Strada Education Network
Indianapolis, IN USA
“Don't be afraid to ask [for help] and don't put too much pressure on yourself to have everything figured out. Do good work, show up prepared, and have a good work ethic, and everything will be okay. ”
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications
I'm responsible for articulating and advocating for Strada's mission to both internal and external audiences.
Though the issues and timeframes vary every day, my day is always filled by connecting with others. Whether formal meetings with agendas, drive-by conversations, Slack or Zoom conversations or email, I spend my days in constant contact with others. With my marcomm colleagues, we're often working messaging, strategy and planning, coordinating responses to others and pulling in our teammates to tap into their skills. With my peers in management, we're bandying ideas, planning and making decisions.
Here's the first step for everyone
Reach out to someone whose role or path interests you. Here's a secret about humans: we all like to feel seen. So if there's someone you admire, reach out and tell them so -- odds are, they will make time to respond and engage with you. I saw our interns at the NCAA do it all the time, with a 95% success rate. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to do the same earlier in my career, and I try to do so now. None of us are ever too old or too successful to be mentored.
"When I switched majors junior year from business to communications, I heard everything from inferences to direct feedback that I was copping out, doing something less prestigious and damaging my future prospects."
