One Connection Can Change a Career

When we host an Ascend Dinner Party, we never know what conversations will take place or what relationships might begin. We simply bring women together and trust that something meaningful will happen.

A little over a year ago, that's exactly what happened when I introduced Katie Mingay to Sharon Buie, MAI.

Recently, I reached out to Katie to ask if I could share a photo from that evening. Her response stopped both Sharon and me in our tracks.

"Before meeting Sharon, I spent nearly six years unable to find even a residential appraiser willing to mentor me, so I certainly never imagined I would find a Certified General Appraiser, let alone an MAI."

She went on to share how Sharon became much more than a supervisory appraiser.

"Not only is she an exceptional appraiser, but she is also a genuinely wonderful person and mentor. She's taught me so much…not just about appraising, but about professionalism, confidence, ethics, communication, and all the other qualities that make someone successful in this industry."

And then she wrote something I'll never forget:

"That connection truly helped shape my career and honestly likely the trajectory of my life."

Reading those words reminded me why Ascend exists.

The same week, we hosted dinner parties in New York and Washington, D.C., where I watched new connections begin to form once again. In New York, aspiring appraiser Samantha Brewster joined a table of accomplished MAIs and immediately became part of the conversation. In Washington, another appraiser shared how a mentor's willingness to train her mother decades ago changed the course of her family's life.

Stories like these remind us that mentorship isn't just about teaching appraisal. It's about opening doors that might otherwise remain closed.

They've also inspired many of the programs we're building at Ascend today, including See Who's Rising, mentoring opportunities, and new ways to connect aspiring appraisers with experienced professionals.

One introduction changed Katie's life and our hope is to create many more.