Christine Tarquinio

Honestly, I attribute my success to betting on good people. I try to hire people that have skill sets and strengths in other areas than I have, so that we can work collaboratively and create the best possible product. I've been fortunate that the people who I've worked for and the organizations that I've worked for have put their faith in me, and I've tried to live up to that. Between having leadership that is willing to let me think a little bit outside the box, and a team of individuals that are willing to go down maybe an uncertain path with me and do it well, those have been probably the best assets that I've had.

You can get inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, so always keep your eyes open to see not just what your competition is doing, but ideas that are transferable across industry. It just takes a little bit of creativity to see maybe how something that might be a great idea in finance could be applicable for a nonprofit as well. I would also say that the networking and the giving back to my community have opened more doors for me than anything else. Obviously, your work has to be spectacular and you have to be willing to put the time in, but making sure that you're not just involved in your community, but that you're actively involved in giving back to it is important. And then finally, don't burn bridges. That momentary, elated feeling that you have for getting your point across could end up being something that has a lasting impact in a way that you maybe don't want it to.

Resources are limited, they're always limited, whether it's dollars that are allocated to marketing, advertising, branding, or it's people. One thing that we're going to continually be trying to learn how to use effectively is AI. I was just looking at a spot that our agency made for us that was completely done with AI from the objects moving to the people walking and talking in it. It's going to be a delicate balance being able to keep the individual creativity of people on the team who have spent their entire careers being working artists with the speed and inexpensiveness of AI.

It's very important to me to give back to my community. Being out there volunteering a lot and seeing how little things that you can do can really impact the community has been something that has guided me for a really long time. Over the past 6-7 years, I've been working with an executive coach who has changed my entire life, from the way that I communicate with my kids and my friends, to the way that I communicate and lead the people on my team. That has been a fantastic tool for me to become a better human and a better leader.