Barney O'Kelly’s Post

When you approach the final and last run of your career years like, you know - the 4th quarter, one begins to think differently about what to do with the final time on the clock. We rarely talk about the R word because who actually retires these days? One thing I know for sure is that every day I'm grateful for lessons learned throughout my career, and it's a very long list of lessons that I keep adding to. Today I'm grateful for learning from the agency side of the business that, if you only give Clients what they ask for, you're probably not going to be in business very long. Thank you to all the creative people particularly at The Martin Agency who instilled that in me and my belief system. Maybe that's why I don't make a good "request-fulfiller," as I do my best to exceed expectations, and to be a good thought partner in helping clients solve their most critical challenges. And I'm also grateful for the first company I ever worked for, a F500 conglomerate. Recently someone told me that I have a management consulting approach in advising clients. Wait, what? Me? The comment made me reflect back on my career as to where that approach may have come in to play. The conglomerate's CEO formerly worked at Booz Allen Hamilton, and we had hired BAH to help us with business growth and extensive M&A expansion leading to record sales/net earnings for 25 years in a row. It's possible that I unknowingly picked it up from those execs that influenced the first 9 years of the 1st quarter of my career. The head of corporate accounting was my favorite as he was the consummate manager. I remember once writing a paper about him. He was young but his joints were riddled with 4th-stage rheumatoid arthritis yet he played squash every day at lunch, and was so intrumental in advancing technology even back then. He made coffee for us every morning, and I tried to beat him to the office to do it for him as he could barely hold on to the thermos. You know, the old stainless and glass green kind. Bottom line, I'm grateful to all those past and present who have helped me succeed in helping others succeed. It's my greatest "professional career" joy, and I hope that continues for a long time. #Grateful #Thankful #Inspiring #Marketing #Consulting #LifeAtGartner

Make decisions when others in the room keep quiet and get shi* done. That’s the takeaway from an immensely enjoyable evening I spent last night with two wildly successful businesswomen, listening, learning and comparing notes about what has contributed to our success on the job. (Oh, and talking about gross stuff our sons do. I’ll spare you the details but it involves tales of excessive body odor.) Here were the top 3 lessons learned from me and these 2 Boss Ladies: 1. Make decisions when others want to play it safe. As a junior politico and press staffer, I found that many colleagues weren’t willing to take ownership of important projects and just wanted to keep their heads down — clock in and clock out. When you blend in, you don’t stick out, yes, but you also don't shine. You don't warrant attention from leadership. That’s exactly what happened to me. Senior #leadership recognized my hard work and my inclination to take initiative and rewarded me with a promotion to run the full communications operation. 2. Don’t doubt. When you make big decisions, when it’s a risk worth taking, don’t let the doubters and worry-warts around you derail your plan. One of my evening guests is a high-profile CMO who's been there, done that and seen it all. Next week, her team is making a big move (so big she couldn't disclose any details!), and when asked by a nervous employee if she truly believed the plan would work and hinted that there was still time to change her mind, my friend simply doubled down. Stay confident and trust your years of experience. 3. Work your ass off. Get shi* done. My other friend and dinner guest, a global marketing leader, shared an amazing story that is a testament to grit. Early in her career, this woman landed a job at one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the U.S. Just two months into the role, she learned the company was restructuring and her position was being eliminated. She was given 2 months to find a new role. Instead of throwing her hands up and starting a job search, she did what she always did: worked hard and got stuff done. As the 2-month mark approached, she learned she didn’t need to keep up her job search. Her boss informed her that leadership had taken notice of the young professional’s attitude and performance and decided she was a rising star worth retaining. Her get-stuff-done strategy had paid off. So much more to the conversation, but those takeaways felt worth sharing. I love a good ladies' night out to listen and learn from all the amazing women I've crossed paths with on the job. #alwayslearning #strategiccommunications #publicaffairs #crisismanagement

"You know the greatest films of all time were never made" Taylor Swift Now that I'm in "career mode," I come back to this quote quite a bit: I can spend a lot of time considering and idealizing about what it would be like to work at Company X, but it's largely a waste of time until I start meeting folks there, interviewing, and really digging in. And, most important, getting an offer. It reminds me of my time at Bain: a common question from students was "Do you think it's better for me to work at Bain or BCG or McKinsey?" My response was always to smile and, as uncondescendingly as possible, say, "Focus all your energy on first getting interviews and then getting the offers. Then you can "agonize" about that first-class problem." I'm now trying to take my own advice, but it's hard not to start mentally comparing and contrasting all future possibilities, all but one of which will "never be made" ;)

In my first five weeks with Richard Group since retiring from the Army I have already experienced a lot of "firsts" in my new career. On Tuesday I joined the company wide all-hands meeting and saw my first promotion ceremony in the private sector. In the military I officiated dozens of such ceremonies and was even the person promoted on a few occasions too.      Two of the individuals recognized in the meeting were being promoted to senior project engineer and the third was being promoted to assistant project manager - major steps in the careers of these young professionals. They were well known names within the company. Even as a new person I had heard their names many times. Just like those all-stars I had promoted in the military, they had mastered the skills required of their current position, they were team players who volunteered to help where help was needed, they were inquisitive and thirsty for knowledge, and they embodied the Richard Group core values. (Gratitude, Resilience, Excellence, Adventure, Transparency.) It was inspiring to see the company rally behind and recognize these teammates.    A big congratulations to Ana Okinczyc, Alex Nowik, and Michael E Hogan on this milestone!   A few things stuck with me as this meeting ended. A strong company culture is deliberate and intentional. It is carefully cultivated and reinforced in moments like this. It is reflected in how the company welcomes new people, sets them on a path to growth, how it recognizes and cares for people, and how people interact and support each other during times of challenge, change, and triumph. A big time corporate name, job title, or salary may get people to the door of your company, but culture keeps people in. We are about culture first here at Richard Group, and I believe that will make the difference as we strive to build a better tomorrow and as we grow as a company. #BiggerThanBuildings #PeopleAreOurBusiness #JoinTheHerd

After submitting 200 job applications and rejections in less than a week of my departure of McKinsey & Company. I would like to take a moment to bring to light something that I feel is utterly astounding as a job seeker. After working through devastation and countless hours of baking 🍰 (great stress-reliever, 10/10 recommend). I have recognized a formidable childhood feeling. The feeling of "possibility and bravery". As I await that hopeful email from the heavens "We would like to schedule an interview with you!" I cannot help but notice how far I have come in my professional career, as I see not only the type of roles/positions I applied for but the companies I have had the courage and expertise to apply to. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be able to look at some of the highest performing companies in the world and their plethora of positions where I can simply say "I can do that that job successfully". Being able to go from a family of copper miners to breaking into retail and food beverage. With the hopes of breaking new ground as I work my way through education and continue to stay hungry in experiencing the capabilities of the working world. Being able to genuinely say, all my experiences have given me the bravery to design my life, authentically and empathetically in a world where we wish to make something of ourselves or our families. Even if I never hear back from these companies regarding the positions I applied for. I don't think little Cece could have ever imagined I would have the courage or skillset to even APPLY to NASA, Walt Disney, Warner Bros, global consulting firms, architecture and design firms, the list goes on. I think little Cece already sees me as the person she had hope to become. A human being that has acquired bravery and hope and the ability to genuinely say "si se puede" (Yes, I can). 🔸 Here's to finding my next "si se puede" job opportunity! 💯 🔹 Thank you for reading. #openforwork

What I Learned from each "Friends" character: 👗 Rachel Green: Despite her indecisiveness, Rachel's journey from waitress to fashion executive taught me the courage to embrace change and pursue new opportunities that align with my passions. 🍽️ Monica Geller: Despite her obsessiveness, Monica's attention to detail in every aspect of her life showed me the importance of meticulous planning for flawless project execution. 🎸 Phoebe Buffay: Despite her eccentricity, Phoebe's creativity and unique perspective taught me to think outside the box. 🎭 Joey Tribbiani: Despite his naivety, Joey's persistence in pursuing acting career taught me the value of resilience in facing rejection. 😂 Chandler Bing: Chandler taught me to approach career with a flexible mindset, taking calculated risks and embracing change to grow personally and professionally. 📚 Ross Geller: Ross taught me the importance of taking a BREAK and of course, being ready to tackle the challenges that come along with it. Sometimes, navigating career challenges requires a touch of Central Perk's quirky wisdom! 🙂 #FriendsTVShow #CorporateLessons #ProfessionalSkills #CentralPerk

My first role transitioning from being an educator was with EdSurge. Looking back, I could not have asked for a better first corporate job. I started as a contractor and eventually was brought on full-time. I still keep in touch with so many of the people I worked with including Betsy (Elizabeth) Corcoran. Here are a few things I wish were the norm at every company: 📈 Room for growth. As mentioned, I started out working 10-15 hours a week helping manage EdSurge's social media platforms. I was hungry to learn and hungry for growth and I felt like every single person I worked with at EdSurge leveled me up in some way. Eventually, I was brought on full-time. 🤝 Intentional efforts to break down silos. It's so easy for teams across a company to be so heads down that silos begin to form and communication across teams and the company is minimal. At EdSurge, I never felt that. Everyone knew who I was and the work I contributed to and vice versa. 👩🏫 Face time with leadership. I'll never forget the time that EdSurge flew me out to California (as a contractor) to join the annual company get-together. Another time I was flown out for a company offsite during the summer. I remember walking on the beach and chatting with Betsy (the CEO) about motherhood and careers. This told me that Betsy wasn't just interested in what I was doing at EdSurge but she was interested in who I was in general. 🗣 Clear communication and transparency. I never lost confidence in the leadership at EdSurge because they did an incredible job of communicating clearly and being transparent. I know companies come in all shapes and sizes and some of these things may not be feasible for larger organizations. However, a lot of this can be applied to various levels of leadership. As I continue to hone my leadership skills and think about company culture, I always reflect on my time at EdSurge and how the culture inspired me. Just a little flashback Friday for you all -- is that still a thing? 😅

𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲✌️ 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗳 🌟 By her late 30s, Christine S. Falow had "made it." As the Global Procurement Director at Beiersdorf, she was part of the #corporate's global #management team & lived in an apartment right alongside the Alster. ⛵️ 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 🗽 However, Christine chose to add several more titles to her resume: Luxury #RealEstate Agent in New York, #Actress on "Die Rosenheim-Cops," #Startup Consultant … to only name a few. 🎙️ I am incredibly grateful I've had the opportunity to #interview Christine for the leadHER #podcast. She shows, by great example, that you can #reinvent yourself at any stage in life. 💪 Though, it does require #courage, to follow your own desires rather than trying to please everyone else voicing their #opinions à la "Are you crazy?" 📌 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲: 1️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 🏡 Christine had the means to buy homes and other #status symbols typically associated with #success. But what she truly wanted was #independence — to go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted. 💸 She invested in her #education to become a real estate agent, then an actress. #Freedom to #travel and engage in lifelong learning is a form of #wealth you don't often see championed. 😊 Seeing Christine flourish and beam with #joy as she spoke about her #adventures, I really feel encouraged to live life not by the #expectations of others, but for myself. 2️⃣ 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 🤝 "You are so nice. How can you be #successful?" Christine heard this comment more than once. In #procurement, tough #negotiations for price reductions are common. ♟️Instead of resorting to power plays, Christine led with her #values and #kindness. She succeeded nonetheless, building relationships on mutual #respect and sometimes benefiting from being underestimated. 🥪 To #offer food to hungry #suppliers who were stuck in traffic, instead of withholding #beverages to assert dominance is something I, too, would feel more comfortable with. 💫 Knowing that I don't have to pretend to be someone I am not in order to advance my #career, I find really comforting. And I could imagine, I am not the only one. 🎧 I’m really glad I captured this #conversation. Thank you, Christine, for speaking so openly with me! 👇 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲. #AuthenticLeadership #CareerInspiration #LeadHerPodcast #LifelongLearning #FemaleLeadership #WomenInBusiness #YoungProfessionals

Get to know our talented and passionate JOSTers who bring diverse and deep expertise to your organisation. This month we chat with Julie-Anne VandenHoff, Principal Consultant, nature lover and keen photographer. What are you most passionate about in your role at JOST & Co?  I love solving complex problems, working with executives/leaders, drawing on our combined experiences. I pull from my experience in strategy development, organisational design, transformation and change, talent management, capability development, employee experience design and digital enablement. I get a deeper understanding of their industry, their organisation, and the problems they are looking to solve. By working closely with organisations and leaders in this way, I can help them unlock roadblocks and solve issues they are facing, be it improved commercial outcomes, enhanced customer experiences, or how to better hire, grow or retain their talent. I try to do this in fun and interesting ways, to simplify complexity, and to make a sometimes-hard road that bit easier. It's personally rewarding to step back and see what you have achieved together. What career journey have you taken to get here? I originally studied science and started my career as a medical scientist in healthcare. After doing that for a few years, I backpacked for a year around Western and Eastern Europe and then started working in the UK. This was an amazing experience for a girl from country Victoria – the first person in my family to get a degree and independently travel abroad. Exploring the world and stepping out of science for a time made me realise I wanted more from my career. That’s when I transitioned into the people arena, starting in recruitment/HR. After completing my MBA, I moved into people advisory consulting for a number of years. With a young family I stepped back client-side, taking on senior/executive in-house HR roles. What’s the best bit of career advice you’ve received? No career is linear. When told that, I felt like I had permission not to feel guilty about leaving science and moving careers. The other bit of great advice I received was plan ahead, not just for your next job, but the one beyond that. Without question, the worst advice received was to temper my ambitions during parental leave discussions, because “things would plateau” as I had children. My reality has been quite the opposite. What do you love to do when you’re not at work? I love spending time in nature, keeping fit, being creative and spending time with friends and family. Whenever possible I mix them together. Kids, beach and SLR camera – bliss! What’s something few people know about you? I started my professional life working in a white coat in a laboratory of a hospital basement. I’m proud of my scientific background, which has been part of the path that has led me to where I am now. #team #culture #talent