In this Women’s History Month member spotlight, Lorie Roberts explains how her family’s challenges growing up helped shape her goal to succeed and make changes in the ARM industry.
03/23/2022 2:10 P.M.
6.5 minute read
Lorie Roberts knew early on in her career that if she wanted to be the best, she would need to learn everything she could about the accounts receivable management (ARM) industry.
“As a second-generation owner of our agency, Cascade Collections Inc., in Salem Oregon, my parents taught me the value of being involved in our state unit as well as attending ACA conferences,” Roberts said. “Education, knowledge and setting goals are important to getting to the top.”
Women make up a significant portion of the ARM workforce, including as leaders, business owners and advocates. In recognition of Women’s History Month, ACA is featuring some of those members as well as staff in ACA Daily.
In this week’s spotlight, Roberts, president and owner of Cascade Collections, shares about who inspires her, her ancestry, and how she advanced her career in the ARM industry.
“One mantra that I live by, ‘It is not what happens to you that matters—it’s what you do about it that is important,’ came from my dad. He would say this to my sister and I all the time,” Roberts said.
Women’s History Month originated from a weekly national celebration in 1981. In 1987, Congress designated March as Women’s History Month to recognize the achievements of women in various U.S. career fields, according to The Library of Congress Women’s History Month website.
If you’re interested in learning more about networking, mentoring and events for women in the ARM industry, check out ACA’s Women in Collections Resource Council and its group on The Hub.
Q. What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
A. Women’s History Month is a time to remember and honor those women in history who stood out and made a difference in our culture and society. It is also an opportunity to look at all those strong, fearless women who came before me and made a positive difference, sometimes through the simplest of acts. In the past 25 years of being involved in this industry and ACA, I have watched the role of women grow. More women are business owners, and more women are involved in leadership and training.
Q. How do you celebrate and honor Women’s History Month on a personal level and/or at your company?
A. On a personal level I like to support female-owned businesses. I like to read books by famous women. We are a company of all women except for one male, so we support and lift each other up daily.
Q. What ideas do you have for companies interested in embracing diversity and inclusion among your team and in the industry, both this month and year-round?
A. I love this question the most. Being a biracial woman business owner, this topic has deep meaning for me. I believe very strongly in treating everyone with respect and kindness. I have several staff from different cultures, and we share our differences and educate each other for better understanding. We keep an open mind, respect that we are all different and that the consumers we talk to are all different. We allow for those who might have different cultural holidays to take the time off to be part of that.
Q. What role do you see women playing in the ARM industry today?
A. I believe there are more women in the ARM industry than we realize on so many levels. I have loved seeing more women in roles of leadership and ownership.
Q. Who inspires you among women in history or in your life? Why?
A. The two women who inspire me the most are my grandmother and my mother. When my grandmother was 18 years old, her family sold her in an arranged marriage, and she was placed on a boat and sent to Hawaii where she married a man she had never met. She was very proud to do this for her family and she was excited to be in America. She stayed married to him until he died and then she married his best friend, which we always laughed about. She had nine children and my mother was the youngest.
My mother is first generation born in the U.S. and she married my father at a time when interracial marriage was not widely accepted. My mom is Korean and my dad is from the U.S. When my mother was in high school in the 1950s, her family sent her to an all-girls school in Alabama. She had never been off the island of Kauai. She told me stories of sitting in the back of the bus and how she was treated. I remember as a child, people would often speak loudly to my mother as if she didn’t speak English. My mom had several experiences like these, but she never let them bother her.
She taught me to follow the same path and that it doesn’t make sense to get upset about what someone else thinks, that is their right, and that if I really wanted to see change it had to start with me.
I encountered this when I was growing up and at a classmate’s house where their mother said they “didn’t allow Japanese people in their home.”
I turned around and left.
After I told my mom about the encounter, she said that if I would have gotten mad and been rude, then all that would have happened is I would have been mad and rude. She believed that it is far better to be kind and treat everyone with respect—even those who we think might not deserve it. She was the strongest and most gracious women I have ever known.
Q. What would you like to see for the future of women in the ARM industry and what can we as an industry do to help accomplish that?
A. I think ACA is doing a great job of supporting women in the industry. Having the women’s leadership track at the 2021 Fall Forum & Expo was great and I would love to see more of that kind of support.
Q. Do you have any suggestions for other companies working on educational and inclusiveness programs in the industry?
A. I think the most important thing to remember is to ask, don’t assume. You have to know that diversity and inclusion is different for everyone and looks different to everyone. It is all about the balance.
Q. What is your advice for women seeking mentors for professional growth?
A. My advice is to look for someone who has been in the business and is successful and willing to take the time to share their experience and advice.
To learn more about Roberts, read her Origin Story in the March/April issue of Collector magazine.
Upcoming Events
ACA’s Women in Collections Resource Council (WICRC) is hosting a monthly Water Cooler Chat on the second Thursday of the month. The Water Cooler Chat is organized as an uplifting, professional 30-minute networking event fueled by the WICRC. Take this opportunity to recharge by connecting with your industry peers, asking questions, getting feedback or just hanging out. Complete a one-time registration for the online event here. Tip: Once you register, add the meeting as a recurring event on your online calendar.
Do you know a member you would like to see featured in ACA Daily’s Member Spotlight or Collector magazine’s Origin Story? Would you like to share your story? We are also looking to highlight our international members and new members of ACA. Simply reach out to our communications team at [email protected] with your ideas. We’d love to hear from you!
If you have executive leadership updates or other member news to share with ACA, contact our communications department at [email protected]. View our publications page for more information and our news submission guidelines here.