In Her Shoes: Joanna Herrick

Behind every inspiring woman is a story of ambition, resilience, and the courage to forge her own path. In this edition of In Her Shoes, we're spotlighting Joanna Herrick, a female leader whose journey is a reminder that success is about more than reaching milestones—it's about staying true to your vision along the way. Follow along to explore the lessons she's learned, the inspiration behind her work, and how she is an advocate for women's advancement.

ALLY Shoes: Your career has taken you across retail, manufacturing, technology, and investment management. Walk us through your journey, and how you stepped into the role of Chief Growth Officer at TorreBlanc.

Joanna: My career has been anything but linear.

I started as a professional orchestral musician and spent nearly eight years performing before making the decision to pursue a completely different path. I went on to build a long career in hyper growth, tech driven startups, primarily in the retail and apparel industries. My roles focused on sales operations, sales enablement, product design and production. Eventually, I had the opportunity to contribute in a more strategic capacity, focusing on the client journey, long-term growth planning, and the scale required to support it while leading large distributed teams.

Five years ago, I brought those experiences into the investment management industry by joining TorreBlanc, where I now serve as Chief Growth Officer and co-owner. While the industries were different, there was a common thread in solving problems, building relationships, and helping organizations navigate growth.

What I love about the role is that growth isn't just about sales. It's about understanding clients' challenges, building exceptional teams, creating opportunities for our consultants, and helping the business scale in a sustainable way.

ALLY Shoes: When you're the person responsible for driving growth and making consequential decisions, how do you navigate moments when you don't have complete certainty?

Joanna: In a growing business, you're constantly making decisions without every piece of information you'd like to have. I've found it's critical to surround myself with a network of trusted advisors, peers, mentors, and colleagues who bring different experiences and perspectives. They challenge my assumptions and make sure I'm not operating in an echo chamber.

I also try to stay intellectually honest. Sometimes the data or feedback tells me that my original thinking wasn't right. All any leader can do is make the best decision possible with the information available at the time, and then remain willing to pivot as new information emerges.

ALLY Shoes: What's one career lesson you've learned that you wish you knew earlier?

Joanna: Coming out of classical music training from a young age, I was taught to strive for perfection at all costs. You cannot miss a note, and when the pressure is on, you have to perform. That mindset gave me a strong work ethic and an ability to teach myself new skills, both of which have served me well throughout my career.

However, chasing perfection can be a liability. I expected it in both myself and those around me, and earlier in my leadership career it made me somewhat difficult to work with. Allowing myself and our team to be on a constant learning curve opened up new possibilities for success, fostered creative thinking, and built more resilient relationships.

ALLY Shoes: How has your leadership style evolved as your career has progressed?

Joanna: Any time someone asks me, “What’s your leadership style?” I answer with “How do you like to be led?”

The more teams and individuals I've managed, the more I've realized that there is no single approach that works for everyone. People learn differently, communicate differently, and are motivated by different things. I've become much more focused on understanding what helps each person perform at their best and adapting my approach accordingly.

I’ve also learned to give feedback early and clearly. Difficult conversations are uncomfortable for everyone, but delaying them rarely helps. Honest feedback delivered quickly is the kinder path because it gives people the longest runway to improve and succeed.

ALLY Shoes: You've been an advocate for women's advancement and gender equality throughout your career. Where do you think women have made meaningful progress in the workplace—and where do you still see the biggest gap between the conversation around equality and the reality?

Joanna: We've made tremendous progress. When I was entering the workforce, many of the conversations, policies, and protections that are commonplace today simply didn't exist. I've also seen more women rise into leadership positions than ever before, often supported by male colleagues who understand that diverse leadership teams create stronger organizations.

That said, I work at the intersection of technology and investment management, two industries that still have significant gender imbalances. While the conversation around equality has advanced considerably, the representation numbers often haven't moved as quickly as we'd like, particularly in technical and STEM-oriented roles.

I think some of that gap begins long before someone enters the workforce. If we want to create lasting change, we have to encourage girls at the middle and high school level to explore STEM fields and a wider range of career paths. By the time companies are focused on recruiting talent, many of those interests and career aspirations have already been shaped.

ALLY Shoes: Who is your ally?

Joanna: I'm fortunate to have many. Personally, I have my family and friends.

Professionally, I've found an extraordinary community through Women Investment Professionals (WIP). What began as a professional network has become something much more meaningful. The women in that organization have supported me, challenged me, invested in my growth, and become true friends along the way.

When I pivoted to TorreBlanc and had to learn a new industry, I struggled with imposter syndrome, even with two decades in senior roles behind me. At one conference, a WIP colleague turned to me and said, "Next conference, I expect to see you up there on a panel." I told her I wasn't ready. She didn't miss a beat: "Oh yes you are, and it's time." At the next conference, I was on that panel.

These women know who they are, and I'm grateful for them.