Katie Wanek

For me, success isn't linear - it looks different depending on where you are, and sometimes it can be hard to stop and take stock of where you are. I think for me, staying grounded in my faith and giving everything to God, and then loving my neighbor - if I'm living on those two things, then I'm successful. I feel really strongly about that because I think sometimes we can define success as a milestone, and that's particularly tough for women. We can be defined by being a mother, or being a mother who works, or being a mother who can stay at home, or not wanting children and owning the workspace, and it's really hard when that's not necessarily our choice. We face things like challenges with fertility and challenges with motherhood. Being able to stay grounded in what makes us all exist, which is just our love for one another, and using that to define success - that to me is my barometer.

I think choosing to stay grounded in what is right about the work that you're doing, rather than chasing the milestone or chasing the title - that's so much more fulfilling. Businesses shift and change, structures shift and change, but you always have to stay core to what energizes you. If that energy is driven from storytelling, if that energy is driven from design, if that energy is driven from hearing from other people and learning from other people and connecting - that's going to be what makes your job that much more rewarding and what makes it easier to go through the good, the bad, and the ugly. So I just think choosing your passion and finding moments of it in your work, that's more important than any award or recognition you could ever receive. Sometimes I think that impact can look different - people sometimes want to see the major impact that they're making, and I fall into that too, but I can't undersell the small steps of showing up in the day-to-day. While the result matters, the how you get there is even more important, and how you show up for your peers - that's what colors inclusion, that's what colors empowerment, that's what makes people feel connected to their work. So find your passion, but find it in the small stuff in addition to the big stuff. Don't undersell the power of the day-to-day.

For me, empathy is a core part of what makes me who I am. I'm not afraid to lean into empathy - it's something that helps me be resilient in scenarios that require resilience, and it's something that helps me be present in scenarios that require an ear. I know that I'm never going to separate who I am as Katie from empathy. That's part of my DNA. I don't hesitate to show up with that, and I know sometimes that can be uncomfortable, sometimes that can be vulnerable. I have to check myself because no one in a room is responsible for my emotions except for myself, but as long as I'm doing it from the lens of how can I make sure that I am truly who I am and added to this conversation, whether it's emotionally charged or difficult - I know how I'm gonna show up in a scenario, and I'm going to lead that way with empathy and with love for the other person that's across the table. That's just going to be part of my DNA. My faith is also a big part of my life - staying grounded in my faith and giving everything to God, and loving my neighbor - those are what define success for me. Being able to stay grounded in what makes us all exist, which is just our love for one another, that to me is my barometer.