Meet Kathleen Carmody, Director of Sweet Adeline’s

Where I Met Kathleen

I first met Kathy when I was calling for an RSVP for an educational seminar I was hosting.  Kathie was heading out of town for a competition it turned out and when I found out she was part of a 110 woman chorus I immediately knew I wanted to interview her.  We meet at a Starbucks coffee and I found out Kathie was even more interesting than I’d originally imagined!

What I Really Like About Kathy

As we began our visit with the normal small talk, I quickly realized that there were many layers to Kathy and I was going to have to pull some of it out of her.  Kathy also has very vibrant and clear eyes and felt like someone I wanted to be around.  Kathy also got right to the point asking me what I was going to get out of this interview.  I explained that I am building my connections in town and I also wanted to share her story and add to the positive publicity of her organization.

Background

Kathy is originally from Montana and she remembered when she was in the eighth grade socials studies class discussing that Alaska and Hawaii may soon become states.  While in college she interviewed for a teaching position in Alaska and then on March 27, 1963 there was the big earthquake.  At this time there was no such thing as email so Kathy assumed the job was no longer on the table.  Surprised, Kathy was contacted by the interviewer who said something to the effect of “if you have any courage at all, we still have kids to teach.”  In her own act of courage, Kathy’s mom (of 16 kids) drove up to Alaska with Kathy when she didn’t even know how to drive herself.

Kathy was a teacher and then eventually became a principle of a middle school.  One day a kid showed up at the school with a gun in his pocket.  After an eternally long discussion during which the child knew Kathy knew he had a gun, the kid pulled the gun from his pocket.  Kathy said she had no idea if he was going to hand her the gun or shoot her.  A week later she decided it was time to retire and open the next chapter of her life. 

Kathy had been singing all her life and while in Alaska one of her friends suggested Kathy check out the group called the Sweet Adelines.  Kathy was looking for either a singing or public speaking opportunity and she went to check it out.  All of the ladies in the chorus were wearing short navy blue dresses with pearls and were the most fabulous sounding group she’d heard.  Kathy’s husband basically vetoed the chorus because he thought it would take too much time.  But, Kathy put her toe in the water, one meeting at a time and it was well worth the journey.

Kathy had two kids one of whom still lives in Alaska.

My Ideal Client…

Sweet Adeline's was founded in 1948 with a vision to “Harmonize the World.”  Kathy directs the Colorado Springs Sweet Adeline’s called the Velvet Hills but is also a past president of this international organization.  The chorus sings barbershop style in quartets in addition to the entire chorus.  The Colorado Springs Chapter has been ranked as high as 5^th in the world  of over 650 choruses in 14 countries and is competing again regionally right now.

Any woman who loves to sing is welcomed to come and try out to be in Velvet Hills.  Kathy will do a scale exercise and have the auditioned sing Happy Birthday to see if they can do the scale change.  There is private instruction available for someone who really wants to sing and the members and musical leaders of Velvet Hills really want women to succeed.

Once a year there is a membership drive and this includes four voice free lessons.  Rehearsals are on Monday nights and the group is active with social media, has a website and holds a regular bingo game.  The chorus has been here in The Springs for 47 years!

Says Kathy, “So, the ideal chorus member loves to sing and likes education and is able to hold their part, singing four-part a cappella music.    Age and weight do not matter.  We hug indiscriminately and we believe it is important to do something for you. Our practice sessions are about bringing joy and being present and centered in the moment.”

3 SECRETS of my Personal Success

1.  Have self-confidence and achievement

2.  Knowing my people.  As a leader I take the time to really know all of my people and what makes them different building mutual respect

3.  CPR (Choose Personal Responsibility)

1 Great Recommendation for the Next Person

Find something for yourself outside your normal life—open up to the possibilities.

My biggest financial question/concern

Take the time to know the true value of what you pay for in life.  It’s not always about what it costs but what you get for your investment.  For example, in the chorus it costs $45/month but when you look at the way the club helps pay for travel and food, etc you come out way ahead.  Compare the joy you get from an activity to other clubs you may join and compare there, too.

I enjoy meeting with people and learning about their financial desires and challenges.  Please visit my website at www.taraenolan.com or call Tara at             719-210-4242       

Contact Kathy

http://www.velvethills.org/

E-Mail:  info@velvethills.org

Meet Kimberly Hessler, Career Consultant

Kimberly Hessler

Where I Met Kimberly

I first met Kimberly when I was going through the military’s transition assistance program taught at the United States Air Force Academy in 2009.  I met up with Kimberly recently at a networking group in the Springs for Military Academy Graduates.  I remembered Kimberly because she mentioned that her daughter had a horse and I’m a horse person.

What I Really Like About Kimberly

Kimberly taught our class about the challenges we would be facing as new “civilians” in the regular world.  We were going to be going from a very structured environment to a brand new set of circumstances where the rules of engagement were somewhat different.  Kimberly was honest about the realities of transition and had down to earth examples of what we needed to learn.  My favorite part about Kimberly was that she was also in the transition process herself.  Kimberly was going from being an outstanding employee to launching her own company.  A person who is ready to make this kind of entrepreneurial change is exactly the kind of consultant you want to work with as a mentor.  Kimberly doesn’t just know what you should do academically; she has experienced the process first hand, too!

Background

Kimberly comes from a traditional family in Pennsylvania.  Her dad worked two jobs and her mom stayed at home to raise the family.  Kimberly went to college in Kansas and actually met her husband on a mission in Haiti.  Her husband was in the Air Force and so they moved to Mac Dill AFB in Tampa, Florida.  Kimberly admits the weather was a wonderful change from the winters she’d grown up in. In Florida, Kimberly used her sociology degree in the corporate world and found that this did not inspire her.  So, Kimberly started volunteering with the Family Support Center on the military base and then with the Red Cross and found helping other people find their footing was a passion for her.  When her husband was reassigned to Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs, Kimberly began working at the Family Support Center and was in the ground floor development of the Transition Assistance Program (TAPS) for military separating or retiring from military service.  She started teaching part of the course and this was a perfect job to have while raising a new baby.  Kimberly started really listening to the challenges these military members were having as they were looking for civilian jobs and this was the early beginning of her current business. Kimberly started creating networking opportunities for the military members to teach them how to connect with businesses and these win-win events really took off.  Kimberly was teaching people to network and how it is a positive activity where everyone benefits, not just a situation to use people.

My Ideal Client…

Kimberly’s ideal client is a military member or spouse preparing for a transition from the military lifestyle to settling down into a civilian lifestyle.  Ideally, Kimberly likes to connect with these service oriented people about five years before they make the transition.  I asked Kimberly why she wants to connect so early before people are actually looking for their next job.  And Kimberly tells me, “I work with amazing people who are unemployed for six to nine months and I ask them ‘Could you survive this long?’”

3 SECRETS of my Personal Success

1.  Do what you’re passionate about.  Kimberly specializes in helping people find their passion in her one-on-one career counseling program.  She calls it “Finding Your North Star” and it is a comprehensive program that is something you can actually do.

2.  You’ve gotta want it as bad as you want to breath.  If you are just going through the motions, it is going to be hard to find happiness and also a great job.  Employers like to hire fun, well-adjusted people.

3.  Find great mentors. Treat everyone with respect and you’ll find that the most unlikely people become your most valuable mentors.  In starting her business, Kimberly had a retired navy captain tell her, “Kimberly, you need a repeatable process because you cannot be a mama to every person.”  This was a motivation for Kimberly to create her Moving Ahead with Purpose (MAWP) program.

1 Great Recommendation for the Next Person

Find your North Star, in other words, you passion.  I wish we would teach this to our kids in school.

My biggest financial question/concern

I taught my daughter about money in this way.  My daughter wanted a horse and as this was a large and recurring expense, I wanted my daughter to have some skin in the game.  I made a deal with her that if she raised money then she could have a horse.  To make it realistic, my sister offered to match my daughter dollar for dollar (with a cap on the total amount).  My daughter learned to be entrepreneurial as she started a dog-walking business and had to deal with situations like asking to be paid for her work.  When she turned sixteen I gave my daughter the option of the horse versus a car and my daughter chose the horse—her North Star.

I enjoy meeting with people and learning about their financial desires and challenges.  Please visit my website at www.taraenolan.com or call Tara at             719-210-4242       

Contact Kimberly

Kimberly@hshdcareers.com

www.hshdcareers.com

Meet Dan Price, Owner of Winning Ways Managment, Inc.

Dan Price, DM, PMP

Dan Price, DM, PMP, owner of Winning Ways Management, Inc.

Where I Met Dan

I first met Dan at a networking group for military service members at the Pikes Perk coffee shop in downtown Colorado Springs.  I was excited because I’d just published my book Out of the Saddle: 9 Steps to Improve Your Horseback Riding and passed a copy around the table for everyone to check out.  Dan suggested we visit as he had already published a few books himself.

What I Really Like About Dan

I took some time to get to know Dan, after our first meeting and found that we had a lot in common.  In addition to being published authors, pilots and entrepreneurs, we both had an interest in public speaking and education.

Background

Dan comes from a small farming town in Nebraska.  His family were farmers and his dad worked for the post office.  Dan was also very involved in the Boy Scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Then Dan goes on to mention that his dad was also a pilot and that Dan had flown in his dad’s lap at two years old!  Dan grew up during the Space program so he was primed and ready to join the Air Force and was accepted into the Air Force Academy.   A funny sidenote is that Dan was drafted by the Army while he was still a cadet at the Academy.

Dan had a vast Air Force career first flying B-52 aircraft and said that flying over the North Pole was like being in a black and white environment but the colors were blue and white. Dan was always a teacher in some capacity as a T-41 flight screening instructor pilot and then the officer in charge of a cadet squadron. Dan played a significant part in Desert Storm at SAC HQ.  One interesting aspect of his military career was an introduction to Total Quality Management (TQM). He took this experience and completed a Doctor of Management (DM) program and has taught at several universities to include Colorado Technical University, University of California, Irvine, Pikes Peak Community College and the University of the Rockies.

Dan started his own company, Winning Ways Management, Inc., in 1999.

My Ideal Client…

Dan’s ideal clients are Millennial or Generation Y people (college-aged through about 33 yrs old) who are looking to get started in leadership.  Dan tells a story about an officer who gave a presentation to a crowd of over 100 people.  As the general walked off the stage to a standing ovation, he was shaking his head because the people were so impressed with what the general considered to be management 101.  This inspired Dan to want to share essential techniques, skills and ideas with people interested in leadership that have not gone through any formal training.  Dan likes to connect with his clients on-line as this is so convenient for most people today and this doesn’t limit interactions geographically.

3 SECRETS of my Personal Success

1.  Persistance. Dan applied to the Air Force Academy a year early, then ended up being the 7^th alternate before he was accepted.

2.  Ability to get along with people.

3.  Willingness to learn.  Dan pursued his Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate by self-study to make him more attractive for jobs.  This was a significant factor helping him land a six-figure job with MCI.

1 Great Recommendation for the Next Person

Be willing to take a risk and get out of your comfort zone.  He mentioned a survey of senior citizens and one of the consistent biggest regrets seniors had was not taking more risks in business or their relationships.  He asks himself, “What can I do now so that I will have no regrets later?”

My biggest financial question/concern

“You cannot rely on a company to take care of you.  Things change.  When I was 22 I had just graduated from college, gotten married, and was learning to fly airplanes.  My parents had gone through the depression so I was lucky to have learned early about saving money.  In fact I opened my first savings account when I was just 5 years old.  Use your brain to plan ahead for the rainy days.” 

I enjoy meeting with people and learning about their financial desires and challenges.  Please visit my website at www.taraenolan.com or call Tara at             719-210-4242       

Contact Dan

http://www.winning-ways.com/

Meet Kris Pederson Vice President, Strategy Consulting, IBM Global Business Services

Where I Met Kris

I met Kris at a birthday party for one of our mutual friends, Stephanie Boyles, founder and CEO of Unbridled Rider.  Stephanie has horse friends and techie friends and Kris is one of the business friends.

What I Really Like About Kris

Kris is smart, grounded and articulate.  I listened to her tell a story about her recent visit to the White House and was impressed with her combination of humility and strength.  I am learning how to separate what feels like tooting my own horn from valuable information people need to know about me.  Kris has already achieved this.  As the only non-engineer member of ASME (Association of Mechanical Engineers) she jokingly shared that she was not sure why she was on the board and then explained, “Well, what I am really good at is taking the very technical language and communicating the message to laypeople.”  Kris is a person who has a lot of experience in business and in life with a great deal of travel and connecting with different people.  Kris gives thoughtful answers showing she really listens to what you are saying.

Background

Kris grew up in Southern California and remembers her dad always told her she was the smartest, most beautiful most talented person.  She had this positive reinforcement through her childhood years and it was very formative for future pursuits.  Kris mentioned that research shows most women are more conservative about taking on new responsibilities, whereas men are more likely to volunteer for a position they have limited qualifications for, that they can learn on the job.   Kris’s strong sense of self led her to be more assertive in her career progression.  Around the age of fifteen, Kris’s mom remarried a C-130 navigator and they moved to Germany for three years.  Kris went from living a charmed life on the beach with a lifeguard dad to being the foreigner in a new country.  This turned into another positive life experience and Kris gained a level of empathy for people different than her and was able to travel extensively as well.  This would also foreshadow success in her career as Kris travels quite a bit as a management consultant.

Kris came back to college and chose UCLA over Stanford to keep her tuition costs reasonable.  Kris had always planned to be a doctor and figured she’d be a student forever.  The pre-med track didn’t agree with her so Kris followed an attraction to business and psychology courses and ended up majoring in psychology and minored in business.  Kris became an auditor for CED, a large electric company, and then went on to attend Harvard Business School earning an MBA, preparing her for management consulting.   

Kris joined a small, strategic consulting firm out of school, and after 5 years, was recruited by Price Waterhouse to help build their practice in Denver in the mid ‘90s. Kris made partner in ’99 and the company was bought out by IBM in 2002.  A recent assignment with IBM was an internal transformation project for the IBM company itself and Kris learned a lot.  It is more delicate to work internally than for an external client because you are in the middle of effecting climate change and working to truly win the hearts, minds and souls of the current leadership. Kris got to work closely with Ginny Rometty, the new CEO of IBM, and the first woman to take the helm, and figure out what was going to be the personal wins for the company and the team.  Kris explains that as a consultant you have to be smart enough to figure out what the win is for the people vested in the transformation process; become a thought leader, push the envelope, and how to come across positively.

Kris’ family is Rob and their 8 year old daughter.  She reminds me that family definitely helps with your success along the way.  Kris did wait until she was a senior partner in her career to have her family.  Her husband, Rob, has created an awesome Golf Travel Business, “Rob Clark Golf Travel” and takes people around the world to golf.  His flexibility has allowed for the family to function in a harmonious way around Kris’s more structured career. 

My Ideal Client…

IBM is now the largest management consulting company in the world, in fact 60% of their income is from services instead of products.  IBM has a cool new campaign, SMARTER PLANET that is looking at how the world can be better integrated to solve the biggest challenges, and looks at three specific areas.

1. Instrumental—we all have access to devices and data

2.  Interconnected- internet, mobile apps, phones we can be connected like never before

3. Intelligent—ways to mine information and analyze everything.

For example, the mayor of Stockholm, Sweden worked with IBM to create a smart road toll system.  Drivers are incentivized to drive at off-rush hours by getting better rates on the toll roads regulated by smart chips in their cars. The reduction of traffic sitting in rush hours has reduced emissions by 20%.  A great use of technology to provide price breaks to individuals, reduce frustration levels for drivers and reduce pollution levels for everyone!

Kris’s ideal clients are decision-makers at the C-level (CEOs, presidents, CXOs) with a transformational vision. Connecting with these businesses is a process and a vision itself.  There is a great sales team in place to contact clients around the globe and IBM also has a provocative viewpoint.  IBM chooses to lead with industry perspective, talk about what a company’s problems are and their pain points and then IBM earns its right to a seat at the table.

3 SECRETS of my Personal Success

1.  Just Go For It!  See and Take opportunities outside of your comfort zone.  For me going to Harvard as the daughter of a teacher and a lifeguard was outside of my comfort zone but it really paid off and I was successful.

2.  Find a great mentor—as a woman find a female mentor.  When I was at Price Waterhouse I connected with Peggy Vaughan.  Peggy was the most senior female partner and she put me in front of firm leadership, giving me opportunities to make presentations,  assigning me to stretch project roles  beyond my experience level and continued to give me chances to excel. I asked Kris how she really was able to create this mentorship relationship.  Kris confessed that she wanted to know this woman and intentionally worked her way into Peggy’s inner circle. I didn’t have a right to be there but I asked for it.  Mentorship is such a two-way street and you have to push forward as much as you get pulled along.

The most important thing now is giving back.  Kris is on the Women’s Advisory Council for the Harvard Business School and they meet four times a year.  She is also on the board of the Association of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).  She recently attended a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) meeting at the White House which was looking at how to get more women into engineering.

3.  Be a glass half full person!  There is no such thing as the perfect life.  In my job I could lament the fact that there are many times I’d like to be a stay at home mom, get more sleep, not travel so much.  But, instead, I focus on the fact I have a self-empowered child who’s ready to take on the world, I am an interesting spouse and I have great stories from traveling.

1 Great Recommendation for the Next Person

Studies have shown that women are most happy when they are moving forward and this can be looked at in terms of career velocity. She thinks this may be one reason why women are not attracted to stay in STEM professions.  She believes you need to step up and do your best work, contribute, pay-it-forward and then ask for what you need.  Kris’s husband is undergoing cancer treatment and Kris is able to work from a home office because she’s proven she produces and is a high level performer.                                                                      

My biggest financial question/concern

Stay out of debt!  If you cannot pay it off then you don’t need it.  I stayed with my mom for a year after finishing my MBA so I could pay off the loan.  I asked Kris what she recommended if you’re reading this and area already in debt.  She said to work two jobs, look for opportunities to do internships and build your resume.  Make it a priority and then take action.

It is also so important to understand the economics of business.  Learn how to read income statements, balance sheets, etc.  Know the language!  As a management consultant Kris always has to put recommendations in terms of “so what’s the financial benefit of doing this” and quantifying what’s going to be the bottom line.

Contact Kris

Kristen.pederson@us.ibm.com


I enjoy meeting with people and learning about their financial desires and challenges.  Please visit my website at www.taraenolan.com or call me at 719-210-4242 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            719-210-4242      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Meet John Carrigan, Regional manager of purpose1, visual marketing group

Where I Met with John

I initially met John at my first MOAA meeting at the Warehouse restaurant.  We set up our more personal meeting at Gold Hill Java on Tejon Street in downtown Colorado Springs.  This was my first visit to this coffee shop and it was comfortable, the coffee was good and there was a nice array of goodies. (I liked John already at this pointJ).

What I Really Like About John

John immediately grabbed me as a very centered and thoughtful person.  As we sat down he asked great questions about me and my background.  I was comfortable talking with John and we established a good rapport quickly.  The more I learned about John the more interesting he became to me.  After we talked for a few minutes John explained that he liked to “pay it forward first.”

Background

John is a Vietnam veteran and flew helicopters in the Army and came out of that experience with a real appreciation of life.  He has a wide variety of value adding experiences from the military to some financial planning to manage in the electronics industry.  John also has experience in benchmarking and top-notch business performance most notably the Malcolm-Baldridge award.  John could easily be a business coach with his understanding of marketing and business planning.  John knows sign language and he started a non-profit called Veterans Resource Central (myvrc.org)

My Ideal Client…

John is currently a regional manager for purpose1 visual marketing group.  His company provides support for trade show displays, logistical support to include storage, shipping, set-up and design. Purpose1 has also created a unique video kiosk to display in different lobbies and spaces.  The best clients are government educational arms for both state and federal agencies.  On the civilian side any business that does multiple trade shows can benefit from Purpose1’s services.  More examples of great clients include pharmaceutical companies, parks and wildlife, museum displays and military displays. An additional unique service is their ability to make plastic models so instead of shipping a 2-ton vehicle or large engine across the country, a company can have a realistic mockup produced instead.

4 SECRETS of my Personal Success

1.        Very happy to be alive after Vietnam and as a result, the opportunities that were available to me.

2.       Strong communication and leadership skills.  John developed good communication skills in his high school days and he discovered that he was one of the smaller percentages of people who want to make decisions and be in charge.  John used his strengths to succeed.

3.       Feel great satisfaction in helping other people, mentoring, supporting internships and teaching others to succeed.

4.       The greatest rewards in life are not financial, but you have to be financially sound to achieve most goals.

1 Great Recommendation for the Next Person        

Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance. Build a great team of experts around yourself to include a CPA, attorney, and financial advisor.  You should develop a business relationship with a local “business” bank.  On the marketing front, take time to create a marketing plan that supports your business plan. It should have a budget and measurable goals. Finally, get to know your community!  Talk to local businesses and non profit organizations and volunteer to give back.

My biggest financial question/concern

John’s biggest financial learning moment was about 401k plans.  He went through the transition from pensions to 401k retirement plans and was introduced to the concept of company matching.  What John quickly realized was the 401k was only going to be a great asset if he always maximized his matching and left the money alone to grow and compound.    John and his wife smartly decided to pay for their kid’s college tuitions out of their salaries to let their retirement accounts compound.  Their #1 priority was providing their children with a good education, then having dollars available for emergency purposes and then enough to support them throughout retirement.

I enjoy discussing financial strategy for investing and you can reach me through my website www.taraenolan.com.

Contact John

(719) 445-0054

john@purpose1.com

www.purpose1.com