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.

Lead Organizational Development Specialist at 14 West

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”

Keeping it simple is a lesson that I learned early on in my career. Sometimes the best solution doesn’t involve big expensive technology. Sometimes it’s just gathering everyone in a room and talking it over.

In leading our Organizational Development department, I have the opportunity to set employees up for success by emphasizing their strengths…. and then I get to analyze the data to prove it. As a workplace, we know there is value in things like engagement, happiness, and culture…. But they can be hard to measure and quantify. And that’s where we come in. Being able to prove the value of having a well-balanced workplace and engaged employees, and in turn measure the positive effects it can have for the company – this is why I do what I do. I like to think of a workplace as a delicate ecosystem, sort of like a rain forest. It all works together, and if one part is suffering, it can snowball through the whole organization. Having an OD team at such a small organization says a lot about how much we value people and their development. And I am lucky to have my hands on all of it.

Something you do every day in the office?

I always start the day by checking in with every member of the team to make sure we are all aligned on where the day is going and we take time to set expectations for the day ahead. It is a great way to stay on track and connected.

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.” 

Almost 20 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 over 30 people, 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 and am involved with a variety of organizations around Baltimore. Some of these include Living Classrooms Foundation, The Pratt Library, 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.

Assistant Director of Communications at 14 West

“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 5 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. 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 running our Wellness Program to brand development and brand marketing to writing, 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. Five 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 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 to 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.

Chief Analytics Officer at 14 West

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 at 14 West

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 Marketing Manager at 14 West 

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

In my time here, I’ve learned a lot. The company culture allows me the creative freedom and encouragement to step outside of the box and try new things. This can be scary at times, but I’ve found that it has helped speed up the learning process. 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 marketer & content creator. 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 to 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.

VP of Information Security at 14 West

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.

Director of Benefits at 14 West

“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 10 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, it 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 Business Partner at 14 West

“The biggest mistake you can ever make is being too afraid to make one.”

Recruiting for The Agora Companies is a whirlwind of learning and growing, and I think that’s what drew me to it. I started here as a Recruiting Intern in 2013 and since then, I’ve never reached a point where I’ve felt the work I was doing was boring or tedious. Far from it…

Part of what sets 14 West apart from other businesses is that you’re encouraged to explore beyond your day-to-day role and are given the opportunity to continuously develop new skills, which in turn, has allowed me to create new career paths for myself. Not only is the business ever-evolving, but its employees are too… if they’re willing to put in the work.

I’ve enjoyed building relationships with both clients and candidates over the past several years. And I have to say… it feels pretty darn good when I know I play a major part in finding a hiring manager a dream candidate and a candidate their dream job at their dream company.

Senior Network Engineer at 14 West

“A champion is defined not by their wins, but by how many times they recover when they fall.” – Serena Williams

My personal mantra is simple; never stop learning… every day… about anything and everything. I spend my days at work learning programs and skills to help my clients. When I go home, I continue practicing and sharpening those skills, teaching myself, and racking up new certifications. At the same time, as a mother, I’m learning more about who my child is and all of the things he can become… with the right support. And of course, I’m learning every day how to better balance it all and hold on to my identity. This requires patience, commitment, creativity and a team of good people.

In my time at 14 West, I’ve learned to fully embrace all of the qualities that make me me. My team constantly pushes me to be the best version of myself, while also giving me the support and flexibility to be the best mother I can be. I want to disrupt the misconceptions of tech as a man’s world. I’m passionate about sharing my tech journey… and my hope is that it will forge the way for other women, and inspire people from all walks of life to pursue a career in an ever-growing, ever-changing field that’s more diverse, open, exciting and accessible than ever.

What is one thing you do in the office every day? I always send out cool tech-related news to keep the team up-to-date on what’s happening in our field. It’s a great springboard for fun conversations with my team, and even as research for upcoming projects.

Product Manager at 14 West

“If you are not pissed off for greatness, it means you are okay being mediocre.” – Ray Lewis

When I originally took the job at 14 West seven years ago, I was searching for an organization that was built on strong values and good people. It was important to me to work at a place where ideas were welcome. Luckily, my passion for accountability, reflective practice, and not being okay with the norm made me feel right at home at 14 West. I work daily with our affiliates and other 14 West teams to come up with creative ways to find more success when it comes to managing their track records and providing their subscribers with the most valuable insight. In my time at the company, I have implemented many new products and processes. Some of my ideas have been successful and, admittedly, some have failed. Regardless, a lot of learning happens along the way. I am blessed to work with a great team that exemplifies the organization’s culture. They are smart, critical thinkers who thrive on a healthy dose of chaos and are never okay with mediocre results. Most importantly, they are go-getters and don’t let anything stand in their way.

What’s one thing you do in the office every day?

Each morning, I review all of my open items and prioritize them based on their value, the company’s needs, and my time. This helps to ensure I am working on the things that most align with our overall strategy and objectives. Not all items make the cut, and those ultimately get trashed. I always find it funny how an idea that seemed great one day, doesn’t pan out the next.

Director of Software Engineering at 14 West

“We cannot control everything that happens to us, but we can control how we respond.”

At 14 West, I run a team of over 10 tech experts who teach me something new every day. We work closely with Product Owners and Product Managers to ensure their applications are built to perfection by aligning developers and applying forward-thinking engineering patterns. It’s easy for tech teams within larger businesses to get siloed, but my position allows me to interact with teams from all around the business. I enjoy the tech side of it, but I really look forward to the people-focused side of it too. “People over tech” is a motto I try to live by. A product or program can’t come up with a new idea. And at an organization where innovation is widely encouraged, I’ve come to really value the idea people.

What is something you do in the office every day?
Drink lots of coffee.