smarter with our time and to deliver things quicker.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, basically things that might have taken a day or two can maybe get done in an hour, and then there's more time focusing on sales and revenue generating activities that come in the door because you have that component of AI behind it.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well, as we've been talking about, payments is becoming more and more digital, more embedded into the experience.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: So what do you think leaders need to be keeping front and center as this industry continues to evolve?
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, honestly, I mean, change is what keeps us moving forward.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think, you know, I just mentioned that the days of like standalone solutions are eventually going to be gone.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: A merchant really wants everything in one operating system from payments and bankings to loans to credit cards.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that is the future, and leaders need to, I think, lean into that change or they're going to be left behind.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: Any suggestions for those?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, I've been in payments for 20 years and I remember the days when the salesperson had the terminals in their truck, uh trunk of their car and they'd stop at one end of the you know strip mall and walk all the way to the other end, right?
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: So things have really changed.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: So any any any thoughts on like keeping up with that change?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, I think keeping up with it is, I mean, if you're even if you're an agent or you're an independent sales rep, but I think it really is connecting with software companies and whether it's you're helping them sell their software solution coupled with payments or developing your own relationship with software companies.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I think that's just the way that the industry has evolved.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, even for us at FiServe, think of the Clover ecosystem now.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just a standalone device.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's a full point of sale that allows you to operate every facet of your business.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: And then you have Clover Marketplace, and there's all these different apps that can allow you to be more successful within your day.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's essentially how we've kind of shifted within, you know, our standalone solutions from the terminals to more of these point of sales.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: And then you bring in all the softwares and you kind of couple both of them together.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's these robust systems that are just gaining more traction.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: So to me, that's just where people need to like think about to say, okay, obviously I'm not gonna knock on a door anymore and sell a terminal.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: I have to be more creative of the package and what I'm selling.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's, you know, the the whole everything that's, you know, the hot topics of embedded finance and all these different things that are happening in industry, that's where they need to lean into because it's not just payments anymore.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think you have to kind of come with this umbrella bundled approach when it comes to selling.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: So, what is something that you've learned about leadership that you wish you had understood earlier in your career?
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: I would say definitely the need to eliminate toxic people.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: I think people spend the majority of their time and you want an environment that's full of collaboration and differences and open communication.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: And if there's one person that's disrupting or making people feel uncomfortable, um, I think as a leader, you have to make those swift decisions.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you can't people please anyone.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's really a balance.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's not like I'm just saying come in and oh my gosh, if you just don't like this person, get rid of them.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: But it's just making sure that it's it's a really good environment that everyone within your team feels that they're seen and they're heard.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, making that a priority.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: I think early on, at least for me, I think I was such a people pleaser that I, you know, just even if there were maybe some people that weren't the right fit for the team, I think I always wanted to please.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I think as I've, you know, developed and more into a leader, I'm really quick in making sure that the environment for my team is one that they feel they can be productive in.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because I mean, at the end of the day, it's like I want people to feel that they can ask any type of questions, whether they feel like it's stupid or not, and there's no judgment behind it, um, because those are the conversations that can help drive more revenue and more success within a channel.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: And it allows people too to want to stay to meet with the company longer and really develop their career.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: I've been blessed with it with the team of people that I've worked with for almost, you know, close to a decade now, and some people I've worked with for almost 20 years.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: And what I think is amazing about that is like the foundation of that and how you collaborate is so different.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: And you do kind of understand like a direction someone's gonna go with a certain project or how they view certain things.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: That to me is so, so important.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: And if you create this environment, these people are gonna continue to grow within the organization.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: You get to work with them for a long time.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what makes really successful companies.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's talk about the human side of payments.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: We've talked a little bit about this, but behind every payment is an actual person, a business, or a need.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: So how do you think about the human side of payments in the work that you do?
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, for me, it it's everyone's really just trying to make it.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's it's the software partner, it's the merchant.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: You know, everyone has families, everyone has bills.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: And even if it's a stressful situation, people really just want to be heard, treated kindly, feel seen.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: You know, for me, it's like I truly want my conversations with a partner, a merchant, a coworker, an associate to feel heard and seen.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's value in that.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: And you kind of just always have to, you know, keep that in the back of your mind.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I've I've worked with so many different colorful people over my time.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: And even just talking to angry merchants or angry agents, like, yes, there's moments where you're probably getting screamed at and you're just like, okay, but I've always learned they could kind of let someone kind of air their grievances after that.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: You can always have a really good conversation.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's just the human component of everything.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone has emotions and you have to remember that and not take it personally.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, one of the key things, and obviously a very critical part of payments in the industry that we're in is trust.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: So how do you think companies can build and maintain trust as as our industry becomes more automated and more technology driven?
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I mean, I think I mean trust that really is the human component.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: You need to take accountability.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: You definitely don't want to oversell.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Be transparent, not forget that business is really dealing with people.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: To me, we can't let automation and AI remove the most important thing about business.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: I always say this: people do business with people that they like.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's very simple.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, if I'm in a business meeting, I think, you know, the person across from me, like we are just not getting along.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think I want to sign like a long-term contract or do business with that person?
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: No, but if if it's someone that is enjoyable and you're having a collaborative conversation, you may disagree on some things, but you're like, okay, I hear what you're saying, I hear what you're saying, you meet in the middle.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: Those are the people you want to do business with.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: And that's just the simplicity of business.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the part that with even we always talk about the whole AI crazy, everything that's happening.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's the part that's never going to go away, is just like the human connection of doing business together.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I kind of wonder about the whole trust thing with with this AI and the you know, agents buying on behalf of people.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's a tr trust component in our industry, right?
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: We we have to know that that agent is allowed to do what they're doing.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: But I also think about it from a consumer perspective.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: Am I going to trust an agent to go do what I what I would do?
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Seriously.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: I always think about that because now, you know, with chat, you know, GPT or whatever, you know, form that you use about, oh, like I'm looking for this top, do this.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: But now I'm thinking, like, but would I actually then trust them to take the next step and say, I'm looking for this dress, this color, this cut, these are the designs.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: I like go buy one.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: And like, do I would I actually trust like what comes to the house?
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: Is it gonna be the right thing?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, yeah, I mean, it's wild, but that's where the world's going to.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: I I think, I mean, without getting off on the AI topic, I think the B2B AI agents buying machine to machine, I think, think it's gonna accelerate more because I think consumers are gonna have that, you know, it's gonna be harder for consumers to change the behavior.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_01: But anyway, it all r relies around trust, in in my opinion.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: So what is one trend or change in payments that you believe will have the biggest impact on people or businesses over the next few years?
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, I think we touched, I think it's agentic AI.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's completely changing how we're doing everything.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's AI-powered virtual assistants and them doing more and finding and buying on behalf of the human counterpart.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's gonna be a game changer, I think, in the next, you know, couple of months, couple of years, of just as we start to evolve and and understand what agentic AI is.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, think for us, it's like making sure that, you know, your dev documents and everything has these kind of like set of eyes that could be read by agentic AI so that you can get more views and looks at what you're trying to sell out to market, because it's gonna be robot eyes that are essentially seeing it first before it actually gets to the human eyes to say if they want to buy it.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: So they're really going to shift, you know, how people purchase.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Because if I just did a search, like I just talked about and wanted X, Y, and Z, they're gonna show me five different examples.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're not doing the right thing, think of all the small like boutiques and things out there, like you have to even get on the bandwagon because you want that agentic AI powered virtual assistant to essentially make sure that your products and your services are front of mind.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: And and that takes kind of evolution with everyone being very smart with how they want to navigate their business and I guess the trends and the the search optimization that's gonna be tied behind it when it comes to to shopping and looking for vacations and your next house and everything.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: So curious how AI has affected your sort of leadership.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: So how how is it integrated into your team and is it really kind of changing how you lead your team at all?
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't say it's changing how I lead my team.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'm definitely leaning into where if you can, you know, if you use, you know, Copilot and Microsoft and use their AI assistant, like if it, you know, helps you say something better, or if you maybe had a harsh tone that you didn't realize in your email, it helps it correct it.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think those are all positive things.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's just like it's what I'm telling my nephews.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, don't let it consume everything that you're doing.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like to me, there still has to be human thought behind what you're doing.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, my nephews are teenagers and I feel like they're on their phone all the time.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, guys, I'm like, every time they have a question about school, it's like they're asking uh Chat GPT.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, Gods, I'm like, there has to be some point where like you stop and you have to let your mind develop and grow because that's what's gonna be lots.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: If you keep having these AI assistants do everything for you, it's like you're you're gonna lose a part of your brain.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: So like we've got to make sure that our brain still stays strong and that we're still thinking the right way.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: But if AI can just insist, like what we talked about in the beginning, just to do something quicker, I'm all for it.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: But if I were to see, I don't know, everything that's being pushed out from whether that's a salesperson on my team or an RM and I could tell it's AI generated and there's no thought behind it, that's probably when I would step in because I still need people to use their their brains and figure things out with, to me, a non-AI component or non-robot component tied to it.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: They need to, you know, still have the have the human side is the knowledge behind what they're doing.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because if they send out an email and say they just had Chat GPT write a whole thing about a connection point to an API and they didn't have enough wherewithal to go in and say, oh, that wasn't right or that wasn't correct.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's a problem.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: Because now you're sending out inaccurate information because you're just allowing you know, Chat GPT to do your, you know, your work for you.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: That's I don't like that at all.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's something all of us are gonna have to work on because it's easy to just put, hey, I need this email written and have Chad do it and then just send it without reading it and like you said, making sure that it's really Yeah, that it's actually right.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes when I'm negotiating contracts, now I swear on the other side it's someone just putting the contract into Chat GPT and then sending me the questions because you're reading some of these questions, you're like, wait, what?
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, did you even read this contract?
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what are you talking about here?
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's a great tool, but it can be definitely overused.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, let's talk about mentorship and impact.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: So who influenced you along the way, whether it was directly or indirectly, and what did you learn from them?
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, I've been blessed.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: I had so many people, John Randy, Juan Ortiz, Michael Mertz, who we were chatting about before we started this, Kristen Graminha, Joe Cosey, John Halper, Nick Asito.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, all these people really have guided me through my career at different stages.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think what I've learned is to lean into people.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: You have to take criticism, take advice, definitely go with your gut in certain situations.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: But also, I mean, I think as a leader, sometimes you have to know when to take a back seat.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I've just been very fortunate to have some great mentors and and friends through my journey that have kind of, you know, just gave me advice when, you know, maybe I needed to say more.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: Or like I said, sometimes it's hard as a leader, but as things navigate through a business and your career, and if there's a lot of change, you kind of just have to to know when, okay, at this moment, maybe I don't need to be front and center.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of moving pieces.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: Let me kind of, you know, uh sit back.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I think I think that's hard for some people.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I've learned that that's just a part of a career sometimes.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_00: You you can't always be front and center and be, you know, the shiny object or star and and in your given field.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: It it's sometimes you need to let other people grow and and show their impact in the company, and you kind of sit back and you know your time will come again.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_01: Well, what advice would you give to the next generation of women that are entering the payments and fintech industry?
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: I would say, I mean, definitely it's it's it's find a piece that you love about the industry, whether that's tech, ops, sales, really just give it your all.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: Keep looking for opportunities, do things that make you feel uncomfortable, make you want to, you know, oh my gosh, like throw up, because those are like the growing moments in life.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: When I first started, some of the first moments of even just like speaking, like on a stage and talking about payments.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: So and I tell you, I was so incredibly nervous.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like you get that like horrible pit in your stomach, and you're just like, oh my gosh, like I can't do this.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: But then after you do it, you feel so good.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like those are the things you have to do.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not even just if it's public speak, it's just even in your career, like when it's time to stand up for yourself or it's time to have an uncomfortable conversation, you have to do those things.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: And you have to be an advocate for yourself.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: Say what you want, because honestly, if you're not saying it, no one's hearing it.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: And it means that you're not gonna get the next opportunity.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: So I know some people are like, you know, I'm just gonna sit back, I'm just gonna work hard, that's what I'm gonna do.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: But also like be your advocate, say what you want.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: I've always stated what I wanted time and time again.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, it might have taken years to get there, but I always said what I wanted.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's very, very important in your career.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_01: All that is is great advice for sure.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_01: So, Kim, let's wrap up the show with one kind of final fun question.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: What is the one app or podcast or book or maybe TV show, hobby, whatever it is that you do maybe to unwind that would give us a glimpse into who you are outside of work?
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_00: Well, from um I would say business standpoint right now, I really love Emma Greed.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: I believe it's the Aspire podcast.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's like self-empowerment, building your future, just a really, really cool podcast.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: So definitely go listen to that.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: And then I would say, like, if it's just me sitting on a beach and just wanting to listen to something, it's definitely Call Our Daddy.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: Just has like a lot of good celebrity guests and hot topics.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's a fun one to listen to when, you know, you just want to put something in your ear and have a good laugh.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: So is the beach your unwinding place?
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_00: The beach.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, any place where I can have a cocktail is my unwinding place.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_00: So then that could be in my backyard or on a beach, anywhere.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: I just I think I'm that person.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'd love to just, you know, and just go to a nice restaurant and have a nice meal and a nice glass of wine.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's how I like to unwind.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Kim, I think that's a great way to wrap up the show.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: I know your time's very valuable, so thank you so much for doing this, and I really appreciate you being on the show today.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, any time.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: Let me know.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: I would be happy to come back.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, and to all your listeners out there, I thank you for your time as well.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_01: And until the next story.