Women’s History Month Spotlight: Angela Palo on Growth, Mentorship, and Success
In recognition of National Women’s History Month, we sat down with Angela Palo, COO of Pinnacle Financial Services, to learn more about her career journey.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the insurance industry?
I actually did not pursue it. I kind of fell into it, but once there, I stayed because I love the relationship side of it. This is really a people business at the end of the day, and I like that I could build something long-term while helping clients solve real issues.
What skills or habits do you believe were most critical in your advancement?
Honestly, just being consistent, showing up, being prepared, doing what I say and saying what I do. Nothing flashy, just steady, consistent effort at all times.
Throughout your career, did you have any mentors?
Yes, I actually had great mentors. I started my career at a company called Prudential. You might have heard of it. And I had a female boss there who really just inspired me and just said “You could do whatever you wanna do.”
When I joined the Medicare industry, Kevin Shields was my mentor and he has especially been a big impact on me. I watched his style, I emulated it, and then he provided opportunities and he’s always pushed me to think bigger and step up even when I wasn’t sure I was ready to do that.
What setbacks have you faced as your career flourished, and how did you push through them?
There’s definitely been setbacks; deals that didn’t work out, moments where I had to prove myself, and times where I questioned things, but I am nothing if not persistent.
I just kept going.
I try not to dwell on the losses and instead focus on what I can learn and do better the next time. In fact, outside of my office, I have a poster that says: “We learn by mistakes. Forget the mistake. Remember the lesson.”
What professional advice have you received that helped you grow?
One piece of advice that stuck with me is to control what you can control. I can’t force an outcome, but I can control how I approach it, what my effort is, what my attitude is, and how prepared I am, and that’s really what I’ve learned to do every day.
What pushed you outside your comfort zone and how have those moments helped you grow?
Taking on bigger leadership roles before I was really a hundred percent ready, or at least how I felt. Those moments also helped me grow the most. I had to figure it out.
It built my confidence.
I realized I was more capable than I thought, and I just kept going.
What have been the most valuable skills you’ve cultivated throughout your career?
I would say building real relationships, staying resilient, learning how to read the room. They’ve probably been my most valuable skills.
It’s a relationship business, and in this business, a lot of it comes down to trust. People have to trust you.
What makes Pinnacle a good employer for women?
Well, because here, it’s your performance that matters. You do your job, you show up, you deliver, you get opportunities.
That’s why we have so many women leaders here. You know, look at our operations team, look at our support team, our accounting team, our design team, it’s all women then in those areas, right?
And look at me: I’m the COO of the company. So, there’s room to grow and your voice actually matters, and the people in charge recognize that.
