What’s one professional skill you’re currently working on?
I’m currently working on improving my communications skills. I believe having effective communication skills are key to building relationships within Involta, building buy-in for new ideas, creating consensus for solutions to business problems, facilitating meetings whether they are virtual or in person, and most importantly, having the confidence to use my own voice.
Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
Michelle Bates has been one of the most influential people in my career to date and I consider her to be a mentor of mine. She has given me so many opportunities to learn and grow both personally and professionally. Through my time working with her, she has taught me many things by giving me exposure to a wide variety of business processes. First and foremost, she has shown me the importance of having a good work ethic and the importance of taking responsibility and accountability for any decisions that are made or work outputs that are created. Second, she has shown me the importance of taking a people-first approach to solving business problems. And third, when a business outcome is not necessarily the most desired, it’s important to always use it as a learning opportunity to do better next time.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
It’s hard to choose a singular behavior or personality trait to attribute to my success so far. However, one behavior or approach I think has served me well is that I have an insatiable hunger for knowledge, and I believe that there is always someone else that is more knowledgeable than I, so it’s extremely important to listen to gain understanding when working with others and to not be afraid to say “yes” to new tasks or opportunities that you may not have done before. One personality trait that I think has also served me well is empathy. I think having empathy allows you to be more open minded, collaborative, and creative when trying to solve business problems. I constantly try to put myself in other people’s shoes, so that I can try to better understand their perspective when working as a team to solve problems or to create/improve business processes.
What’s your favorite piece of technology? Why?
Lately, my favorite pieces of technology are anything that helps turn my home into a “Smart Home”. I’m currently working on replacing all light bulbs / fixtures with smart lights, so I can adjust my lighting to any color / vibe I want.
What is one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
Currently, I’m trying to make practicing mindfulness a daily habit. I think it’s important to stay grounded in the moment, so I can stay focused on the task on hand and not become overwhelmed when I have a lot of competing priorities.
What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day?
I think my favorite thing to do to unwind after work is to take my dog for a 1-2 mile walk. Once I’m back home, I usually hop on a video game for a couple of hours or watch a movie/tv show to “turn my brain off.”
