WORK Takeaway
OUT TAKES
Pre-order Gotch’s upcoming book, The Upside of Being Down, out March 24, 2020.
LIGHTS OUT The end of the night is usually centered around peace. I love personal growth, so I’m probably digging into a self-help book and staying away from my TV and phone—truly winding down instead of trying to numb my mind. ODD JOBS I had a styling job for three years, working for a gift-wrapping catalog. There’s a creativity, an exactness, and a discipline to it. The skill of being resourceful with materials has really served me so well.
Jen Gotch
FIND THE FLOW Forcing creativity never yields the type of results that you want, so rest your brain when the ideas aren’t coming. Inspiration and passion fuel creativity more than anything else.
Becoming more self-aware is one of the best things you can do for yourself, especially when it comes to managing other people. I didn’t understand how my personality, strengths, and weaknesses would permeate through the business. It was really eye-opening for me. Now, I’m much more aware of the weight of my words and how my actions set an example for everyone. If I’m afraid of difficult conversations, then I set the tone that we can’t have difficult conversations. At the same time, if I’m encouraging emotions in the workplace, then people feel comfortable being emotional in the workplace. Understanding my impact on company culture took me awhile, but now I’m highly aware of it.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAX WANGER
A leader needs to understand how she influences her team, says the founder of the lifestyle company ban.do.
52 southwest december 2019
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