Teresa Moore says the key to professional success is: respect

Collins Barrow (Vaughan) LLP partner Teresa Moore has been thriving at her firm for 14 years. She attributes this to a relatively straightforward recipe for success, one that seems to be working. “I think you need to be a hard worker,” she explains. “You need to be respectful of your staff and the people around you. You need to know your work and be able to do it well, but you also have to be able to communicate and listen.”

As Moore sees it, many people have an unnecessarily complicated vision of success. In her experience, simply becoming proficient in your professional role is the most important objective. Regardless of the obstacles you might face on the basis of gender or cultural background, she believes that ability paves the way for success – and respect. “As long as you establish respect with your clients, respect with your staff, with your partners, you really can do whatever you want to do,” she says. “I can’t say that I was restricted in any way as a woman because I really do not feel that at all.”

Not every woman can make this claim, but Moore attributes her experience to the ways some employers have evolved and come to better understand the challenges facing modern women. “Employers have become more understanding of a mother’s obligations because women are great workers. They bring a lot to a position. When employers give them a degree of flexibility in their work, that allows them to be more fulfilled — and it keeps more of them in the workplace.”

This issue is of vital importance to Moore because she has several interests competing for her attention outside the office. “My family is very, very important in my life,” she says. “I also have a board position that I’m very passionate about. I like being involved in the community, doing whatever charity or community service is out there. I always try to be involved, to the extent that I can. I value my position at Collins Barrow because it gives me flexibility and allows me to find a healthy work-life balance.”

Looking toward the future, Moore plans to continue thriving at Collins Barrow, which means she will also have the opportunity to seize other enriching opportunities. “My goal for this year is to get my director’s accreditation,” she explains. “If you’re a female and a professional out in the work place right now, there are lots and lots of opportunity for board positions. That’s why I’m pursuing my director’s accreditation. It really is a great time to be an ambitious woman. New opportunities are constantly presenting themselves.”