The Best Advice I’ve Ever Received… And Then Some

I’ll never forget this moment in my career.

I was presenting at a big holiday meeting and had all of my neatly written notes ready to go. I knew exactly what I was going to say and how. My presentation was perfectly choreographed, down to when my right arm would go up when I’d look left, and when I’d crack a smile.?

I was practicing my “performance” when the leader of Beam’s Midwest division approached me. He looked at the papers I had in my hand and asked, “what’s that?”

“My notes,” I answered.

“Let me see that,” he said. And proceeded to rip them to shreds. “Trust in yourself.”

Those three words—trust in yourself—changed me. I realized that I had no reason not to trust in myself. I had no reason to think that what I was about to say in front of A LOT of people was going to be wrong, mainly if I spoke from my heart and experience. I was great at my job, I knew it inside and out, better than anyone. All I needed was to trust in myself and my message. It was (and still is) the best advice I have ever received.

My career has been a winding road of opportunities, challenges, and successes. Multiple cities across the US, a handful of brands, various titles, and one common through thread: growth. I’ve never stopped learning, evolving, and growing professionally and personally. I feel fortunate to say that I love where I am right now, and I equally love the journey that got me here.?

As you might imagine, I’ve learned a lot over the years—including to trust in myself. Here are a few other pieces of advice I hope to impart upon you.

Jump at opportunities.

If you do the best you can do in whatever role that you’re in, opportunities will present themselves—and you have to be willing to take them. It’s when you take the risk and jump at new opportunities that you get a chance to do even bigger things, take on more responsibility, and grow in your career. I made this my formula for success: take on a new role, put in the hard work knowing that the door of opportunity will open, and when it does, leave through that door and do it all over again. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Be patient.

No matter where I was in my career, I always knew that there were bigger roles out there for the taking. I’d create an idea of where I wanted to be and what it would take to get there, then I would visualize it and do the work until I made it my reality. It took patience. A lot of it. But I realized that huge career leaps do not happen overnight. You have to stay patient, do great work, hopefully, make a difference, and the next big thing will present itself.?

Be kind to others.?

I know what you’re thinking: “duh.” But it’s true—when you are kind and embrace the people around you, the more you get out of them, and that knowledge is tremendously beneficial. With every position I took, I was like a sponge, soaking it all up. And now, in the latter part of my career, I’m like a melting pot of everyone I’ve been around and all of the experiences we’ve had. That knowledge is invaluable.?

This brings me to my next point…

Never stop learning.?

Every person you encounter, and every situation you find yourself in is an opportunity to learn something new. Someone could be with this company for two days or two decades, and if they share something new or different with me, I’ll mentally record it and use it later.?

Make a difference.?

Whether as a company or individually, try to make a difference in what you do—be spectacular in the way that only you can be! Everyone is different, and we each have our own gifts to share with the world. Tap into your gifts, put your own spin on your work, and figure out how you can make a difference in the lives of others. People will notice and there’s no telling how far it will take you!

Just as our many Beam Suntory brands have their own unique histories, the people who make up this company, like myself, do as well. I feel grateful for the opportunity to share my story and the many lessons that I’ve learned along the way. It’s something I plan to continue to do—after all, I trust in myself and the message I have to share.