Unless they were born into it, most people would admit they did not seek a career in the ARM industry. But, for Lexi Knight, her start in the industry was even more random. She was walking door-to-door in an office park handing out her resume when a firm handshake and positive attitude landed her a job as a skip tracer. More than 13 years later and she is now the Chief Compliance Officer at Investment Retrievers. Her climb up the corporate ladder most likely has something to do with being in the office at 5:30am most days. Read on to learn more about Lexi.
Company: Investment Retrievers
Length of time at current company: 11 years
Length of time in industry: 13 years
How did you get your start in the industry?
I needed a job so, I walked door-to-door in a business park handing out my resume. Finally, I found Investment Retrievers and was hired due to my firm handshake and positive attitude.
What is your career highlight so far?
Working my way up the corporate ladder. I started as a skiptracer with no experience, worked my way through most of the positions in our company, and am now an Executive.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
Dara Tarkowski. She is a successful, knowledgeable, and honest compliance attorney, who is also raising three young children. She is a wonderful mother and attorney. She inspires me to devote my time evenly amongst my work, family, and friends.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
I am able to view all sides of an issue and provide an efficient solution. I love solving problems and implementing the solutions.
When or how are you most productive?
Early in the morning. I love being at work when no one else is in the office; I can blast my music and really focus without distractions.
What do you like most about this industry?
How it is always changing. You really need to be adaptable to survive, especially when it comes to compliance. We are faced with constant challenges, and are able to contemplate then execute on new ideas regularly.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
The gray areas. I wish we had black and white answers. Either you can or can’t leave voicemails. It should be relatively simple, but then if it was, it wouldn’t be interesting.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
Programming, writing code. I have a secret love for technology and writing scripts. Any chance to write a script and/or learn more about how to write scripts, I take it.
Describe a typical work day.
I am usually at work by 5:30am. I spend most of my morning answering emails and planning my day. Of course, nothing typically goes as planned, and you can’t plan for that. So, I tend to re-prioritize my day based on issues that come up. I go to the gym during lunch and pick up my son at the end of my work day. I do not work from the moment I pick him up until the moment he goes to bed. Once he’s in bed, I spend alone time with my husband, do one last email check, spend about five minutes to myself, and then go to bed.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Puzzles. I am a sucker for anything that is a problem and requires a solution. I even have a jigsaw puzzle app on my phone.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
There are no failures, only learning opportunities. It is only a failure if you do no learn from it.
What are you currently reading?
“False Memory” by Dean Koontz. I suppose that is another guilty pleasure – reading suspense thrillers.
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you?
I love what I do. The job is not always all smiles and rainbows, but I am proud to work for a great company and proud of the quality of work that I do for them.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Dara Tarkowski, Akerman.