Name: Jill Gass

Title: Executive director

Company: We Care Manatee Inc.

What is the best business advice you have ever received?

Always surround yourself with smart people. Over the years I've learned successful business people are successful because they surround themselves with good people who are great at what they do.

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?

If I were to choose a realistic profession it would be in medicine. I often wish I would have gone to medical school and become a doctor. My unrealistic profession would be professional athlete. I've recently been tapping into my athletic side and wish I would have realized it earlier in life.

What is the biggest risk you have ever taken in your career?

Moving to Florida to take a job that I had very little experience doing and no support system to help me through the drastic change of moving 1,000 miles from home by myself. I was 25 and moved from Minnesota to Lakewood Ranch. Looking back, I'm not sure how I did it, but thankfully, the unknown isn't scary at 25 years old.

If you could travel the world where would you start and why?

I would start in Italy because they have the best food (and wine) and I'd have a good base for the rest of my adventure!

-- Angie Monroe