Roses and Thorns - Reflection and Growth

Rose and Thorn.?That’s what my kids ask at the end of the day at the dinner table.?It’s what they asked as the year ended.?I found it difficult to answer.?Perhaps because it’s hard to encapsulate in one instance a ‘Rose and a Thorn’ for a year filled with highs and lows.?It’s a good exercise of self-reflection, and honestly, one that I have not been accustomed to doing on my own.?My children have taught me that lesson.?So here it goes.

Thorns:

1.????No surprise that Covid has made 2021 extremely challenging – both personally and professionally.?I left one role not having met one member of my team and started another role with limited opportunities to meet my team in person, elongating time to build rapport and trust.

2.????Mental health and overall wellness – my own, my friends, my colleagues, my family.??Being isolated this past year has really affected most of us.?I have had to ask for help and guidance from advisors and my HR business partners to provide me with strategies, tools, and aids on how to help my team cope and navigate, so they can feel safe and bring their whole selves to work and know that they have the room and support available to them to feel healthy.?

3.????After eight years of deterioration due to dementia, my grandmother passed away at the age of 94.?The disease, now being referred to as shrinking of the brain, took little pieces of her every day.?She suffered those eight years.?My mom suffered those eight years both from the pain of watching her mother disappear and from the physical and emotional toll it placed on her as my grandmother’s primary care provider.?Though we knew it was near, none of us were prepared for the pain, heartbreak, and loss we felt with her passing.

4.????The panic and scare that I could have breast cancer.?A biopsy detected atypical cells.?And soon after a lumpectomy to remove them.?I was lucky that my doctors acted quickly, and thankful for the prognosis – cancer-free.

Roses:?

1.????Being witness to my younger son’s accomplishment as he received his B.Arch from Cornell University.?The pandemic took away this privilege for so many kids and families, and it threatened to take it away from us.?I feel very fortunate and blessed that Cornell made the decision to allow two family members to attend the in-person Commencement ceremonies.?The commitment, perseverance and resilience that my son demonstrated every day of his 5-years at Cornell was not lost to me, as he put on his black gown and cap to receive his diploma.?Proud is an understatement to what I felt on that day.

2.????Cheering on my oldest son as he ran the NYC marathon – this time live!?The year before he ran it virtually – which is quite a feat in itself – running 26.2 miles alone.?So to watch him with twenty of his friends come across miles 13, 18, and 23 made the four-hour drive to NYC completely worth it!

3.????Having the unforgettable experience walking in the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade with both my sons.?This time as malt shop clowns with masks!?It felt different from when we walked the first time in 2019, pre-covid, but this time around, it was so much more gratifying.

4.????Having a role in the promotion of 28% of the field marketing organization at Blue Prism in the 18-months I was there.?I was very fortunate to have had the support and partnership of my HR leader, Maria Miletic, and CRO, Peter O’Neill.?They shared in my belief that our people are the most important asset to any organization and investing in their growth is our responsibility as leaders.

5.????Being invited as a founding member of CHIEF in Boston.?It has opened a world of possibilities for me as a female executive in a male-dominated world.?It’s through CHIEF that I found my first Board seat with MorDance.?It’s through CHIEF’s Core Group 465, that I have found a network of women with shared values, who lift each other up and provide support, counsel, mentorship, advocacy to each other.

6.????Meeting amazing, powerful, brilliant women at the Empowered CMO Retreat, in-person in Arizona!?After months of zoom video calls, nothing felt more inspiring, gratifying, and energizing than to be with 80+ female marketing leaders.?Latane Conant, Christine Heckert, and Kate Bullis's commitment to elevating women through authentic connection, support, and knowledge sharing are testament to the power of women.?We are stronger together.?

7.????Landing my first CMO role at Immersive Labs.?I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to help define and shape the strategy for the business as we create a new category and build a culture of inclusivity.

8.????Finally – realizing that I have amazing people in my corner.?The kind that gives honest feedback, even if it’s hard to hear.?Those with an empathetic ear and provide no-nonsense coaching without judgment.?Trusted advisors who offer kind, compassionate reminders that mistakes are not detrimental, and failures are sometimes necessary in order to gain perspective and growth.?And the kind that are champions for you when you’re not in the room.?I am a better person thanks to them.

I’m unsure what 2022 will bring.?I do know that we have to remember to be kind, to be intentional, to be resilient, to be curious, to be forgiving, and to act with empathy and compassion.?Thorns will always be present.?Navigating them allows us to smell the Roses with greater appreciation.?Happy new year!

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