By Veronica Nguyen
Veronica Nguyen, co-founder and EVP of BeSmartee, recounts her journey as a woman leading a digital mortgage firm — and embracing risk and innovation — in an era of rapid technological change in the mortgage industry.
As a woman in business with my husband, I realize he is more of a risk-taker than I am. And here’s why: he will always make the big bet, and will put everything on the line for the big win. On the other hand, when making big decisions, I look at things from a different lens: I look at the odds, the risk, and the reward. I ask myself questions like, “What happens if this doesn’t work out?” or “What happens if we are successful?” or “Am I willing to put everything on the line?”
Risking it All for Innovation
Now, when I talk about risk, I want to make it clear that I am not saying women are less likely to take risks than men. As a matter of fact, I think women take risks every day. Some of us just have a different approach when doing so. In order to innovate and run a successful company, you have to take chances, especially in today’s digital world, where change is swift and certain.
So, when the market hit rock bottom in 2008, we decided to risk it all.
Out of my comfort zone? Yes. Necessary? Without question.
When we started BeSmartee, I stopped playing it safe. It was time to bet all my chips. The economy was already going down, and mortgage companies were at their worst. How much worse could it get?
Well, for starters, we weren’t able to raise venture capital money. At the time, investors didn’t understand our product or realize the impact it would have on the mortgage industry. We were on the brink of something huge, but no one could see it!
