CFO at 14 West

“Always look beyond.”

I make an effort to surround myself with the best and the brightest. I’m gravitated to those that are willing to push themselves. If you’re willing to push yourself, then I’m willing to push myself to take risks with you – to give you every opportunity to succeed here. It’s important to me that we remain an environment all about collaborating and supporting one another. But I also like to see competitiveness in the people here. I’m extremely competitive, and I know that this trait is one of my biggest assets. I refuse to settle for anything ordinary or just “OK.” I like to push the boundaries. It’s much more fun to look beyond. I think that’s why after more than 15 years with this company, I still feel inspired and driven every day. I feel we are all very fortunate to work for such a dynamic, and in many ways, odd company. It looks dysfunctional and mysterious and magical, but there is beauty in what all of these great minds can produce.

What is one thing you do in the office every day?
I walk around the office every day and say hello to everyone. Most days it’s just a “Hey, how are you? What’s going on?”- not necessarily a conversation. But I believe there is tremendous value in this one simple thing.

Organizational Development Manager at 14 West

“Es posible fuego”

Time flies. It’s hard to believe I’ve been the Organizational Development Manager at 14 West for almost two years already. I like to think we work hard, think hard, and play hard. And I truly enjoy what I do. My passion for making measurable improvements in the workplace makes my career exciting to me – and a lot of fun. I love people, and what I do starts from great, genuine relationships. I think this has been the best part about working at 14 West. We have an amazing thing going with our team. We genuinely enjoy our work, have fun, laugh, and challenge one another. It’s more like an absurdly large family rather than an office at times, and the sibling rivalry can get fierce which I thrive on. But the love is definitely there. It’s a beautiful thing.

What is your favorite company event of the year? I really enjoy the Global HR summit. I love being in a room with that many smart and interesting people and getting the scoop on all of their ideas, projects, goals and progress. It’s fascinating.

Communications and Events Coordinator at 14 West

“Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

I’ve been at 14 West now for almost three years. I am originally from the west coast, and so moving out here not knowing anyone was scary, but I really feel like I’m part of a family at 14 West. Every day is full of laughs. I think one way I’ve managed to be so successful in my position is by being approachable and working to form strong relationships with the people I work with. Every day here is unpredictable, and while that can sometimes be a challenge, it also excites me. I love that I’m sometimes forced to wear a lot of different hats to get the job done. When I’m not hard at work you can find me dancing in the office or making one of my many daily trips to our fancy coffee machine.

What is your favorite company event of the year? Every year we celebrate the Monument Lighting in Mt. Vernon and I think that would have to be my favorite. It’s always fun, and a great way to kick off the holiday season.

Director of Personnel & Talent at 14 West

“Don’t be scared to take risks and do not settle on mediocracy. You will never achieve greater heights by following the norm.” 

More than 15 years after my first day here as an intern, I still love coming to work every day. I love the creativity and freedom that the company affords me, and the unconventional, fast-paced and dynamic environment. We hold people’s hands when they need holding, but we also love getting the job done. I never accept mediocracy. I believe in taking the time to hire the best people for the job. In fact, I think what most excites me is finding solutions to difficult situations. Most problems cannot be fixed with a one size fits all approach. I like creative solutions and taking an unstructured and flexible approach to solving them. And when we identify a strong idea, we take it and run with it – and see it through to its true worth.

Over the years, I think my secret weapon has really been learning to work well with a lot of different personality types, and taking the time to understand people. But I do not believe in micromanaging. As a director and manager of a team of 19, I still believe there is value in every individual’s ideas, regardless of their level of experience. My passion for people extends outside of the workplace and into the community. I serve on the board of three organizations in Baltimore, and I am a part of four others. Some of these include Living Classrooms, Mount Vernon Club, and the Children’s Scholarship Fund Baltimore.

What is your favorite company event of the year? I love our annual team outing because of the genuine friendships our group shares. It is a chance for me to really express my true appreciation for the whole team.

Communications and Media Coordinator

“Don’t take yourself too seriously.” 

I found myself at 14 West after 18 months of traveling and teaching in Bali, Thailand and Australia. And now two years later, I’ve learned and grown with my team in extraordinary ways. I think that’s due in large part to the fact that I’ve been encouraged to approach my work and explore my potential in the same ways I’ve explored other parts of the world. Like a tourist in a new city, I’m constantly asking questions, seeing and doing new things. And learning A LOT. I didn’t expect to find an experience like this in “an office back home.”

I love my position at 14 West because I’m invited to take on a diverse range of responsibilities. From working on our philanthropy program to social media to graphic design, I have a broad range of interests. And my role allows me to develop my skills through work that truly excites me. I have a hard time saying no to new projects, even when I already have a full plate. But when I take on too much, the leaders here are there with the support I need to get the job done. At the same time I’m given the creative freedom to feel real ownership over my projects, which only motivates me more.

What is one thing you have to do every day in the office? Gotta have my essential oil diffuser going. Four of us share an office and we’re all hooked on the diffuser now, but it’s my job to create the perfect oil cocktail each morning to set the tone for the day. I’m obsessed.

Director of Communications at 14 West

“Ask “why?” when told “no.” Always learn something. And stand behind the ideas you believe in.”

My job allows me a lot of creative freedom. And that can be a lot of fun, but there’s also some self-inflicted pressure that comes along with the role. Fortunately my team includes a some brilliant people and a few clowns; so we not only get the job done – we laugh every day. And I think our work is stronger because of that. We take the positivity, the humor and the passion we have in our office and find a way to share it with the workplaces we support. Whether it’s through an event, a marketing piece, a partnership, a post… even a piece of swag. And it works.
My team and I have watched the companies we support go on to become recognized as top workplaces by their communities and local media. It feels good to know that this is in part due to our efforts.

What is your favorite company event of the year? Hands down… decorating day. We pull the holiday decorations out of the basement, get together after work with some pizza, wine and music, and decorate the gorgeous 19th Century mansion we work in. A dream for a Christmas geek like myself.

VP of Marketing Intelligence

I graduated from college on a Friday and started working at 14 West the following Monday. That was nearly two decades ago, and there’s rarely been a day where I have not learned something new here. I started as a marketing assistant and now I’m the VP of Marketing Intelligence. While we publish cutting edge ideas, it is so much more. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of the “more.”

I spend my days helping our good folks use data to answer the question of “should I do more or less of this?” My team – who I always say do all the “real work” – are an amazing and talented group. We develop, maintain and train on over 200 reports and dashboards, provide ad hoc data analysis, model our data for effective targeting and expose data as needed. If there’s a way we can help our affiliates leverage the value of their data, that’s us.

What is one thing you do in the office every day? 
I obsessively fight to keep my inbox under control while not driving my team crazy. By the way, these two things are in direct opposition to one another!

Chief Operations Officer

For nearly 30 years I’ve helped to grow businesses through strategic thinking. A lot of what I do relies on data. Dealing with hard numbers and facts all day long might seem dull to some, but it’s all about how you apply them. I haven’t had one moment of boredom in those “nearly 30 years,” and I credit that to the fact that I prefer to push the envelope. But I’m lucky in that I’ve been given the freedom and trust to do that. And today, my career has given me the opportunity to help launch and grow more than 40 companies around the globe… and I’ve got the Starbucks mugs to prove it!

Favorite Privilege or Perk? In 2015, I finally reached a “One Million Miler” flyer status! Hard-earned with a lot of long flights in coach.

Digital Content Specialist at 14 West 

“Once you stop learning, you start dying.” – Albert Einstein

Although I haven’t been here long, I already feel as though I’ve learned a ton! The company culture allows me a lot of creative freedom and encouragement to step outside of the box and try new things. This can be scary at times – particularly as a new team member. But I’ve found that it has helped speed up the learning process. And already after just a short time, standing on my own has gone from uncomfortable to exhilarating. My personal goal is to produce interesting and valuable content, and 14 West has provided me with an opportunity to push myself to be a more resourceful and creative writer. I am easily bored and unimpressed with the status quo, anything conventional or shallow, and so my goal is to bring originality and depth to everything that I do here. My hope is to produce content that helps bring positivity and significance into people’s lives.

What is something you do in the office every day? Every day consists of laughter, supporting one another, and breakthroughs…. also a lot of snacking.

Director of Information Security 

I am a huge proponent of perpetual self-improvement and learning. And I think this is one of the reasons I find working in Information Security to be so rewarding. The field is constantly and rapidly evolving, and so I’m faced with an endless challenge. But this translates to me as endless opportunity. In this field, if you are not eager to learn and face a challenge every day, then you’re putting it all on the line. So I try to build my team with people like myself – that are truly passionate about growing their expertise and protecting businesses and their employees. But I also like to surround myself with people that challenge me, and aren’t afraid to question my decisions or share different perspectives. Because we can’t afford to be one dimensional or get comfortable. We’ve got to stay on our toes.

What is something you do every day in the office?
This probably sounds cliché, but I really do start every morning by checking twitter and news feeds for any news in the security world. It’s either a habit or an obsession – I’m not sure which. Probably both.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.” – Helen Keller

Working in benefits allows me the opportunity to help people, which is what I really love. And I couldn’t ask for a better team or environment for me. I started as an intern over 8 years ago and am now managing the benefits – which goes to show that if you put in the hard work here at 14 West, there is really no limit to where you can go. And while working in benefits can be a challenge at times, working in benefits here has taught me to have an open mind, embrace the opportunity to do things differently, and to always value the people around you. Whether that means coming together and collaborating to solve a complex problem, or just making each other laugh… we truly value one another.

Any habits in the office?: 
Post-its!! I have them everywhere to help keep myself on top of things.

Talent Acquisition Manager at 14 West

“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” – Stephen King

I’ve been at 14 West for two years as the Talent Acquisition Manager. I love being able to contribute to the growth of 14 West. The most exciting part is the challenge that it presents. Sometimes you advertise for a job but get a low response rate. I like to use that opportunity to get creative. You have to dig a bit deep, and the challenge can be exciting. Working at 14 West has allowed me to work with a really amazing team. We work hard but have a lot of fun, and we are continuously collaborating and pushing each other to be more innovative and creative in our recruiting efforts. The office is often chaotic, but entertaining. Working at 14 West means being willing to do something that needs to get done even if it’s outside of your job description. No task should be below you or too small for you to do. You can’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!

What is your favorite company event of the year? I love the White Elephant Gift Exchange that we do every year. It is always so much fun, and people can get really silly with it. Almost every year there is a framed picture of our CFO circulating that everyone really wants. It’s funny seeing people walk out disappointed at the end when they don’t get it.