“It doesn’t matter where you start. It matters that you show up every day.”

For Brandy Dennison, her own career is a testament to that belief.

Dennison joined Regions Bank straight out of high school, starting in a contact center and working her way through a series of roles before discovering a passion for helping small businesses grow. More than 25 years later, she leads more than 45 associates as Regions’ Commercial Small Business Group Manager, helping oversee Small Business Administration (SBA) and franchise lending, as well as other banking solutions for small-business clients across the Southeast.

Her path may have started differently than many banking executives, but Dennison believes that is precisely the point. “My path looks different, and I’m proud of that,” she said.

A career built one opportunity at a time

Dennison never expected to become a banker. After graduating from high school, she joined Regions’ contact center and gradually moved through different positions, discovering along the way that she especially enjoyed working with businesses. “I always really leaned into that business piece,” she said. Her curiosity helped guide her, too. “I asked a lot of questions.”

That willingness to learn eventually led her back to school earning a business degree from the University of Florida, and in 2013, into a business banking position where she worked directly with business owners, providing advice and guidance as they navigated the financial decisions involved in growing their companies. The consultative, client-facing work was a natural fit. “I fell in love with it,” she said.

She continued building her career with Regions, and moved to the bank’s headquarters in Birmingham, where she stepped into a role outside of sales and gained a different set of skills. Eventually, though, she knew she wanted to return to working directly with clients. “The goal was to always get back to that client-facing side,” she said. Today, she calls her current position “the best role I’ve ever had.”

Listening to small businesses

In her current role, Dennison leads a team focused on small-business banking, including SBA and franchise lending and commercial banking solutions. For her, the work is not simply about helping businesses secure capital. She is helping shape Regions Bank’s small-business strategy, listening to what business owners and bankers need, and using that insight to make the organization better.

“What are our clients saying? What do they need?” she said. “Whether that’s capital or services, I want to stay connected to the frontline and use that feedback to make sure Regions is delivering.”

That same approach shapes the way she leads her team. “My favorite part of my role right now is working with our team to make it better,” she said. Dennison enjoys talking directly with clients, but she also values hearing what her team is learning from those conversations. Because she has been in their position herself, she sees part of her job as being an advocate. “I was in their spot years ago,” she said. “Being that advocate—what’s going on? Let me try to help.”

That connection to both clients and employees is what Dennison believes makes the work meaningful. And the need is significant. Since 2017, Regions has originated more than $1 billion in SBA loans to help small businesses start and grow.

The value of a different path

Professionally, Dennison is proud that her path looks different from that of many banking executives. She started with a high school diploma and a willingness to work hard, then built her experience one position at a time until those opportunities eventually led her into leadership.

“I’ve just worked hard,” she said.

Character and work ethic are particularly important to Dennison, values she learned from her father. “You don’t ask anyone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself,” she said.

Her father taught her that success would require effort and perseverance. “You can do anything you put your mind to, but you have to work hard,” she said. “No one is going to hand it to you. You have to work for it and get your hands dirty.”

Those lessons remain at the heart of how she approaches leadership. Dennison believes people are always watching the way a leader handles challenges, makes decisions and treats others. “I know people are watching, and I want to set the tone and show others that’s how we execute,” she said.

But she is quick to point out that leadership is not about glamour or a title. “There are great days and there are tough days,” she said. “It’s not about the title. It’s about making a difference and adding value.”

Always learning

Dennison does not believe becoming a leader means having all the answers. In fact, she believes the opposite.

“Feedback is gold,” she said.

She regularly looks back at situations and asks herself how she could have handled them better or been more effective. That self-awareness, she said, is essential to becoming a stronger leader. She also enjoys developing other leaders and sharing what she has learned through her own experiences.

“I’ve learned by trial and error,” she said. “Everything in my head—let me get it out.”

Her own development never stops, either. Dennison is an avid reader and believes strongly in continuous improvement.

“I learn something new every day,” she said.

That mindset also informs her advice to people who are considering leadership themselves. “You do not have to have a title to be a leader,” she said. “You show up how you want to be viewed, and the rest will come.”

The first step, she believes, is understanding why you want to lead.

“It’s important to have a passion for leading, and you need to ‘know your why,’” Dennison said. Leadership, she acknowledges, “is not for the faint of heart,” and some days can be thankless. Knowing the reason behind the work is what will keep you moving forward.

Making room for women

Dennison also credits Regions with creating an environment where women can grow into leadership. “They truly put their money where their mouth is,” she added.

She points to the women she sees in senior positions throughout the organization, including her leader’s leader, Nikki Stephenson, as evidence that women have a meaningful place at the table. “They lead by example,” Dennison said.

She also appreciates the company’s investment in developing talent. “If I want to do something, they are always thinking of me,” she said.

That kind of support matters to Dennison because she knows firsthand how easy it can be to question whether you are ready for the next opportunity. Earlier in her career, she struggled with that uncertainty herself—which she cites as common, particularly for women. 

“I’m not ready yet,” she remembers thinking to herself.

Her advice now is different. “I would tell that version of myself, ‘No. Jump in. We’ll figure it out.’”

Earning a seat at the table

When Dennison looks at the next generation of women leaders in Alabama, she hopes they will continue pushing boundaries.

“Continue to innovate and continue to break the glass ceiling,” she advised.

She believes women bring tremendous value to leadership, but confidence can sometimes be an obstacle. “Every female may struggle in their own way,” she said. Her message is to remember that you have earned your place.

“We did earn our seat at the table,” Dennison said. “We should have a seat.”

For women who are waiting until they feel completely prepared, she offers the same advice she wishes she could have given her younger self: take the opportunity and learn along the way.

Helping businesses grow

Much of Dennison’s work happens behind the scenes, but its impact can be tangible for the business owners she serves. Small businesses rely on access to capital to hire employees, expand facilities, purchase equipment and pursue new opportunities.

One example is Control Systems, Inc., an Alabama company that turned to Regions when it needed a larger facility to support its growth. A $1.3 million SBA loan helped the company purchase a 10,000-square-foot facility, and since moving in, the business has doubled both its sales and employee headcount.

For Dennison, stories like that illustrate why the work matters. Small businesses are more than numbers on a balance sheet; they are employers, neighbors and community builders, and helping them find the capital and guidance they need can help entire communities grow.

That is the kind of impact Dennison hopes to have through her work: building strong teams, listening to clients, advocating for the people around her and making the organization better than she found it.

And perhaps that is why the lesson at the center of her career remains so simple.

“It doesn’t matter where you start,” Dennison said. “It matters that you show up every day.”

And now, she is helping make sure the next generation of leaders has the confidence to take their own seat at the table.