How being a 'protocol and pecking order kind of gal' helped earn Kellyanne Conway $39 million and a spot in the White House

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August 11, 2017 4:02 PM

White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway has said that she adheres to a "protocol and pecking order" style of work.

In July, White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News that she is "a protocol and pecking-order kind of gal" in the West Wing.

Conway said that she established the tone of her relationship with US President Donald Trump on the first day she joined his campaign.

On Fox News, she described the conversation: "''I'd like to say, Mr. Trump, I'll never address you by your first name and I don't consider myself your peer,'" she told Fox. "And he said, 'Okay. That sounds great.'"

Business Insider previously reported that Conway calls the president "Mr. Trump," "President Trump," or "Sir."

She went on to advise others in the West Wing to take the same deferential approach with the president.

In a July appearance on Fox News, Conway called Trump a "great boss for women," adding, "The reason I said that was because I do think that it's important to set up that level of deference and humility when you've got someone who's your boss ... who is clearly your senior, your superior. He's never made me feel anything but part of the team and a senior member of the team."

During an appearance at the Women Rule Summit in December, Conway described her management style as "tough and firm but gentle at the same time" and "very deferential and respectful," according to the Washington Post. She told the audience that she is able to bring the president bad news "with a big smile," according to Business Insider.

Before she joined his campaign, Conway was a vocal Trump critic and a supporter of Senator Ted Cruz. Conway slammed Trump for "offending his way to the nomination" and questioned his conservative bona fides, according to the Hill.

Conway first met Trump in 2001, after she and her husband George — who are together worth $39.3 million— purchased a condo in one of his buildings. Conway had previously founded the Polling Company Inc/Women's Trend in 1995, which has since made her somewhere between $1 million and $5 million, according to Business Insider.

Now, Conway has "walk-in" privileges and can call on the president in the Oval Office unannounced, according to New York Magazine's Olivia Nuzzi.

However, Bloomberg reported that now that Chief of Staff John Kelly is in charge, that may change. What's more, Politico reported that the senior adviser was overheard criticizing her coworkers at the British Embassy in June, complaining that she is "the one catching the slings and arrows in the West Wing."

Regardless of whether or not she still employs a "protocol and pecking order" approach, Conway could be in line for a promotion soon.

The New York Times reported that she is a "perennial" favorite to fill the position of White House Communications Director, which was previously vacated by Anthony Scaramucci after less than two weeks.

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