Women in Leadership Series: Holly Michels
Media maven and mom of twin boys, Holly Michels, dishes on work / life balance and the importance of asking for help.
Every once in a while you have the fortune of finding someone that makes your entire workplace better. A fun-to-be-around, down-to-earth, smart (and stylish) leader who just makes everything better. Holly Michels is one of those people.
Holly has been in the advertising field for almost 20 years and has been in her current role as an online media & brand research manager for nearly 10 of those years.
Here’s my interview with Holly where she reflects on what makes a great leader and how she manages her successful career along with being a mom of twin boys:
What do you love most about your job? The people. We have a significant amount of work and life experience across my team, which helps with perspective and approach. And most importantly…we do a lot of giggling throughout the day.
What are some of the traits you admire most in a leader and why? The ability to apply grace and smart thinking to all types of situations, as it creates a sense of ease and a desirable team dynamic.
Tell us about the best boss you ever had and what made them so special. One of the best bosses I ever had was at my first advertising job in Chicago. She was very young, but had a passion and leadership approach that was easy to want and emulate. She taught so many of us how to grow and succeed in our industry.
Do you believe work / life balance exists? What do you do to manage both? Yes, it absolutely has to exist in my life because I REALLY dislike the feeling of being a master-of-none. Boundaries need to be set and protected. I currently work on a hybrid schedule (at home on Monday/Friday, in the office on Tuesday-Thursday) which works really well for me to maintain balance.
What are some of the biggest challenges women in leadership face and what advice do you have to overcome them? Trying do it all and making assumptions that other women are doing it all. Unless they have access to a secret extra-time portal, I promise you that nobody is able to do and maintain ALL the things day-over-day. Ask for help where and when you can, and give yourself immense grace when things go off-course.
What’s one thing you wish you would have known earlier in your career? Polish your writing, presentation creation, and storytelling skills early! You’ll need to leverage daily and on-the-fly.
What advice would you offer the next generation of female leaders? Become real-life friends with your coworkers and fellow leaders. It expands your circle of trust and resources…and makes the day-to-day SO much more fun!
