Hope Rauh

Where were you in life when you decided to pursue your career path?

I was divorced and in my forties when I restarted my career, stepping back into the full-time workforce after 15 years of raising my children. While I held part-time roles during that time, none resembled a true career path. My background was in teaching, but I knew that wasn’t the direction I wanted to pursue.

Determined to re-establish myself, I secured a position as a Professional Services Consultant with an educational publishing company, where I was able to leverage my degree and past experience. That role opened the door to a technology-adjacent career path. From there, I transitioned to an oil and gas company’s online platform, but unfortunately, due to declining oil prices and the pandemic, I was laid off.

I did another pivot—stepping into my current role at Trakstar, now Mitratech. This has been the most successful and fulfilling chapter of my journey so far, and I see it as just one step on an exciting trajectory ahead. It also led to one of my proudest achievements—earning President’s Club last year—a testament to the resilience, adaptability, and dedication that have defined my career journey.

What was the best career advice you received when starting out?

Someone once gave me great advice that has stuck with me throughout my career: work hard, stay curious, and never be afraid to ask questions. They reminded me that there are no stupid questions and that asking them shows you’re serious about learning and growing. Over time, I’ve realized how true that is—asking questions has not only helped me gain clarity but has also led to unexpected opportunities and opened doors I didn’t even know existed. It’s a perspective that has shaped how I approach challenges and growth in my work.

What would you like the next generation of women entering the workforce to know?

And my last piece of advice would be, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” and every opportunity starts with that first step of putting yourself out there. Whether it’s a career move, a sales opportunity, or just expanding your network, success comes from having the courage to take action despite the fear.

 

What does the world need more of? Less of?

The world needs more women helping women. I’m passionate about the idea of women helping women succeed and lifting each other up. I think we’ve made progress in this area during my lifetime, but there are still moments where it feels like we can be our own worst enemies. That’s why I truly value opportunities like this magazine—where we can empower women to help themselves and celebrate their achievements. Each of us has our own unique story, our own definition of success, and our own quirks, but we share so many of the same struggles, challenges, victories, and heartbreaks. At the end of the day, we all understand what it feels like to be women, and there’s so much power in that shared experience.

What is your personal or professional motto?

Tenacity. It’s often at the moment when you’re most ready to give up, when it feels like nothing will work out, that a breakthrough happens. That’s when the universe aligns and provides what you’ve been working so hard to achieve. Staying persistent and believing in the process is key to success.

I’ve personally experienced this many times—moments when I felt like giving up, convinced there was no path forward. But then, the next day, an incredible breakthrough would happen. Those struggles, as difficult as they were, made the successes even more meaningful. You have to go through the tough moments to truly appreciate the victories.

Has learning from a mistake ever led you to success?

I believe mistakes are an essential part of growth. How else can you truly learn and improve without making a few along the way? Every challenge, misstep, and setback has been a learning opportunity that ultimately pushed me forward. Most of my successes have come from trying, learning from what didn’t work, and trying again until I found the right path.

Early on, I hesitated to take risks, fearing failure. But I quickly realized that playing it safe often meant missing out on opportunities. Some of my biggest career wins have come from situations where I had to pivot after something didn’t go as planned. Whether it was taking on a role outside of my comfort zone, navigating an unexpected layoff, or learning new skills to stay competitive, every mistake or challenge forced me to adapt, grow, and build resilience.

While I can’t point to one specific mistake that stands out, I know that each one has played a role in shaping my journey and contributing to my success. The key is to embrace mistakes, reflect on them, and use them as stepping stones to something greater.

Hope Rauh is a Strategic Account Manager with Mitratech, an enterprise software solution for legal, risk and Human Resources compliance management.

Reprints of Boss Babes Magazine with Hope Rauh on the cover can be ordered here.