From eating turkeys to having worked with a few, here's a slice of what I'm thankful for.

When we were growing up, we celebrated family Thanksgiving with an aunt who insisted we all go around the table and share something we were thankful for. Nothing could have made us cringe more.

Guiltily, what prompted eye-roll exchanges between me and my sisters is now the inspiration for this post but shared from the perspective of what I do—and the exceptional people I work with—every day.

I’m thankful to work for an organization that lets me fail.

Much earlier in my career at Cencora, we partnered with a manufacturer wanting to build a first-of-its-kind engagement portal dedicated to payer decision-makers. Any time you’re venturing into undiscovered territory, it’s a learning experience. And boy did we learn.

Timeline delays. Territorial turf wars of responsibility with other development partners. Functionality and programming explorations. Business rules. Legal and medical review proceedings so complex they made your eyes cross. And, needless to say, budgets that were a bit off from the?initially estimated scopes.

But luckily, I work with some of the smartest people I’ve ever engaged with. Not only are they experts in their respective fields, they were also smart enough to identify and treat this as a coaching moment—for myself and the team to learn every single thing we could from the overall experience so mistakes and missteps weren’t repeated next time.

The second engagement portal went a heck of a lot better. The third, like clockwork. It also didn’t hurt that we won a major industry award for the first one, despite its trials and tribulations on the journey from becoming concept to creation.

I’m thankful to work with an organization that lets me be the best version of myself.

The concept of diversity and inclusion and how institutions embrace these tenets has been in a controversial place over the past few years. But I’m thankful that Cencora has an unwavering commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. This past October, we celebrated our Global Inclusion Day. Imagine—over 40 locations around the world all simultaneously sharing in a commitment to welcome everyone’s authentic self. It was a goosebump moment I was proud to be a part of. Of course, businesses that embrace diversity and inclusion gain access to a broader talent pool, drive innovation, and benefit from superior workplace cultures. See, there’s that smart thing coming into play again.

I’m thankful to never be bored.

Is phrasing like this one of those techniques they tell you to do in interviews, where it’s a negative turned positive? For example, “I’m a perfectionist…” (Insert aforementioned eye-roll).

Maybe. But it’s still the truth. We work a lot. But I’m high energy. And when you have a variety of clients each developing their own scientific breakthrough, you’re surrounded by innovation. That’s interesting in and of itself. Driving creative strategy puts me squarely in the middle of it all. Concepts to dream up. Engagement techniques to ponder. Awareness strategies to architect. Add on that we’re also exploring changing behaviors and habits of formulary decision-makers, every day offers an opportunity to explore, think differently, challenge the status quo, expand one’s mind, and attempt ideas that push the known limits of possibilities. All of this keeps one busy. But I’ll take a full plate over an empty one any day.

I’m thankful that I get to focus my creative talents on truly meaningful endeavors.

I’m grateful that I began my career where I did—in consumer advertising. Right out of school, I was plunged into super creative environments filled with a brilliant and unusual cast of characters. A creative director who yelled expletives at us. A copywriter who believed daily hygiene was optional. Account strategists who felt happy hour didn’t need to necessarily start at the end of the workday. And while all of that was memorable, character-building, and often hilarious, I sometimes felt at odds with the nature of the work itself. Did I want to help a loan company ensnare their hapless customers into deeper versions of consumer debt? Or a packaged goods manufacturer devise new ways to make their econo-sized snack food a more appealing option?

When I was invited to apply at Cencora 14 years ago, my eyes were opened to a more worthy outlet for my creative superpowers—helping patients suffering from disease access life-enhancing therapies.

I was hired by the person now heading our entire global organization, back when Bob Mauch was the president of a specific division specializing in demonstrating payer value. In fact, he is a pioneer of the entire discipline of proving a product’s inherent worth. He and his incredible team welcomed me into a new world of evidence, unmet needs, burden of disease, strategies to help healthcare providers navigate coverage barriers, and the opportunity to better understand the elusive and fascinating minds of formulary decision-makers. It was a completely different way for me to think creatively, and I haven’t looked back since.

I’m thankful that I get to call a team of kind experts colleagues.

It’s more than how intelligent they are. The string of letters after each of their names is impressive. But what takes it to the next level is the true esprit de corps I experience. Their unfaltering default setting of ethics. Mutual respect. I work with people who have presented in front of Congress to educate on factors shaping health policy. Clinicians conducting research to ensure medical guidelines are as current as possible. Logicians who strategize how to keep a super cold chain product successfully shipped at -45°. Strategists who differentiate breakthrough therapies in a crowded market. And graphic artists whose work could just as easily grace the walls of a museum. But regardless of their unique facet or role, all possess one common trait. They are simply the kindest group of folks I’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with. Each one blessed with great talent without the burden of ego.

So, as I push away from the table, laden with sentiments I hope haven’t induced too many eye-rolls in turn, I have one more thing to be thankful for—your time for allowing me to share.

This article is intended to communicate Cencora’s capabilities which are backed by the author’s expertise. However, Cencora strongly encourages readers to review all available information related to the topics mentioned herein and to rely on their own experience and expertise in making decisions related thereto as the article contains marketing statements and does not constitute legal advice.

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