Thriving As A Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry: Erica Colon of The Perecman Firm On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Mindset matters — positivity and confidence don’t always come naturally, but it is important to try and keep a positive mindset. Confidence will come with time.
In the United States in 2022, fields such as Aircraft piloting, Agriculture, Architecture, Construction, Finance, and Information technology, are still male-dominated industries. For a woman who is working in a male-dominated environment, what exactly does it take to thrive and succeed? In this interview series, we are talking to successful women who work in a Male-Dominated Industry who can share their stories and experiences about navigating work and life as strong women in a male-dominated industry. As a part of this series, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Erica Colon, Trial Lawyer at The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C.
Erica Colon takes pride in representing and advocating for workers, children, families and other individuals who have been wrongfully injured.
As a plaintiff’s trial attorney at The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C., she concentrates her legal practice in all aspects of personal injury law, including car accidents, workplace injuries, premises liability and construction accidents. Over the course of her career, Erica has obtained numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of her clients, helping them recover the compensation they deserve.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
I grew up in a small suburb of Rochester, NY, with my parents and siblings. As one of 4 children, it was always chaotic, but in the best way. Summer family vacations were some of the best memories growing up. I played sports from a young age through college and loved the challenge, growth, and competition that came with it. My parents worked hard to provide for us and set the example that we had to work hard for what we wanted, and nothing was going to be handed to us. I started working as early as I could and worked extremely hard to get to where I am now in my career.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
I always excelled in school and loved learning, both in and out of the classroom. The law always intrigued me, and at some point during college, I made the commitment to pursue law school. I found my way into personal injury litigation during a summer associate position and loved the experience and work. Most of my work now is representing injured workers, and I have a real appreciation for the dangers people face every day going to work. I love advocating for people and making an impact.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Integrity — your name precedes you. Let it do so in a good way.
Being self-aware — there is always room for growth and an opportunity to learn something.
Staying positive — Keeping a positive perspective, especially in stressful situations, helps to navigate challenges that come up in work and personal life.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you help articulate a few of the biggest obstacles or challenges you’ve had to overcome while working in a male-dominated industry?
For me, one of the biggest obstacles early in my career was the feeling of walking into a room, knowing that you have to prove yourself. With that, it’s easy to let imposter syndrome sneak in. Reminding myself how hard I worked to get to where I am and how capable I am at doing the job and doing it well has helped to grow my confidence in time. That, and always showing up prepared, have been critical to overcoming those challenges.
Most recently, one of the biggest challenges after becoming a mom is setting boundaries while proving to my peers and myself that I am still capable and thriving at work. The reality is that becoming a mom has made me more efficient in my working hours — a lot of the skills you gain as a new mom translate into strengths in the workplace.
Can you share a few of the things you have done to gain acceptance among your male peers and the general work community? What did your female co-workers do? Can you share some stories or examples?
Advocate for yourself. Say yes to new opportunities when they present themselves. Demand respect, but also be respectful. I learned from a young age that no one owes you anything. Always prepare for the task at hand and show up equipped for the challenge so that you can rise to the occasion. Acceptance will come without hesitation if you show up from a place of hard work and integrity.
Share experiences with colleagues and peers and be each other’s support system. Also, don’t take the work or yourself too seriously. There is always something to learn. One of my friends and mentors often reminds me that it’s the practice of law, not the perfection of law. It’s important to remember that we’re all human.
What do you think male-oriented organizations can do to enhance their recruiting efforts to attract more women?
I think that, ultimately, a workplace that encourages collaboration and offers opportunities to both women and men would help attract women in their recruiting efforts.
Ok thank you for all of that. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Challenge yourself — There is always something to learn, and taking risks often presents opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t have come up.
- Steer clear of judgment — of yourself and others.
- Don’t take things too personal (or too serious) — we’re our own worst critics. Welcoming constructive feedback has always helped me grow. It’s important to stay humble and be willing to learn.
- Mindset matters — positivity and confidence don’t always come naturally, but it is important to try and keep a positive mindset. Confidence will come with time.
- Collaborate — Ask questions, be a team player, and collaborate. Most of the best ideas and problem-solving come from a few people putting their heads together. No one has all of the answers. Be open and willing to work with others.
If you had a close woman friend who came to you with a choice of entering a field that is male-dominated or female-dominated, what would you advise her? Would you advise a woman friend to start a career in a field or industry that’s traditionally been mostly men? Can you explain what you mean?
I would tell her to pick the career that she wanted based on her skill set and aspirations, not on whether the industry is male- or female-dominated. Ultimately, if you work hard and show up prepared, you can break through any stereotypes or glass ceilings that might exist. The challenges that sometimes presented themselves in a male-dominated career were often the moments that offered the most opportunity for growth and success. In the same breath, some of my male colleagues have been my biggest advocates and mentors throughout the years. Understand that both men and women can be allies for each other. As long as you have the right work ethic and confidence, the room should not control your decision on whether or not to enter it.
Have you seen things change for women working in male-dominated industries, over the past ten years? How do you anticipate that it might improve in the future? Can you please explain what you mean?
I think it continues to improve. When I graduated from law school almost 10 years ago, there were fewer law firms with female lawyers. I see more women becoming lawyers and entering the courtroom, and thriving in this (and other) male-dominated industries. It’s great to see. I think it will continue to improve as we continue to welcome equal opportunities and advocate for ourselves and each other.
Where you work also makes a difference. I have worked in firms that have a diverse or supportive culture, and I’ve worked in firms that did not. With my current employer, I feel I am respected, as are my other female peers. It’s both motivating and encouraging to come to a workplace day in and out where I feel respected and that my input is valued.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to meet Mariska Hargitay. I’ve always loved watching her acting career and think it is admirable the philanthropist work she does off the screen with her non-profit “Joyful Heart Foundation,” which she created to help survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. I respect her tenacity, admire her talents, and love how she has thrived and broke the mold in another male-dominated industry.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Thriving As A Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry: Erica Colon of The Perecman Firm On The Five… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.