I am the founder & president of LEAVE YOUR MARK LLC, a consultancy specializing in creative brand marketing and digital strategy. As a brand storyteller, I help clients build their brand equity by crafting compelling multi-faceted narratives that engage and captivate the audience. I am also the author of the best-selling career advice book, LEAVE YOUR MARK and the host of the LEAVE YOUR MARK podcast. I am best most known as the creator and voice behind the award-winning social personality DKNY PR GIRL. where I was one of the first people in the fashion industry to launch a social media personality on Twitter. As DKNY PR GIRL, I organically built a multi-platform community of over 1.5mm followers.
Award-winning digital marketer, author and host of LEAVE YOUR MARK
Leaving a corporate cushy job to begin my journey as an entrepreneur. I failed the first time, but succeeded the second.
There are still too many women in power who are not leading by example, creating toxic work environments and impossible work/life balance.
Get comfortable with change and the unknown. Give yourself permission to fail, then start again.
I am passionate about brand stories, creativity and innovation. I hope to be able to help women succeed by paying forward what I have learned and sharing advice from the amazing guests I have on the LEAVE YOUR MARK podcast
I didn’t receive this, but it’s something I believe: Your reputation doesn’t follow you everywhere, it gets there before you do.
It’s never a perfect balance– priorities shift throughout the day. The key is to try and be present during each.
Experiment more!
I face every day with renewed enthusiasm. You never know what can happen!
Second Shift member Aliza Licht wrote a wonderful article in Forbes refuting the negativity around the end of Girlboss, cancel culture and female founders. Our co-founder Jenny Galluzzo participated and has the closing remarks:
“Doing good and having a good business are not mutually exclusive,” states Jenny Galluzzo. “The optimism and energy of post 2016 feminism created a wellspring of excitement to disrupt the status quo. There is nothing negative about trying to change systemic inequity by re-writing the rules and creating your own power and money. That is true feminism.”
Now let’s aim to make that a reality for all women, not just those with a current seat at the table.”
Read the full article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alizalicht/2020/07/05/girlboss-may-be-over-but-the-woman-founder-is-here-to-stay/#3231893378cc
Thank you to Kalyn Wilson who generously offered her time and expertise to lead a webinar for our members on being an ally to Black people. Kalyn is an HR and Diversity and Inclusion expert who just launched group and 1-1 coaching. We were honored to be her first session and help get her business up and running. It’s important for our community to come together, learn from each other, do better, and strengthen our ties. Kalyn’s talk about how to be an ally was riveting and included lessons on the current language of the Black Lives Matter movement, an overview of past resistance movements, the linear historic landscape of racism and inequity, how to speak out at work and how to become an ally in this moment.
If you missed the webinar, watch it below. Don’t forget to share it with your friends and colleagues!
Strong Foundations was part 1 in a three part series.
You can reach Kalyn directly through her website if you or your business is interested in hiring her to do corporate or 1-1 coaching.
Kalyn Wilson is a perfect member to feature because she personally and professionally exemplifies the women in our member community. She is an optimistic, generous, thoughtful leader who uses her experience in HR and organizational development as a consultant to help companies better understand the benefit of Diversity and Inclusion for their companies.
Kalyn sees the Black Lives Matter movement as a teachable moment to help her white allies understand the history of systemic racism in the same way that we understand sexism and the role it plays in keeping women from rising up in the workplace. Kayln teaches a webinar she created – A Crash Course on Being An Ally to Black Folks-– for clients.
Tell us your work story : Who are you and what do you do?
I’m a witty, wise woman who’s influencing the field of HR for good. I use my extensive experience in Human Resources, Organizational Development, and Diversity & Inclusion to improve HR systems and amplify unrecognized talent.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
My proudest professional accomplishment is pursuing a doctoral degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. It represents my commitment to continuous learning and growth, and it also boosts the visibility of underrepresented talent. (My dissertation research centers on optimizing the Black male employee experience.)
What advice do you have for other women looking to make a career change but are afraid or lack confidence? How is it on the other side?
Validate your fear but don’t let it define you. I always say emotions are simply signals; they show us what we need to heal so we can move forward! You can do this, even if you take baby steps to get started. It feels surreal to be on the other side of fear and diminished self-confidence. Sometimes I still feel impostor syndrome, but I try to keep a list of my accomplishments in an Excel spreadsheet so I can encourage myself in those moments.
Do you have any advice on how to craft a winning pitch?
Imagine yourself as if you’ve already sealed the deal… How do you feel? What do you see yourself saying when meeting with the client? Can you see their joy as they look at your work? Use this vision’s positive energy to put how you’d add value into words. The mind is powerful and excited energy is too.
What is the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received?
Focus on progress not accomplishments. Achievement addiction can be toxic. When you understand your “why” and the meaning behind the steps you take in your career, you avoid burnout and losing yourself.
How do negotiate the balance between life and work when you are the one setting the boundaries?
I recognize that it’s an ongoing journey where I never quite “arrive”. I try to let this excite me rather than frustrate me. For example, the pandemic triggered all kinds of major life changes for me; they’ve led me to pursue more creative outlets and change up my workout routine. It wasn’t expected (or welcome at first), but I can see how they’ll produce tons of long-term benefits.
How do you make work work for you?
Wow… My answer to this today is so different than what I would have said three months ago. For work to work for me, I have to experience freedom – intellectually, creatively, and emotionally. I need to own my thoughts and my work, so I’ve been working on my communication skills to be an even stronger advocate for myself professionally. I firmly believe we teach people how to treat us by what we allow. How I set boundaries and communicate my professional needs to others sets the tone for our relationship and my work. That’s why I want to speak up for myself even more.
How cool is this?? The Second Shift is a case study for a University of Oregon Executive MBA program! Thank you Stephanie Gioia for highlighting our unique approach to growth. Proud to be in company with Google, Netflix, Bridgewater, the U.S Army and Amazon! Thank you to our members for being our “special sauce.”
Stephanie found us and reached out to learn more about our business model, mission and philosophy on the future of work. After we finished our conversation she signed up as a member. To us, that means everything! This community of women is strong together; We fundamentally understand the need for this platform and are invested in each other’s success– we are grateful to you all for making this a business worthy of a case study.
#makeworkworkforyou
Dive Thru is a journaling app that lets you take charge of your mental well-being. They partner with mental health professionals to provide guided exercises for you to better understand, make peace and resolve personal challenges. In response to Covid-19 they are offering their app free to our community.
Use this link to access the app.
Here’s what we cover in this guide:
– 10 ways to cope with coronavirus related anxiety
– 3 guidelines for coping with the news through this time
– 3 tips for managing the isolation and avoid feeling lonely
– 5 ways to care for your mental wellbeing every day
– How to support those working on the front lines
– How to support your family & friends through this time
– Resources to support your mental wellbeing
Our first series of member led webinars was a huge success! We thank those who donated their time and expertise for this Day of Service. We plan on doing many more of these sessions in the next few weeks. If you missed the session led by Ghita Filali on navigating your career in times of uncertainty you can see her presentation and her list of career resources below.
Navigating Your Career During Uncertainty 052120
Career Resources During Covid-19
If you are interested in leading a session for our member community please reach out at members@thesecondshift.com
On Thursday, May 21st The Second Shift is participating in a Day of Service with Unilever as part of their United for America initiative. We are hosting a series of FREE discussions and 1-1 sessions led by Second Shift expert career coaches to help you to make work work for you now, and always!
We are offering 2 larger format discussions and limited 1-1 sessions. Links to sign up for each session are below.
It’s free but there are space restrictions so sign up ASAP!
This is the first of what we hope will be an ongoing series of member led discussions. If there is something you would like to share with the larger community please let us know at members@thesecondshift.com
