Due to the recent covid-19 pandemic, MarketStar recently sent our entire workforce to work from home. My days are now spent working alongside my family in the safety and comfort of our home. The transition to work from home has some awesome benefits, like zero commute time, my dog at work with me, and maybe the best part — sweatpants! However, it has also brought some unique challenges that are somewhat different from the typical work environment. For example, my co-workers don’t usually need me to wipe their faces after lunch.

Like most companies, MarketStar has been forced to make significant changes to the way we do business because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Times like this can undermine time-tested process, break leadership, and whither the attitudes of the most ardent worker. But it can also be a time when we rise to the challenge in ways we never thought possible. It’s a time to put our values into action, not just to keep our business running, but to keep our people safe, secure, and healthy.

The main goal of any for-profit organization is to make an impact while growing revenue. They make money by creating growth for their employees, their clients, and their community. Women can play a major part in helping organizations achieve this goal. In fact, a recent study shows that on average, companies with at least one woman in the C-suite are 6% more profitable that those without. Those with at least one woman on the board, outperform those without by 16%. These numbers give everyone a reason to care. If women are so vital to an organization’s success and bottom line, why is it so hard to hire, retain, and promote them?

On August 21, 2018, I had an MRI, and at 8:01 the next morning I got a call from the doctor’s office. “We have your results and would like to review them with you. When can you come in?” I couldn’t go in until the afternoon, and the entire day I convinced myself they reviewed scans with all their patients. If that were only the case.

One of our summer adventures took us to see nature’s skyscrapers in Sequoia National Park. At 2,100 years old, General Sherman stands as the largest living tree on earth. In a grove of giants, it stands 275 feet tall with a 102-foot ground circumference. The awe and magnitude of Sequoia’s beauty tranquilized the hundreds of park guests as we respectfully explored the forest. 

I really don’t like the New England Patriots, but I love Tom Brady.

There’s a saying that goes, treat a person as they are, and that person will remain as they are. Treat a person as they could be, and they will become as what they should be.

In 2006, I was stationed in Baqubah, Iraq as a Combat Videographer in the United States Air Force. In that role, I was attached to Army units with the 4^th Infantry Division and 10^th Special Forces Group, along with other American and Iraqi military units. It was one of the best and one of the hardest experiences of my life. I think most people who have served in the military—especially if they’ve served in an active warzone—would agree that they’re better people for having lived through some of those moments. I have since left the Air Force, but I am certain today that military service has made me and millions of other veterans throughout the country stronger candidates in the civilian workforce for three key reasons.