Audra Bright

I attribute my success to resilience, adaptability, and the mentors who have guided me along the way. About a year ago, I experienced what people call imposter syndrome for the first time - I never understood what that meant until I went through it myself. It took about a year to work through, and my mentors were absolutely key in helping me get to the other side of that. Having those mentors has been crucial in both my professional and personal life. I also believe that after going through major challenges, like being diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after giving birth to my son, I learned to re-evaluate what really matters. That experience pushed me to choose work that aligned more closely with impact and purpose. I've learned that we're all human at the end of the day - people make mistakes, that's how you learn and grow, and you just have to keep going. I tell everyone at the nonprofit I work for that the key to life is not living to work, but working to live, and making sure those two things are balanced. I also credit my success to networking and building strong professional relationships - the whole reason I got into the two nonprofits I've worked for is because I knew the CEO. I met her by happenstance at the clinic after I gave birth, and she reached out when she needed someone organized. I haven't been on a job interview since 2014, which speaks to the power of relationships and doing good work.

Mentorship has played a critical role in her development. She credits professional mentors for helping her navigate leadership growth and overcome imposter syndrome, particularly during periods of rapid career transition and organizational scaling. She emphasizes the importance of networking and building strong professional relationships.

Remember you're human. People make mistakes, that's how you learn, that's how you grow. You just have to keep going. That is the key thing I've had to learn over the last year - we're all human at the end of the day. I tell everybody at the current nonprofit I work for that the key to life is not living to work, we're working to live. Make sure that those two things are balanced, and if you feel they're not balanced, then you need to change something. Beyond that, I would say intern, get experience, volunteer. To me, especially being on the HR side and having done recruiting for a lot of nonprofits over the last few years, if you intern, that is your foot in the door. I tell every single person, even my husband, that the key to recruiting right now is not applying for jobs, it's networking, it's who you know to get you in that footprint in the door. There are definitely a ton of opportunities in sustainability in general, and in nonprofit sustainability specifically. You just have to really figure out what piece you want to work on or what specific material or focus area interests you. There are so many opportunities, but networking and getting hands-on experience are essential.

There are definitely a ton of opportunities in sustainability in general. In nonprofit sustainability, there are a lot of opportunities - you just have to really figure out what piece you want to work on, whether it's a specific material or focus area. The field is growing and there's so much potential. From a recruiting and HR perspective, I've learned that the key challenge is that the traditional job application process isn't as effective anymore. The key to recruiting right now is not applying for jobs, it's networking, it's who you know to get you in that footprint in the door. If you intern or volunteer, that becomes your foot in the door. The nonprofit community, especially in sustainability, is a large community but it's also tight-knit, so keeping in contact with various people and maintaining a constant talent pipeline or network is essential. I always keep that network active because it helps organizations grow, which is one of the things I specialize in.

I value purpose-driven work, balance, resilience, and remembering that we're all human. After going through major health challenges - being diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after giving birth to my son - I learned to re-evaluate what really matters in life and in my career. That experience pushed me to choose work that aligned more closely with impact and purpose, which is why I work in nonprofit sustainability. I believe strongly that we're not living to work, we're working to live, and I tell everybody at my organization that those two things need to be balanced. If you feel they're not balanced, then you need to change something. I also value grace and learning from mistakes - people make mistakes, that's how you learn and grow, and you just have to keep going. Family is incredibly important to me. I recently got married back in January, and I have an 8-year-old son who I coach in soccer. We live out in the middle of the desert, and I love just sitting outside and enjoying the desert while everybody else is getting snowed in. I'm passionate about sustainability and taking care of the Earth for future generations - my son even told me that humans are the enemy of the Earth, which shows how much my work has rubbed off on him. Outside of work, I enjoy coaching soccer, reading publications like Forbes and Vogue Business, listening to podcasts about HR, sustainability, psychology, and true crime, and exploring my interests in history and genealogy.