I came here first, arriving from New York in August 2014, hoping that my decision to move to Dallas with my wife would be the perfect next step in my career. At this point in my life, I had a solid understanding of what I wanted to do and what I was good at.
Means I/O offered everything I wanted – exposure to a new part of the country, a strong brand and, above all, a talented young staff.
Kelly Daniel came to my office in March 2015 directly from the University of Oklahoma. I was looking to fill an entry-level position that would be able to handle tasks across advertising and marketing while providing a great opportunity for someone looking to get into the media. As we fumbled through such an awkward conversation as I could have had with my daughter, I saw that she was smart and a good person. I hired her that day.
So now you expect a traditional story of how I took Kelly under my wing and shared with her all my secrets to success. But that's not what happened. You see, being a mentor is far from the cliché I thought. Successful mentoring is a partnership with each person playing both mentor and mentee. While I could provide examples of things I have done to grow over my long career, Kelly was able to inspire me with her thirst for learning, her optimism and her energy. Together we formed a team that found new ways to support and learn from each other, despite the difference in age and experience. Through our shared mentorship, Kelly is one of my most trusted colleagues and someone who inspires me to find new ways to grow our brand every day.
The world is full of people you can learn from and be inspired by, and they come in all skill sets and age groups. The key is to fully invest in the relationship to get the most out of it. Ask my mentor, Kelly.
