It’s a Sweet Ride to the Top

Finance is typically considered a “man’s world,” but Contreras-Sweet feels that her success in the industry is due to the fact that she really never stopped to think about the field being male-dominated, or that she was a woman competing in a traditionally male domain. She tends to view everyone as a human being first and foremost, and seeks to find things she has in common with those she deals with, rather than focusing on any differences they might have. She says she “would rather build bridges and represent all groups of people.”

One of the ingredients she feels has been key to her success is networking – in every situation, she has been able to call on a network of family or friends she has made over the years, not the least of which are key contacts she developed during her years in state government.

When talking about family, Contreras-Sweet is quick to point out that her grandmother, Emelia Torres, taught her the power of saying “yes.” Helping people and enabling them to succeed, her grandmother believed, was an important basic element of conducting oneself in life. She also taught Contreras-Sweet that it’s not the positions we obtain for ourselves in life that are important, it’s the difference we make when we are in those positions. Contreras-Sweet has certainly demonstrated that she has taken her grandmother’s words to heart.