A Conversation with Katherine Frattarola

Katherine Frattarola inspires us. She is currently the head of HUB Private Client at HUB International in New York, NY, a position she’s held for five years. This leader believes that hard work is at the center of life and career success, as is putting one foot in front of the other when the going gets tough.?

Q: Who inspired you growing up? Who inspires you now?

Katherine: My mother instilled the importance of character in me. She stressed being brave and going after meaningful opportunities. She taught me how to compartmentalize life’s stresses, taking them one at a time instead of digesting them all at once. My mother also taught me to value a heuristic approach to evaluating decisions big and small. Today, my husband inspires me every day. He has the strongest character of anyone I know. He holds himself accountable to a higher sense of purpose. His integrity is unimpeachable and he is impervious to baser instincts, keeping a steady hand in all that he does. He gives himself completely to his family without question or an expectation that he will receive anything in return.

Q: What piece of advice has guided your thinking, decisions or actions??

Katherine: There are three. The first is to not be afraid to ask for what you want. No one is going to be a better advocate for yourself than YOU. The second is to never give up your seat at the table. Once you’ve earned it, it’s yours and you must keep it. The final piece of advice is proactively and continually check with yourself to understand what’s working and what’s not with respect to your career.?Priorities can shift with time. I was advised to make sure my priorities align with the role that I’m in today and, when they don’t, make I could make intentional changes to rectify it. I sought out future roles that aligned with my expectations and gave me joy.

Q: When was a time you were brave? What did you learn?

Katherine: Sometimes you have to remember that adversity builds character. If everything was easy, the accomplishments would never mean as much.?I had to remember that lesson when I left a global leader in financial services. I was moving to a new entrant in the personal lines space, an entirely new industry for me, as Managing Director. I was at a very stable company, one of the world’s premier global banks. I was respected, and I was being recognized for my performance. I had been there nearly 10 years and had developed a strong network of advocates, colleagues and friends. But it was time to leap. It was time to be brave. So, that’s what I did. I learned that new adventures and calculated risks are good for the career and for the soul, and there is value in jumping into new opportunities.?

Q: What advice would you give your younger self?

Katherine: I would tell my younger self that things always have a way of sorting themselves out. Life is about change after all. So, don’t get too worked up when there’s a shift.?As soon as you settle into the change, things will change again. Have strength of conviction that if you work hard and put one foot in front of the other, everything will work out.?