And while I was there, I worked in the career development office. Oh, okay. And I loved it because I was able to help those students figure out and especially those undergrads who come in and they don't know what they wanna do. Right. Which is all of them. Yes. And I helped them figure out where they wanted to go. And I don't think there's anyone that I know of that's an HR that actually said, oh, I'm gonna go into HR. We kind of fall into it. Yes. And so I ended up falling into HR. I've always wanted to be a servant leader, and I do see HR professionals as servant leaders. We're helping the employees. We're helping our team members. We're helping, you know, the business. Mhmm. And so that, I just ended up falling there. This is Inspiring Women, and I'm Lori McGraw. And today, I'm speaking with Camille Wright, and she is the director of human resources at the American Health Marketplace, which I actually wanna learn about, Camille. And so thank you for being on Inspiring Women. Thank you for having me. It's awesome to be here. Okay. Here we are. We're in Chicago, and you are attending the SHRM conference. So first of all, tell me about what your job is, and tell me a little bit about the American, what is it? American Health Marketplace. What does the company do? So I am the director of human resources at American Health Marketplace, and we are a health insurance marketing company. Okay. So when I say that, people go, what does that mean? Yes. That was my next quest that was my next question. So we have, over 700 licensed health insurance agents throughout 28 different states that help individuals under the age of 65 Okay. Attain health care through health care dot gov through the marketplace. Oh, okay. So you would think about ACA plans. Yep. So Obamacare, Trumpcare, Bidencare. Who hasn't? Yeah. So you've helped millions and millions and millions of Americans get health insurance. Is that right? That is correct. Wow. Okay. So those are complex, you know, marketplaces, and, we know we all, as the public, know a lot more about them because of the technology underneath and how important it was to stand those up. So tell us a little bit more about the company in terms of, you know, how large of it it is, how many people it serves, and how many team members you might have. Yeah. So we started when I started there, it's about two and a half years that I've been with the company. We had about a 150 employees. Mhmm. So at the height of our season, and right now, we're at 700 and a little over 720 employees right now. So you've grown a little bit. Yeah. And we are still growing. Big part of coming to SHRM was to learn a little bit about California as we're breaking into that market next Okay. As we're expanding our data, IT, and info security team. Mhmm. So, Camille, in in your role and, you know, in terms of your job, so how long have you been an HR professional and HR leader? Mhmm. So I've been in HR for over 12 years. Prior to working at American Health, I worked in home health. So I thought on the other, you know, other side of the spectrum where we had nurses going into the patients' homes, clients' homes, helping them with physical therapy, bed and bath, just being a companion. Mhmm. And we were there in the height of COVID when that you know, all of that happened. And our nurses were scared for themselves Sure. For them for their loved ones. And then also still wanting to help because they got into this career wanting to help others. So Yeah. We were really that that was really huge for us. And now I'm on the other end of the spectrum where we're working with the actual agents that are providing the health insurance plans for these clients. So your HR professional career has always been in the space of health and care. Yes. And so, Camille, if you just, wouldn't mind if sharing, just like what drew you into the space of HR? Why was that a calling for you? Okay. So I actually wanted to be a dean at a university. Okay. Well, before that, I wanted to go into radio. Oh, oh, oh. This is kind of like radio. This is you're you you've arrived. So then I I had a great experience, at my college. I went to Nova Southeastern University, and there was an awesome dean of student affairs, and I just fell in love with my college experience. Okay. So so, Camille, so, like, when when did you, sort of, you know, when did HR become something that was important to you? Is that what you went to school for? So, actually, I started out with my bachelor's degree in communication studies. I wanted to be in radio. Yes. And then there was this awesome dean of student affairs, and I love I fell in love with my college, my university. I went So I So I went in and got my master's in college student affairs with a concentration in conflict resolution and analysis. And while I was there, I worked in the career development office. Oh, okay. And I loved it because I was able to help those students figure out and especially those undergrads who come in and they don't know what they wanna do. Right. Which is all of them. Yes. And I helped them figure out where they wanted to go. And I don't think there's anyone that I know that's an HR that actually said, oh, I'm gonna go into HR. We kind of fall into it. Yes. And so I ended up falling into HR. I've always wanted to be a servant leader, and I do see HR professionals as servant leaders. We're helping the employees. We're helping our team members. We're helping, you know, the business. Mhmm. And so that I just ended up falling there. Yep. Well, I tell you what. I mean, I think that, you know, the role of HR, I think just, you know, maybe because of the pandemic, maybe because of the war on you know, for talent, that is out there, The understanding of the profession as human capital is the most important asset of any in organization. So that area of whether it's professional development or whether it's, you know, employee retention or onboarding or all of the tools or providing the best benefits, you know, for affordable health and care, that actually is a critical and sometimes underappreciated. But I think more today, people really do understand that this is a critical area. Mhmm. So when you be as a servant leader, understanding that that was important to you, When did, when did the sort of, like, tie to health care from just in the 12 years you've been doing it, it's been in the area of health and care. Is that correct? Yes. Yes. So I didn't pick health care. I just fell into it. Picked you. It picked you. Picked me as many things. And it's funny because, I went to one of the sessions, and Al Roker said, don't follow your dreams. Follow your opportunity. Mhmm. And that's exactly what I've been doing. I'm more of like a go with the flow. If it feels right, I'm gonna go with it. Right? So I've always done that. I thought that was a really great nugget. I think everyone should do that. Yep. You know? Follow those opportunities that come along. Yep. So, Camille, one of the things that I like to highlight on inspiring women is just the leadership journey of exceptional women like yourself. So if you wouldn't mind sharing, like, one of those opportunities that presented it presented itself to you, and you said yes, Where others might say no or might not take that, you know, sort of risk. Can you share something that, that impacted you? Oh, that's a hard question. I'm always the person to say yes. And I think no is a very hard word for me to say. So every time an opportunity presented itself, I said yes. And, the company I was with before after COVID, they sold, and so I had to hurry up and find a new role. And I got this role at American Health Marketplace, and I came in as the HR manager. Yep. And when I came in, the role was slated as HR manager, and there was no HR department. There was yeah. There was no HR department. There was 4 administrative assistants that did HR like, office like work, but there was no HR manager. Oh, wow. HR department. So and then I learned that the HR manager before came in, and she was like, this is too much for me. I can't do this. I have a headache thinking about this. So I took the bull by the horn and I dove right in. Yeah. And that was an opportunity for me because I could have said, hey. This is not a manager's role. This to build and create and come up with processes and find a team and develop them. That was not what you would think a traditional manager role is. Right. But I dived in. Yeah. And I took that opportunity. I was promoted to an HR director role within a year. Mhmm. Brought on over 600 employees in a short amount of time. I mean, that is, I mean, that is a a huge multiple multiplier of growth for that company. Brought in team members and helped them develop themselves. People who never thought to be in HR are now, oh, I need to get my SHRM certification, and they're excited about HR. Mhmm. And for me, it it's just awesome because then I get to also develop people. I get to go back to what I was doing with career development, which is really big for me. It's helping those people develop and also developing myself. Yeah. Well, you're obviously doing a fantastic job at this conference and also what you've accomplished, you know, with your with your organization. Let's talk about some of the issues that you're facing because in that short span of time that you quintupled the size of your company, built a department from the ground up, you're also facing some of the more challenging things that in workforce that, you know, we've ever seen. We're post in a post pandemic world, we're in a multigenerational, you know, like, type of employees due to age with very, very, you know, large degrees of diversity, varying degrees of, you know, ability, skill development. I mean, name an issue. You're dealing with it. So what from your perspective are the pressing issues for your team members that you're thinking about and you're trying to find solutions for? Mental health. Okay. It is huge for us. And when I first got there and I saw this issue, I immediately said, we needed to we need some type of initiative. And so we got, involved with Mental Health Action Day, which was an initiative that MTV had started in 2021. Okay. And Health Action Alliance was a part of their partner as well, and they had this mental health guide. And I pulled that guide off. We became partners and launched a whole initiative on mental health. And for the organization, the employees, you saw the level of engagement go up Mhmm. Through the roof. We launched an EAP, which they never had before, and the usage was a lot higher than you would see. So in that week that we did mental health, we had over 60% of our employees utilize our EAP for the counseling services Mhmm. Which was awesome. That was a win. Yes. And that is a big risk for us because it is a sales environment, very high stress, high pressure, and 95% of our employees are remote. Oh, okay. So there's that loneliness. Yep. And, you know, how they say loneliness is a epidemic? It really does affect our remote employees, and they look to their managers as their counselor. You know, things are going on at home. I'm gonna share that with my with my manager. So the managers needing to be able to be a mental health ally for those those employees as well. Yep. And as, you know, someone who is a leader for a workforce that is largely remote, how do you think about the role of technology in terms of helping support the initiatives that you have out there, how that provides, whether it's a level of connectedness, sense of belonging? What are the things that you look to technology to solve for you? It is very important. So we leverage Zoom. We leverage Slack. You know, we do a lot of things where we'll do a Zoom meeting, and everyone will come in. And, we have, like, once a week, a connection meeting. Right? So we would throw out a topic, and you're anyone's welcome to join in. And we all start talking about the different topics, and we're connecting. And we're also being inclusive, right, because we're talking with different people from different departments, from different areas, geographical areas. Yep. And then Slack, we we did one thing for mental health action week where we had post your pets post your puppies. Oh, yes. Because they say puppies release this kind of endorphins, and you feel happy and excited. And so I like a puppy. Who doesn't like a puppy? And we've had employees posting their chicken, their bearded dragon. It was awesome. Like, some employees had 10 pets. Oh my gosh. Okay. That's that's a different issue. But they loved it, and they were so engaged. And then we were able to match that engagement. And during that time that they were doing all of this, we were able to see our numbers go up. We were able to show that to our executive team, and they're like, okay. Well, keep it up. Yep. Yep. So, yeah, technology so so they can have some kind of face to face. Even though we don't see you, because you're not in the office, we can still see you through video. Yep. And so Yep. So, Camille, one of the things, you know, at Transcarent who is sponsoring this podcast series of of human resources leaders for organizations. We're trying to talk about some of the, items that we are seeing at TransCarent in terms of issues that people are facing and want more from their employers, which is high quality, affordable, you know, access to health and care. And so that really, you know, relates to benefits. And one of the things that is becoming more and more expensive, is health care services. And so how are you thinking about that in terms of what your employees need, team members need, and what what are you expecting from whether it's, you know, your partners? And, of course, at, you know, the American, you know, health marketplace, this is this is the business Mhmm. Of, getting connection to benefits. Yeah. So making our employees a part of the conversation. Mhmm. Not saying this is the type of benefit that we're going to offer and you take it or leave it, but actually doing actual focus groups. Mhmm. What are you looking for? What do you need? And you'll have that cost savings because you'll probably put money into a benefit that they won't necessarily use, and that's a waste where you can take that money back and put it towards something else. Mhmm. So including your employees in the conversation when you're deciding on the benefits. That is something that we're hearing as well just sort of, like, you know you know, even when you provide the benefits for team members to not even necessarily know what's available and navigating that and serving that up in ways that is, easily accessible. So that's you know, that just aligns with some of the things that we're hearing. You know, I'd like to go back to this conversation to you, to you as a leader and sort of, you know, where you are today and what you're thinking about for the future. Mhmm. So as you look ahead, Camille, you know, into the future, you know, the issues that you are dealing with today, having grown the team member from, you know, quintupling the size of the business, Those, were probably some, you know, heads down, probably not be able to just deal with what you had to deal with to get the organization to where it is today. Mhmm. As you look to the future Mhmm. What are some of the issues that are top of mind that you're thinking about that you need to grapple with next? Okay. Transparency. Absolutely. Being more transparent, listening more to our team members involving them in the conversation, that would, yeah, that would be what we would wanna focus on. And what people expect from from their their employer. Right. Exactly. That's great. So, Camille, I just wanna close out this conversation on inspiring women. I always like for women like like yourself who are in power positions, and it took what it took to get you to the position you are in today. If you wouldn't mind just sharing whether it is a piece of advice or something that you learned along the way that you feel like others don't need to learn this, they can just learn from your experience of how you got there so they can get to a position of leadership sooner, faster, maybe. Would you mind sharing some some of your best advice? Yeah. Absolutely. I have to write it down. Okay. Invest in your professional development. Yep. That is number 1. Don't have and I learned a lot, during the SHRM conference. I've heard a lot of it, and I'm like, yes. I do that all the time, is don't have a fixed mindset. Mhmm. Don't get lazy. Always think about growing. Yep. Having a growth mindset. So never think, oh, I've I'm done. I've reached I learned everything that I can learn. No. Always trying to improve yourself, always working on your professional development. And some people may say that's really hard or I don't have the funds to do that. Look at your local community. Mhmm. You know? I know CareerSource Broward for us, they give grants to help with professional development. They give grants to help with professional development. They give grants to help with Stern Certification. Look at local associations and see if they give grants. So work continue working on your professional development. Join professional organizations. So knowing where you wanna go, figuring that out, and set out a kind of a plan for you, and then connecting. Mhmm. It's really important to connect and network and be around like minded individuals. Are there people that you've met along the way that are are mentors to you or people who have helped you through that networking? Because I think that's really terrific advice, but I'd love to know how you've actually applied that. I mean, you're here at this conference. You're living the values that you're, that you're showing. But would you mind sharing an example of how you've actually, put that to practice? And when you say put that to practice, do you mean connecting, or do you mean everything? Any of that advice that that you've given, which is fantastic. Mhmm. Any of it that like, how you might have applied it in your own professional career. Absolutely. So professional development, You know, in the beginning, coming out of college, you have expensive student loans and all of that to pay back, and you don't have the money. So I looked for as many grants as I could. I watched YouTube. I watched webinars. I said, hey. What are my strengths and what are my weaknesses? I listed out all of my weaknesses, and I made sure that I had a plan of, you know, I'm gonna attend these free webinars to learn about data because I'm weak in data. Right? I did not like pivot tables. Now I love them. I love Excel spreadsheets. So focusing on those weaknesses Mhmm. And leveraging LinkedIn Learning. You know, any of that the free products that are are out there if you can't afford it. And then as far as joining professional organizations, they help you. So they're out there. You just have to Google local HR chapter if you wanna go into HR. Right? Local accounting chapter if you wanna go in accounting. And they're really big about developing and helping others, and that's where you get your connection as well. Right? Because we're always trying to pay it forward Yep. All the time. And connection, I learned during SHRM, they say the best practice for networking is being a giver, not a taker. Right? And then you have to translate that and con continue with that connection, because you never know. You're you never know who you're gonna meet. And I find that in our company and a lot of companies when we talked about it, a lot of people are hired through referrals. Mhmm. Right? It's I know this person. I know she'll be great. Let's hire her. Aside from the stack of 500 resumes that you get when you're trying to decide which candidate to choose, you're more likely to choose someone that you know or know someone you know or Right. Third connection or anything like that. So Yep. Well, you are absolutely a giver because you're giving of such great advice to this audience, and I so appreciate it. This has been an excellent inspiring women conversation. I've been speaking with Camille Wright. And Camille, thank you so very much. Absolutely. Thank you for having me. This is a lot of fun. Great. This has been an episode of inspiring women with Laurie McGraw. Please subscribe, rate, and review. We are produced at Executive Podcast Solutions. More episodes can be found on inspiring women dot show. I am Laurie McGraw, and thank you for listening.