Grace amid adversity, perseverance and family support.
These are sources of strength the honorees of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce All About Women event identified last week when describing how they achieved success in their respective careers.
McAllen’s Legendary Business Women Luncheon honored business owner Laurie Lozano, Dr. Fredericka Borland, a surgeon and longtime leader at Rio Grande Regional Hospital, and attorney Katie Pearson Klein.
All three women spoke at the event about the challenges they faced in the workforce and how they got to the positions they hold today.
Pearson Klein, a managing partner of Dale & Klein LLP, has been practicing family law since 1987.
She said her best friend’s father inspired her while in grade school. A lawyer himself, he saw a spark in her.
Pearson Klein said he helped her find her way into a profession that went on to become her career.
Recently, however, Pearson Klein faced a devastating year. In 2020, she lost her mother and husband to COVID-19.
But she’s no stranger to adversity, having worked in what continues to be a male-dominated profession.
Still, nothing discouraged her from her career path, even from early on.
In fact, deciding their careers at a young age seemed to be a common trait among the honorees.
However, none as young as Borland, who said she knew she wanted to be a doctor since the age of 5.
Borland’s advice to young women: don’t hesitate to get an education.
“You don’t need to make all the decisions at once,” she said. “If you want to go to medical school, go to medical school. Then you can decide what specialty you want to go into. You don’t have to go in knowing everything. … If you want to become something, find out how and then go for it.”
Borland also pointed to her “persistence” as a sort of superpower.
“I got my goal to be a physician and I just went right for it,” she added. “I didn’t deviate.”
She encouraged women to learn all the aspects of the trade, and then some, including courses in business and negotiation, before entering the field.
After decades of serving the community’s health needs, Borland felt honored to be recognized Thursday.
“Obviously I feel there’s probably a lot of other women in the McAllen area which also deserve this honor as well,” she said. “This community has always been really good to me so it was very nice of them to honor me like this.”
The surgeon said she was happy to see so many business women in McAllen pursuing their careers.
Lozano said she was also humbled and honored to be recognized by the Chamber of Commerce.
“I recognize that any one of those women in the group could easily have been the person being honored,” Lozano said. “There were so many women in the audience who have accomplished so many things and have done so many things for the community.”
Those who spoke at the event on behalf of Lozano said she has a gift to inspire and encourage people.
Lozano said she and her husband were very young, in their early 20s, when they started their business. Now, they own and operate 41 Dairy Queens and two Schlotzky’s restaurants, employing over 800 team members, she said, adding that she was grateful for her partner.
Her advice to young women: learn as much as possible.
“Recognize the importance of everyone; the customer, the team you’re forming, your staff and the people that help you grow your business — such as your partners, your bankers, your accountant — and surround yourself with smart people and anything is possible,” she said.
Lozano cited her family as her greatest source of strength.
“My (source of strength is my) daughter that is genuine and caring and always encourages me. She inspires me to want to be a better person. And then of course my husband, my partner and the love of my life. He’s definitely one of my superpowers,” she said. “And our team — our team that works hard everyday and helps us do what we do so that I’m able to sit there in front of all those beautiful women and get honored.”
