Women in Business: Amanda Brumbelow

Residence: Bentonville

Professional background: Brumbelow has worked at Waco Title Co. for nearly seven years. She started as a floating closing agent in 2012 and was promoted to regional closing manager in November 2013. She was promoted to director of closing operations in March 2015. She started in the title and closing industry when she was 19 and also owned a child care center. In 2018, she was appointed to serve on the Habitat for Humanity of Washington County Board of Directors and leads the Women Build team.

What inspired you to pursue the career you are in? Just being given the opportunity. A lot of people don’t know about our industry, so if you do end up in a career in this business it’s because you kind of happened upon it. That was my case. I was babysitting for the owners of a local abstract company, and they asked me to come work for them when I was 19. I was promoted from closing processor to closing agent within six months, and it’s kind of history from there as I learned the business.

What was your dream job as a kid and why? I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I just love kids. I’m the oldest in my family, so I always helped take care of the kids whenever I was growing up. I had to become pretty responsible at a young age because I’m from divorced parents.

What’s the most important aspect of achieving a balance between your career and your family? It’s something that I constantly have to be cognizant of and strive for. It’s not an easy thing to do because I do love to work, but throughout the years it’s been a balance between my husband and I.

What has been the most fulfilling moment of your career so far? Leading the closing department at Waco. People are the reason for what I do every day. To have the connection to them on that level where they look to me for direction, and I can help move our company and the closing department into the future. That’s a huge passion of mine is being progressive, trying to innovate, trying to push forward, think about what’s next.

What’s the first thing you do at the office each morning? Get my coffee.

What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry? The skill set required for this type of position is you should be outgoing and able to be detail-oriented, strive for excellence, have an internal drive and you don’t have to have a college degree. You can earn your way into earning a really good income based on the job training and just being very customer focused.

Do you feel like we’re getting closer to gender equality in the workplace? I feel like we are getting closer, but on the pay, statistically we aren’t.

What’s the last good book you read? “How Women Rise” by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith.

What’s your favorite app at the moment? Audible.

Of all the mentors in your professional career, who has been the most influential and why? I have been challenged the most, motivated the most and trusted the most by my current boss, Patrick Curry.

What’s your biggest passion and why? Habitat for Humanity of Washington County. I have worked with Habitat for over 20 years helping homeowners close on their new home. My passion for this organization in our community is driven by the fact that many of the homeowners are single mothers. For a good part of my childhood, my mother was raising us on her own.

I have a story that is hard for me to share of when I was 5 years old and our family was rendered homeless when the locks were changed on our home and our family car was taken away. At that moment my mother realized that our world was upside down. Thankfully for our little family, we did not have to go one night without shelter because my grandparents opened their home to us.

There is a need for affordable housing in NWA. Habitat is a hand up to, not a handout. I want to empower and equip women to build homes, community and hope.

If you have a bucket list, what are the top three things on it? Help my daughters be able to get through college without having too much responsibility on themselves. I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska just to see it and be in the outdoors. My grandparents have been married for 72 years, and so I just hope that my husband and I can continue to grow together and travel.