Welcome! For those of you that didn’t see the last one, I have decided to start a regular blog, to share various epiphanies I have had throughout some of my challenging circumstances - and it will include topics ranging from leadership, to parenting and marriage, to self-care. I am hoping I can share something that may be of encouragement or inspiration.. or at a minimum, entertain you!
For this month, I will focus on my career. I am humbled to announce that today is my 20th anniversary with Capital One!
I am beyond fortunate and blessed to work for such an amazing company with the smartest, most innovative and caring people I could ever wish for.
Has it been hard at times? Yes! Have I considered doing something different? Yes! Would I change it for anything? Nope! It all happened for a reason.
20 years is a long time! I have grown into a very different person, and much of my life has happened in that timeframe, which I got to share with many of my colleagues...people that I also consider good friends. I got married (and divorced, and married again...to the same man - a story for another blog), had both of my kids - the loves of my life, and many other events. I actually wouldn’t have had this amazing job if I hadn’t survived cancer many years ago, as it totally changed the direction of my life. God is good!
Being that this was only my second job (the first of which I held through high school), I didn’t know a whole lot at that point and have learned just a few things 20 years later that I wish I could have told my younger self:
- Family is first, always. I am not perfect in sticking to my rules around that like I should but have been able to advocate for myself to have an incredibly flexible schedule. I am there for all the big things - the ceremonies and parent / teacher conferences, and the “small” things, like being at the dinner table every night. The other stuff is important, but it can wait. My kids won’t be around the table in just a few short years..they already both tower over me by at least a few inches.
- Show up and give your all every day. If you don’t want to do that, you are probably at the wrong job. You shouldn’t do it because your boss or others expect it - you do it because you expect it and nothing less than that.
- If you fail, and you will...acknowledge it. Nothing stands out as a leader to me more than somebody who is humble enough to share their flaws and help others learn from them.
- Responding to your team and your peers is as important as responding to your boss, and a good one would expect that. Show them the respect of getting back in touch with them quickly and “wow” them by giving them more than they think to ask for.
- I don’t care how good you think it is, if others don’t understand it or don’t think it is great, it just isn’t. Go back to the drawing board and try again!
- Nothing is more important than people. You can drive all the results in the world but if you don’t take care of people in the process, none of it matters. Of the milestones I have been most proud of in my career, they all involve people. None of them involve building an awesome deck or a big presentation to a senior audience.
Much of this has become my leadership philosophy, but is also just day to day good stuff to live by..for me anyway.
Thanks so much to those of you who have supported me through these 20 years and here is to 20 more!
Sincerely,
Rachel
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