Apple Valley resident Robin Peterson benefits from possessing a posi-tive attitude – a vital trait in today’s real estate market.

“I don’t look at life with obstacles,” Peterson said. “People say the realestate market has been challenging. We’ve gone into a challenging real

estate market and found homes for people and helped people sellhomes.”

As president of Coldwell Banker Burnet, Peterson overseesthe day-to-day operations for the company’s 24 salesoffices in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Rochester and WesternWisconsin, as well as managing 1,800 sales associates.Her journey to the top of Coldwell Banker Burnet beganwhere she grew up – Westfield, NJ – 20 miles from NewYork City.Peterson grew up watching her father operate the familytextile business in New York City. He died when she was16, leaving her to help keep the business going.“I was exposed to even the business elements and respon-sibility at a very young age,” Peterson said. “I reappliedsome of what I saw him. He had an extremely strong work

ethic.”Peterson’s mother had a strong influence on developing herpositive attitude – a trait she relies heavily on as president.“She always looks for the good in people and always taughtme how you seek out positive attributes, and that in turnenriches your life,” Peterson said.That advice has helped make Peterson successful in the realestate world.

Robin Peterson, President,Coldwell Banker Burnet

>>>> Forging a Private Path-Page 6

2 Women in Business – Thursday, October 27, 2011 – www.MinnLocal.com In the Community, With the Community, For the Community

Many women reach their 50s and 60s anddecide the adventure of a new challenge issimply too hard to resist. Oftentimes, thisnew challenge comes in the form of a sec-ond career.

Though the United States Department ofLabor notes it’s difficult to pinpoint howmany career changes the average workerundergoes during his or lifetime, careercoaches typically say women will undergobetween three and seven career changes dur-ing their lifetime. Of course, such estimatesno doubt include career changes at the onsetof a one’s professional life, when many peo-ple are not precisely sure what they want todo for a living.

For older workers, the uncertainty liesless in what they want to do and more in ifthey can pull it off. For those who havealready decided what they want to do, con-sider the following tips to help ensure thatdream becomes a reality.

Be PatientAside from being qualified, the most

important thing a person changing careerscan be is patient. A successful career changedoes not happen overnight. Some careerchanges might require returning to school.Others might not require a new degree, butmight require an established professionalstart from the bottom up. Whatever the situ-ation, it’s best to remain patient. If your newcareer is worth pursuing, be patient enoughto see it through.

NetworkNetworking is often seen as an opportuni-

ty to advance within your own industry.However, networking can be just as valu-able when changing careers. People withinyour network might be able to introduce you

to new contacts outside of your industry.These contacts, even if they don’t have a jobto offer, can often provide valuable insightinto the industry you’re attempting to enter.

VolunteerIf your second career is going to be a

complete 180 from your current field, itmight help to volunteer and gain some expe-rience before beginning a job search.Volunteering can prove beneficial in manyways. First and foremost, it provides poten-tially valuable experience you likely don’thave, and that experience may help downthe road when you begin looking for a full-time position.

Another benefit to volunteering is it canprovide a genuine look into the industry.This will either strengthen your desire toenter this new field or might encourage youto think more deeply about your pendingcareer change if the field isn’t quite whatyou thought it was going to be.

Finally, volunteering can be a great wayto get your foot in the door. Should a posi-tion open up, a company is much more like-ly to consider the man or woman who hasbeen volunteering at the firm than someonethey don’t know.

Be FlexibleIn today’s job market, the flexible candi-

dates are more likely to be successful. Whenchanging careers, be as flexible as possible.Determine if relocation is a viable option,and assess your financial situation to deter-mine how much financial flexibility youhave. Career changes often come at theexpense of a smaller salary. If your financialsituation does not allow for a reduction insalary, now might not be the right time tochange careers.

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In the Community, With the Community, For the Community www.MinnLocal.com – Thursday, October 27, 2011– Women in Business 3

Peterson/From coverBY MATT HANKEY - SUN NEWSAPERS

A former middle school English and his-tory teacher on the East Coast, Petersonmoved to Minnesota in 1976 when her hus-band, Fran, was pursuing a job opportunityin the Twin Cities.

After some exposure to real estate on theeast coast, Peterson launched into the fieldafter meeting the company’s founder –Ralph Burnet – when buying her first homein Eagan in 1976.

“He was extremely inspiring and I decid-ed to go into real estate at the point in time,”said Peterson, who has lived in Apple Valleysince 1979.

She saw the real estate business as one shecould advance in, while helping othersachieve their home ownership goals.

“My belief in helping others grow moti-vates me,” Peterson said. “I get passionateabout our business, but I’m as passionateabout seeing people succeed.”

She began her career with ColdwellBanker Burnet as a sales associate, and laterbecame branch managers for Bloomingtonand Eagan, afterwards becoming the directorof training for the company.

From there, Peterson was the regionalvice president and executive vice presidentbefore becoming president of the companyin 2000, working at its headquarters inEdina.

Peterson noted that women compriseroughly half of the upper management posi-tions in the company.

“There are no glass ceilings in this com-pany,” Peterson said. “The sky is the limit aslong as you want to work hard and be pas-sionate about what you do.”

She is an admitted proponent of being ahands-on manager.

“My management style is one of involve-ment, but also one of empowerment,”Peterson said. “I give permission for every-one to give and receive feedback. It’s a cul-ture that success begets success. Without astrong work ethic, you can’t achieve yourultimate potential or success.”

As president, Peterson has helped imple-ment a home resource center for the compa-ny. The center has a concierge service and acall center, which helps both real estateshoppers and company sales associates.

One center feature allows customers tocall the company when they have a questionor need with their home and a sales associ-ate can then recommend a business specificto their needs.

Peterson said the customer feedback hasbeen excellent regarding the home resourcecenter.

“In addition, people come through ourwebsite and can ask questions in real time

about their real estate needs,” Peterson said.Peterson has also overseen the creation of

the company’s transaction management sys-tem, which contains all customer closingdocuments – accessed by customers with ausername and password.

Peterson said she has worked to makebusiness easier for both her employees andthe clients they serve.

“I have a belief that you have to try differ-ent things that are consumer-based and alsofor our sales associates,” she said. “If 51 per-cent of them work, you’ll still be in busi-ness.”

Peterson derives inspiration from numer-

ous places, but cites her family as one of thestrongest.

Her job duties often overlap with impor-tant dates such as holidays – days she wouldrather be with her family. But, she involvesher family in her work life and said that is akey for anyone’s success, not just her own.

On one Mother’s Day, she was workingan open house and her husband and two chil-dren came through the home’s front doorand surprised her with balloons and flowers.She wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My children have been able to grow upseeing me live my passion,” Peterson said.“They’ve been so supportive of my career.”

Apple Valley resident Robin Peterson has been the president of Coldwell Banker Burnet since 2000. “I see life as a series ofgrowth experiences,” Peterson said. “I fell in love with the career of real estate because it helps people grow themselves and helpschange lifestyles.” (Photo by Matthew Hankey – Sun Newspapers)

My management style is one of involvement, but also one of empowerment. I give permissionfor everyone to give and receive feedback. It’s a culture that success begets success. Without a

strong work ethic, you can’t achieve your ultimate potential or success.

Robin Peterson, President Coldwell Banker Burnet

“ ”

Fulfilling dreams, achieving goals

4 Women in Business – Thursday, October 27, 2011 – www.MinnLocal.com In the Community, With the Community, For the Community

BY KASSIE PETERMANNSUN NEWSPAPERS

She is repre-senting the com-munity she grewup in, while find-ing a healthy bal-ance between work and family.

Lori Higgins is the presidentand first female CEO of theMetroNorth Chamber ofCommerce. She became the newpresident May 17, 2010, replac-ing Tom Snell, who retired after26 years.

Higgins graduated from CoonRapids High School and receiveda four-year full tuition scholar-ship to Augsburg College.

She took advantage of postsecondary opportunities in highschool, which earned her collegecredits. So, Higgins was able tomajor in German and internation-al relations, minor in political sci-ence and history, study abroadand graduate in four years.

Growing up, Higgins wantedto be an ambassador to the UnitedNations or an ambassador toGermany.

“When I graduated from col-lege, they were not knocking onmy door,” Higgins said with alaugh. “So I had to figure out PlanB. I’ve learned since then that lifeis a series of stepping stones.”

Higgins worked as a deputydistrict director for a U.S. con-gressman for eight years and thenworked in the private sector forsix years.

She said she missed workingmore with the community, so sheleft her job right as the recessionbegan.

“It was a difficult move, but I

decided it wasn’tmy calling,” shesaid.

H i g g i n sserved as thedirector of oper-ations forM e t r o N o r t h

beginning in February 2009before being named president andCEO.

Of her position as president ofthe chamber, Higgins said, “It’sjust been a really good fit.”

Founded in 1968, the chamberis the fourth largest in the metroarea and has nearly 700 membersin the greater Anoka County area.Higgins said the chamber tries tobe the voice for businesses whenit comes to issues such as taxesand transportation. She said thechamber offers members opportu-nities that relate to education, net-working and advertising.

Leading way

Leading way inMetroNorth

Lori Higgins is the president andfirst female CEO of the MetroNorthChamber of Commerce.

Shirley Barnes is the Chief Executive Officer for Crest View Senior Communities, a faith based, not-for-profit organization serving over 400 seniors in Anoka County and employing approximately 270 people.Crest View has just entered its 60th anniversary year of serving older adults in Columbia Heights and isexpanding its services in Anoka County, including developing its second campus in the City of Blaine.Crest View is a community serving our community, and we are active and supportive participants inevents.

We serve older adults across the spectrum that includes senior housing (both market rate rental and rental for people onlimited incomes), assisted living, memory care, skilled care in our care center, short term rehab care, home health care,outpatient rehabilitative therapy. We also are a major employer in the City of Columbia Heights, and therefore, an economicdevelopment driver. In addition, we offer volunteer opportunities for people of all ages.

Shirley has over 32 years of experience in the older adult services provider community and has a Master’s degree in HealthServices Administration. She currently serves on the Board of Directors, as Vice-Chair, for the Anoka County WorkforceCouncil. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. Shirley serves onthe Executive Committee for the Board of Directors for CareChoice, a cooperative made up of 23 non-profit organizationsserving older adults. On a national level, Shirley serves on the Leadership Circle for LeadingAge, the national associationrepresenting not-for-profit providers of aging services and also on a long-term care committee for MedAssets, a nationalgroup purchasing organization.

When asked what advice she would give young people coming out of college, she commented, “Never forget how you got tothe dance and never burn bridges”. She went on to say, I remember why I felt called to this field of work and that is tomake a positive difference in the lives of the people we serve and those who serve them. This is like a family and we createcommunity by embracing the people we serve.

We are facing challenging times and it is the organizations that are “fluid” and more fearful of not changing, than of chang-ing, that will thrive. I have two favorite quotes and they are, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” by Albert Ein-stein. The other favorite is by Will Rogers, “Even you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.”

The quote that I rely on most is from the Bible, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Crest ViewSenior CommunitiesShirley Barnes, Chief Executive Officer

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In the Community, With the Community, For the Community www.MinnLocal.com – Thursday, October 27, 2011– Women in Business 5

Leading way/From previous

“We wear a lot of hats here as we try toaccomplish all those things,” Higgins said.

As chamber president, Higgins managesthe daily operations of the office in Blaine.She reports to the 15-member Board ofDirectors, which helps plan the chamber’sstrategic vision, which in turn Higgins helpsexecute.

She is also responsible for the chamber’sfinances – ensuring everything is budgetedappropriately and that the chamber is a goodsteward of membership dollars.

Higgins also looks for and sets up cre-ative events and pro-gramming for mem-bers.

“It’s exciting,”Higgins said of beingthe chamber’s firstfemale CEO. “I washappy to get to workhere in this organiza-tion and get to meetso many people.

“I was just reallyblown away by all thesupport I’ve receivedfrom the membersand the board. … It’sreally an honor,” shesaid. “I just feel real-ly blessed.

“I’m really happyto represent the com-munity that I grew upin and the people whoare my neighbors andnow friends. I reallyenjoy it.”

Asked about someof the chamber’sa c c o m p l i s h m e n t ssince she’s been pres-ident, Higgins notedthe U.S. Chamber of Commerce awardedthe chamber with an accreditation for itssound policies, effective organizational pro-cedures, and positive impact on the commu-nity.

The chamber also began offering a net-working group called Working WithWomen, which seeks to inform, educate andconnect business women in the area. Thegroup is open to any chamber member, and

50 to 70 members have attended each meet-ing.

“It’s been a phenomenal success,”Higgins said. “It’s really filled a niche thatwas a need in the community … It’s beenreally well received, and we’re really proudof that.”

Asked about any challenges she’s experi-enced as chamber president, Higgins said itcan be difficult to find balance betweenwork and taking time to renew and spendtime with family. Higgins is also workingtoward a master’s degree in leadershipthrough Augsburg College.

“Trying to represent so many differentmembers is always achallenge,” she said.“You want to pleaseeverybody, but that’sjust not possible, soyou hope that you’redoing the right thing.

“A lot of womentend to be very rela-tionship oriented, andit’s very easy to takethings personally. Soif something goeswrong or somebody’supset, it’s very easy toeternalize that, and Ihave to remindmyself not to do thatso much.”

Higgins said shemost enjoys getting toknow all of the cham-ber members – meet-ing the faces behindthe businesses and lis-tening to stories andperspectives.

She added thatshe’s proud of theteam’s energy andcommitment to the

chamber and the efforts toward “stayingahead of the curve.”

“We’re not your father or grandfather’schamber,” Higgins said. “We’re trying tomake that impression to the entire commu-nity, that we want to be a value to all of ourmembers for things now and in the future.”

Higgins lives in Blaine with her husbandand daughters, ages 10 and 6.

Success comes throughservice to community

A lot of womentend to be very rela-tionship oriented,and it’s very easy totake things personal-ly. So if somethinggoes wrong or some-body’s upset, it’svery easy to eternal-ize that, and I have toremind myself not todo that so much.

Lori HigginsCEO, MetroNorth

Chamber of Commerce

“

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6 Women in Business – Thursday, October 27, 2011 – www.MinnLocal.com In the Community, With the Community, For the Community

BY SARAH PETERSON – SUN NEWSPAPERS

“I’ve always loved my job. ... Almost everybody isstruggling a little on the inside ... but we all kind of tend tohide those sort of things, so to make people feel comfort-able and make them realize everyone struggles a little bitand help them find ways to solve a problem in a positiveway is something I enjoy doing,” Langemo said.

But prior to pursuing counseling, she actually studiedbusiness, earned a degree and worked in business beforebecoming a stay-at-home mom. She then became moreinvolved at her church, where she began teaching churchclasses.

“The funniest thing happened: The church students andtheir parents came to me with their problems (for advice).... I realized I wasn’t all that knowledgeable, and it got methinking, ‘Hmm, maybe this is something I want to do,’”Langemo said.

She went back to school, now in her mid-30s, and earned

her masters in counseling psychology and is licensed as aprofessional counselor.

Her specialties are anger management, stress reduction,child and teen issues, chemical awareness, and group andindividual therapy.

“I like working with young people, so I got a positionwith Lee Carlson Center; their biggest emphasis is helpingyoung people,” she said.

The Center’s founder had wanted to provide counselingin the schools to make it more accessible, because manypeople don’t take the time and effort to bring their childrento counseling, in addition to all the other commitments stu-dents might have, she said.

So Langemo worked in Westwood, Northpark andKenneth Hall Elementary schools, as well as Fridley HighSchool and Fridley Alternative Learning Center.

One lesson she learned in those years, she said, is thatyou can never truly tell when you’re helping someone. Forging her own path

Vicki Langemo of Blaineworked with the Lee CarlsonCenter in Fridley for 17years, counseling students inthe Spring Lake Park,Columbia Heights andFridley school districts.

This year, Langemo openedher own private counselingpractice, with an office inCoon Rapids. She alsoreleased a new meditationCD – “Relax, Unwind andSleep: A RelaxationMeditation and PositiveVisualization Journey” –based on techniques sheused previously with clients,several of whom laterrequested a recording of themeditation to practice moreregularly.

Forging a Private PathFormer Lee CarlsonCenter counselor sets out on her own

Vicki Langemo of Blaine

In the Community, With the Community, For the Community www.MinnLocal.com – Thursday, October 27, 2011– Women in Business 7

Forging her own path/From previousWhen she was working previously in the

elementary schools, a first-grader had beenreferred to her for a peer counseling group.The boy made a point of telling her regular-ly, “I don’t want to be here,” rarely partici-pated and didn’t want to talk. The next year,his parents said they wanted him to continuewith counseling, so, despite Langemo’sdoubts, he continued to silently attend thecounseling. That year, he began to partici-pate a little more in some counseling topic-related games, but otherwise refused to par-ticipate.

In the third year, he wasn’t at the sameschool, so he wasn’t initially signed up toattend the counseling group. He ran into herlater that fall and told her that he had need-ed the counseling group, although he admit-ted that, no, he hadn’t wanted to attend.

“I could tell, from the things he said, thathe had learned a lot from my group,”Langemo said. The student was using someof the key words and phrases that had beentaught in the group sessions when talkingabout his feelings.

“For two years, I thought I wasn’t help-ing this young boy at all, and I found out,yes, I had been,” Langemo said.

While her career has its fair share ofmundane paperwork – her least favorite partof her job – it also has the thrill of making

connections with people.“My favorite is ... being able to help cre-

ate a new awareness in their life about whattheir problems are causing in their life, andhow to change,” she said.

Many people are uncomfortable with theidea of counseling or wonder what newthing a counselor could possibly say tothem, Langemo said. Potential visitorsshould visit her website to learn more abouther and meet her via a video she posted,where she talks about her counseling andhow she believes in working with andempowering people.

“So many people want there to be some-thing magical or simple that will be a quickfix, but normally it’s something you have towork on, like a sport,” Langemo said.

If you’re learning a new sport, like golfor basketball, you don’t pick up the gear, goout there and play like a pro, she said. “Youhave to go learn the basics and practice, andwhen someone’s trying to change somethingin their life, they need some techniques andtools, because they might have no clue howto change,” Langemo said.

“Change doesn’t necessarily come supereasy, but if you work at it and practice,there’s all kinds of things you can change inyour life,” she added.

Online: betterlifetoday.net.

This year broughttwo changes forVicki Langemo: therelease of a newmeditation CD andstarting her ownprivate counselingpractice. (CD frontcover image cour-tesy of VickiLangemo)

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8 Women in Business – Thursday, October 27, 2011 – www.MinnLocal.com In the Community, With the Community, For the Community

I would like to honor all of the women at Sun Media for their dedication and professionalism. All ofyour team members and our over 1 Million readers appreciate your enthusiasm and commitment todeliver the best local news and information to the communities we serve.

Jeffrey Coolman, Publisher

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