Errika Storch, President of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce and member of the West Virginia Legislature representing District 3, talked about how she made it to where she is now and how business majors can succeed on Zoom.

The people who ran the show were Ingrid Loy, MaCall Brummage and Sean Ryan. There were over 80 people who attended the seminar.

Her advice is to stand out and have a support system. Errika had to attend a huge interview where she had to go in front of everyone and say a few things about herself. Everyone said about the same thing. She saw her position as an opportunity to find something in her life to make her stand out. Being personable and, in turn, memorable can go a long way.

When talking to freshman legislatures, she talked about how balance between work and family is crucial. Family comes first. She said that the legislative party and the senate is like a family. If there’s ever an emergency Storch has over 100 people she could call.

Being a female in this position is challenging. Storch gives solid advice for hard working parents that can’t always be at home. Storch said, “Think of what you’ve given your children. At that time…she would come to my speakers office and take off her shoes and do cartwheels…My kids are very good with speaking to adults. They don’t shy away. They are very outgoing and can carry out conversations…they are familiar with our government structure more so than I ever was. They have developed a bond with their dad, which I’m sure wouldn’t be the same if I was always home and there to fix everything for them.”

She then talked about how we get so distracted by our own work– that sometimes we brush off other people without realizing it. “We get self absorbed and we don’t necessarily remember that everybody is going through stuff in their own way. And just by looking them in the eye and smiling and even saying hello. Maybe the only kind words that they hear that day or may touch them on a level that you’ll never know, but it’s very important to just smile. I think a lot of my political success has been because I’m outgoing, approachable, I pass people on the street, I smile, I say hello.”

After this, she shared her memory of the stroke she had and how it affected her. The source of her stroke was a clot in the left side of her brain. Because she lost her smile for 4 hours of her life. She made a conscious decision to make it a point to smile to everyone she sees because nobody was going to take her smile again. Storch says, “Never underestimate the power of your smile and what your kind words can do for somebody you may pass.” This piece of inspiration can be accessible to any major.

For any questions you can contact Storch via email, erikka.storch@wvhouse.