Women Of Influence

Linda Swearingen didn't spend much time thinking about the fact that she was working with mostly men. She was early in her career, working for a real estate investment trust, and it wasn't that notable to her that out of 40 or so desks on the loan floor, only hers and one other were occupied by women. "Except one day, nobody was there," Swearingen recalled during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. "Where is everybody?" she said she asked, and was quickly informed that the nearly all-male workforce had stepped out for a Friday afternoon golf game. She knew immediately what she needed to do. "My husband taught me how to play golf," Swearingen said, and soon she found herself invited to play alongside her colleagues. "I just kind of acclimated," she said of her time in the male-dominated office. "I didn't see it as an obstacle. I just saw it as something I had to figure out." Today Swearingen serves as an executive vice president and partner with Columbus real estate power player Casto. The commercial real estate industry is still one where you're unlikely to find many women, something she says can be hard to explain. But she does have advice for young women who may be interested in the field, but uncertain about some of what the negotiation and sales components require. Women, she said, need to be OK with the "tough calls" that are required in striking a deal – and unafraid to draw on their ability to build personal relationships that can make those negotiations smoother.

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