Rachel Friedman

Woman of the Week: Rachel Friedman

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Rachel FriedmanHere 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.

Rachel Friedman

My Current Job/Company:
EVP Marketing, Continental Office Environments
EVP, 3d Branding (division of Continental Office)

My Birthdate:
04.06.70

My Work:
I lead a division of Continental Office Environments called 3d Branding. We help clients ‘tell their story’ within their space through environmental graphics. We create an authentic brand experience for visitors and employees by communicating themes and imagery that celebrate company vision, values, history, mission, associate recognition and more!

My Passion:
My children, family, friends and my creative work…both personal and professional.

My Family:
Davis (13), Lena (10), Miles (9)

My Heroes:
My mother and grandmother (of blessed memory). Two women who have taught me everything about strength, grace, dignity, and selflessness.

My Escape:
Any time I can wander without a schedule…the beach, shopping, gardening, cooking.

My Pet Peeve:
Office politics

My Indulgence:
Whit’s frozen vanilla custard with peanut butter mixed in. Try it! It’s amazing.

My Roots:
Strong, adventurous, bright and resourceful, Jewish immigrants who came to this country to build a better life for future generations.

My Future:
Exciting and fast paced!

My Love:
Entertaining….making memories for myself, my family and friends, in my home on special occasions or just any regular day.

My Movie:
“Shawshank Redemption”…I love the story of friendship in this movie.

My Quote on Life:
Quotes are like tattoos…I find it very difficult to commit to one. (Which is why I will never have a tattoo!) I recently saw this one from Dr. Seuss…” Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

My Accessory:
Bracelets and a scarf around my neck during the cold winter months…or for cold air conditioning.

My Advice to Young Women:
Experience as many things as you can and take as many risks as possible….never stop exploring who you are. And travel! Find your passion and follow it.

How I Balance it All:
I try to be mindful and have a sense of awareness when the balance is out of whack. When it is, I readjust course which could mean saying ‘no’ or taking a break…or just plain giving myself a break.

Woman of the Week – Kate/Katy Trombitas

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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.

Kate/Katy Trombitas

My Name:
Kate/Katy Trombitas

My Current Job/Company:
Vice President Financial Education, Inceptia (a division of National Student Loan Program), a national nonprofit organization

My Birthdate:
September 29, 1981

My Work:
My work focuses on creating a college-going culture at the k-12 level and promoting financial literacy as a key component of student success in college and beyond.

My Passion:
My family and my community

My Family:
Matt (my hubby) and Will (my 8-month old son)

My Hero:
My friend Tally, who has been an incredible mentor to me. She has taught me so much about how to keep life in perspective and what it means to be a compassionate and effective leader without compromising who I am and what I believe in.

My Escape:
A great book!

My Pet Peeve:
Round-a-bouts! Although I admit this is mainly due to user-error.

My Indulgence:
A long phone call with a friend

My Roots:
My parents always put an emphasis on the importance of education throughout my childhood, which has transformed into a life-long passion for me.

My Future:
Happy, healthy, fun and full of learning

My Love:
Spending time with my family and friends and watching my son grow.Nothing is more exciting than watching Will learn a new skill or reach a new milestone!

My Movie:
“The American President”- Aaron Sorkin + Annette Benning? Yes, please!

My Quote on Life:
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin in serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” (Emerson)

My Accessory:
My dogs! We have two sweet, faithful pups that round out our family and are always by my side.

My Advice to Young Women
-Find a partner who will help you follow your dreams and do the same for him/her.
-When others underestimate you, don’t be discouraged; use it as motivation.

How I Balance it All:
I don’t! But every day I try to be the person who deserves the wonderful life I have.

Woman of the Week – Kathy Gatterdam

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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.

Kathy Gatterdam


My Name:
Katherine (Kathy) Gatterdam

My Current Job/Company:
CEO, The Columbus Coal & Lime Co.

My Birthdate:
03.21.65….with my brother Erik

My Work:
I run a 125 year old family masonry supply business. We are all family here.

My Passion:
My family, my faith, Rotary Youth Exchange, the Builders Exchange, my community.

My Family:
Rich (Supportive Husband), Kate-18, Emily-17 (2 Amazing Daughters)

My Heroes:
My parents. (Diane and Larry Niermeyer) They are and were simply the BEST.

My Escape:
Chippawa Lodge, Canada……no TV, no cell service…just family.

My Pet Peeve:
Negative people and those who choose to scream instead of speak

My Indulgence:
Old family recipe….blueberry torte.

My Roots:
Started as a swimming instructor. I loved it, then had odd jobs through college. I worked at law firms in Law School and ended up in the family business after five years in the legal field.

My Future:
More time to truly use my talents.

My Love:
Seeing all those I love happy. It brings me great joy.

My Movie:
Too many to list! I love old black and whites….everything from Sargent York and To Catch a Thief…to Christmas in Connecticut

My Motto to Live:
Is it the Truth, Is it Fair, Will it build goodwill and better friendships…will it be beneficial to all concerned….

My Accessory:
Black hairband on my wrist. My hair goes up and down and sideways all day!

My Advice to Young Women:
Live your values and don’t let others define you. Have great faith you are always loved no matter how you feel about yourself or your accomplishments.

How I Balance it All:
Often you need to make choices and say NO or not yet. Balance for me is understanding my commitments and trying very hard not to overload them. I am surrounded by a very strong family at home and work, however, a wrench is always thrown into the mix so I am learning to leave more space for the unexpected.

Woman of the Week – Elisabeth Tavierne

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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.

Elisabeth Tavierne

My Current Job/Company:
President and Founder of CHAARG LLC (Changing Health, Attitudes, and Actions to Recreate Girls)

My Birthdate:
8.31.90

My Work:
I create opportunities for college aged women to find their passion in health and fitness, ultimately building a community of women who motivate and support each other not only in the gym, but in life.

My Passion:
I want to inspire people. I am passionate about helping others live a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle. Life is BEAUTIFUL. I want everyone to truly enjoy it.

My Family:
My parents, Peg and Randy, and my three awesome younger siblings Michael (19), Maria (15), and Anne (12) + our crazy black lab Stella

My Heroes:
My parents, both for different reasons. My dad for his work ethic, kindness, and optimism. My mom for her dedication to her children and young spirit.

My Escape:
In or by any body of water while the the sun is shining down its summer heat.

My Pet Peeve:
Negativity, cattiness, and unnecessary drama.

My Indulgence:
Wine. Cheese. Vodka and grapefruit with a salted rim. Spicy food.

My Roots:
I come from a big, loving Catholic family with strong morals and Midwestern friendliness. My parent’s wanderlust and passion for food developed my extremely diverse palate and love for traveling. I was born and raised an athlete, learning at an early age the power of drive, determination, and goal setting.

My Future:
Happy, filled with love and adventures around the world.

My Love:
My boyfriend, Peter, who never fails to make me laugh, creatively challenge me, and support me in all that I do.

My Movie:
I don’t watch many movies, but I love documentaries. My current favorite is “Happy” by Roko Belic.

My Quote on Life:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

My Accessory:
My facial expressions, pullovers from the men’s department, and running tights.

My Advice to Young Women:
Love yourself – you are worth it, you are enough. In this day and age, so many young women are plagued with confidence issues, whether it has to do with their body, in their work, or among their peers. Although everyone is bound to have insecurities from time to time, it is important that self love trumps all. Think about it this way: There is absolutely no one in the whole wide world who is YOU. That in and of itself is pretty awesome. Get to know who you are, and own it.

How I Balance it All:
Starting a business in college takes time away from typical college activities, friends, and even family. It’s definitely hard at times, and balance is still something I am working on. What I have found out is that there is always more work that can be done in a day, but the work will be there in the morning. In the beginning I was working from 7 AM to 11 PM, completely running myself down. Now I make sure to end by 7 PM, and let myself unwind the rest of the night. I’ve learned that it is so important to take time for myself, especially to exercise, focus on 3-5 tasks to tackle in a day, and most importantly, to make time for friends and family.