Her Story
About Kelly
I started my career with a degree in molecular biology and a minor in organic chemistry, working in medical diagnostics in the Philadelphia area where we tested for COVID, cancer, and other diseases. Interestingly, I also went to trade school for horticulture and worked as a florist for many years while I was in college. After moving to Florida, I worked in manufacturing as a supervisor, but I really wanted to get into something more challenging, so I joined SpaceX in the aerospace industry. I started as a production coordinator, became a lead, then a supervisor, and was just recently promoted to manager about a month ago. My role focuses on logistics, managing inventory, making sure we're accurately storing our inventory and that technicians have what they need on-site to complete their work. I handle triaging requests, staging workflows, and understanding the flow of work from the technicians to prepare for whatever comes next. During my time at SpaceX, I transferred from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to Vandenberg, California for about a year and a half before transferring back to Florida. What's been most critical to my success is doing the work hands-on, boots on the ground in the field, working alongside the techs and my inventory specialists and production coordinators so that I truly understood what was required of the roles I supervised and managed.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kelly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to always going after the challenge and never backing down from a challenge. I'm always the first person to raise my hand and say, I'll do that. I love pushing myself to the limits that I think I can handle and always reaching for the next challenge. I never want to be complacent. What's been most critical to my success at SpaceX is doing the work hands-on, boots on the ground in the field, working alongside the techs, working alongside my inventory specialists and production coordinators, so that I truly understood what was required of the roles that I supervised and managed.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is from Philadelphia, where I'm from. There's a quote that says, hungry dogs run faster. If you want something, if you're hungry for something, if you want that promotion, if you want that new role, if you want that raise, you need to work harder, work faster. That's always stuck with me and driven me forward in my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid to try something that seems out of your realm. Always, always try and do the hard thing, always try and do the thing that scares you. Never back down from a challenge and be the first person to raise your hand and say, I'll do that.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field right now are honestly demand. Everything is hot, everything needs action right away. So it's all about managing your time, managing your priorities, and remaining flexible when things change. Everything feels like it needs to happen now, at this moment, so staying adaptable and being able to shift priorities quickly is critical.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is most important to me, especially honesty with expectations. If someone's unable to do something, I want them to be able to honestly tell me instead of being disappointed when it's not completed. Open communication is also critical. We work such long hours here at SpaceX that I want to feel comfortable, and I want people to feel comfortable around me. Creating that environment of trust and openness is essential to how I lead and how I live.
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