Cathy Elwood

Woman of the Week – Cathy Elwood

Cathy ElwoodHere at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Catherine Elwood

My Current Job/Company:
State Auto Insurance Companies

My Birthdate:
11/07/64

My Work:
I am responsible for all hiring at State Auto Insurance Companies, as well as the on-boarding, goal setting and development that helps new hires become successful, long-term associates. It’s a great opportunity that I enjoy every day!

My Passion:
My family, work, exercise, and giving back.

My Family:
Doug (loving, supportive Husband), Sammie (Daughter – 23), Chad (Son – 20)

My Heroes:
My husband, Mother and Father, and awesome boss!

My Escape:
Any beach with my husband. The sun and sand rejuvenate my spirit and my soul; and exercise!

My Pet Peeve:
Negative people, “can’t do” attitudes and procrastination

My Indulgence:
Wine

My Roots:
Midwestern, hard-working family who helped me develop a strong work ethic, and who are truly loving and supportive.

My Future:
The world is my oyster – I will work hard to achieve my goals and pay it forward so others can succeed as well.

My Movie:
“Must Love Dogs” and “The King and I” – great love stories.

My Quote about Life:
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

My Accessory:

Everything sparkly and lots of color

My Advice to Young Women:
Listen, learn, be patient and find a great mentor. Don’t think of your career as a ladder, think of it as a jungle gym (you can swing to the next opportunity and broaden your experience base).

How I Balance it All:
I factor in free time and fun to keep me sane and calm. I surround myself with great family and co-workers who I consider my second family. AND, I try to remember that I can’t be all things to all people. I need to be realistic about what’s possible.

Shelley Bird

Woman of the Week – Shelley Bird

Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Shelley Bird

My Name:
Shelley Bird, most people call me Shell.

My Current Job/Company:
Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Cardinal Health

My Birthdate:
Can I get away with saying you’re only as old as you feel?!

My Work:
Intense and varied. I lead multiple disciplines under the Public Affairs umbrella from corporate marketing and public relations to brand management and community relations.

My Passion:
Leveraging the transformative power of philanthropy.

My Family:
Jerry (my spouse and biggest fan) and Matthew (my son and grounding force)

My Heroes:
My mom – her quiet strength, bountiful kindness and unwavering dignity in spite of hard times have truly inspired me. And Professor Claire Woods – I would not have completed my doctorate journey without her pushing me to go farther and to enjoy the ride.

My Escape:
My art studio and walks in nature.

My Pet Peeve:
Arrogance and “baggage” – just let it go.

My Indulgence:
Champagne and any spicy Asian food; Greek food in Toronto and pepper crab in Singapore.

My Roots:
Hardscrabble, but I always try to bloom where I’m planted.

My Future:
Creative. Full of joy and new adventures.

My Love:
Besides my “boys” (husband and son), making assemblages out of found objects and exploring faraway places and cultures.

My Movie:
Art films and anything with Christopher Walken.

My Quote on Life:
“Adversity doesn’t build character; it reveals it.” (Told to me by my mother; not sure who the original author is.)

My Accessory:
“Host behavior” with a smile. And I love pins!

My Advice to Young Women:
Be courageous. Be honest. Be adaptable. Be curious. And help each other!

How I Balance it All….
Work/life balance suggests that I have two lives. It is work/life integration and feeling “whole” that is important. Some days I’m better at it than others.

Marissa Mayer’s Doing Telecommuters a Favor

Marissa Mayer’s decision to pull the plug on telecommuting at Yahoo! has sparked worldwide debate over its necessity and wisdom.

Obviously, Marissa is taking measures to turn around a floundering business. She said Yahoo! needs “all hands on deck” to get things going in the right direction again. And, earlier this week, the New York Times reported that the decision was made in part, to boost morale. With more than 200 employees working from home, and plenty of empty cubicles as a result, it’s easy to see how the energy of a workplace could be affected.

But what about the telecommuters themselves? Could this actually be a good thing for their careers? Could getting themselves out of their yoga pants and into the office for some networking and face time help them get ahead?

One of our community members, Tish Hevel, a communications consultant, believes that it could. As a work-at-homer herself, Tish shares her perspective in her post, “The Case for Showing up.”

Tish writes, “As a regular member of the no-commute club, I know there are definite advantages to staying in your own pajamas in your own home and petting your own big black dog while working. It saves time, money and wear and tear – on your car, wardrobe and psyche. For certain functions, it’s possible to be much more productive and focused. But over the long haul, and as a routine arrangement for full-time employees…there’s really no argument. It’s a bad idea.”

Tish continues to explain how valuable face time is to morale, relationships and work.

“Simply put,” Tish says, “the presence of people matters – no matter how imperfect, inconvenient and yes, insensitive they can be. I’m with Marissa. I remind myself of this on the days I grudgingly shower, get dressed, slap on some lipstick and scrape the snow from my car. Sales managers love to say it, and I believe they’re on to something. (Thank you John Potter.) You start differentiating yourself when you show up.”

To read Tish’s entire article, click here.

What do you think? Could this be a good career move for those who work from home? Share in the comments!