“It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint”

You clearly made a strong impression as an intern there, and also in your first official job there, especially for young people out there, what would you say are the top three things you did to get noticed early in your career?

Keep it simple. I had a team member who shared with me that he’s got a post-it that he puts by his camera—doesn’t that sound like a pandemic era comment? A post-it by his camera, that says, “Keep it simple.” And I think when we’re looking at all sorts of items, and seeking to demonstrate that we know the knowledge or looking at a strategy, the more complex it is to describe, the less likely it is going to be able to be executed well. So, to keep it simple would be a big piece of advice.
And then the other thing that I wish I would have known earlier: do something that you feel connected to, both heart and head. Not just ‘maybe it’s a good job, it has a good paycheck,’ but it’s the idea of when success is had, I feel motivated by the impact that we’re making. Because life is short, and people talk about this work-life balance thing. I kind of think of it as a yin and yang. You’ve got to figure out how to symbiotic, and so your work has to feel like you’re contributing to your life and your life should also reinforce what you do from a work perspective.