Kelly Culbertson

I have a very supportive husband who isn't afraid of a strong woman. I'm also surrounded by women who have the same theory of lifting each other up, so I have a strong network of other women in my life that want to see me succeed and have always been my cheerleader to keeping my heart in the right place and persevering to take opportunities and chances that others might be fearful of doing. They encourage me to keep moving forward.

The best career advice I've ever received is that your first idea is not your best idea, and to push the last 5%. I love the book Thinking Fast and Slow, so when you quantitatively digest things that have numerical value, you then slow down for a second and think about all the tiny details to make it whole. Your first idea is not the best idea, so you've got to keep going.

I would tell them to be kind to yourself, and how you talk to yourself is the conversations that you hear daily. No one else is going to pour you with confidence if it isn't yourself. How you talk to yourself could be who you become, so be kind to yourself. I tell my kids this all the time too - give yourself that confidence. I see a lot of people that are nervous about things, and I'm like, who else is going to pour you with confidence if it isn't yourself?

I'm in higher ed, and it's not so hot right now - it's a little scary, if anything. Also, in the world of AI and advertising, things have exploded. I think really reaching the audience and giving them what they want through identifying the proper channels and how we're communicating with them is challenging. We need to utilize tools that some people deem as scary, but they actually could help you be more successful in giving people what they want. It's challenging to think about every human uniquely, especially working for mainstream brands. Now you really have to think about people that are in smaller segments and make something they want to respond to. It is a little tricky right now, but I think with technology on our side, it's not impossible - you just have to use it ethically.

Transparency is huge for me - I don't enjoy information hoarding. I think if people understand where they're going and how they're moving forward, that does wonders for people, so I'm a big visionary for letting people know where we're going. Ethics is huge for me too, just always doing the right thing. I always tell people and my students to listen to your gut, listen to your brain, and let those two things combine before you move forward on your decisions or the words that come out of your mouth. I also use the toothpaste theory - once it leaves the tube, you can get it back in the tube, but it's sure going to be awkward, so just be careful once it leaves. Just be kind, and don't live by ego. That's not going to get anybody anywhere besides one person. As a community of people, we could all lift each other up to try to work towards one mission and help each other out along the way if we do it strategically.