Continued Learning Through Indy’s Leaders
The Business Leaders Speaker Series is a cherished tradition within Orr Fellowship’s community and a pillar of our Continued Learning core value, offering an invaluable platform for seasoned business professionals to share the narratives of their professional journeys with current fellows. Fellows have the opportunity to ask questions, delve into the specifics of the speakers’ experiences, explore the intricacies of their career paths, and unravel the pivotal moments that ignited their passions.
Erika Marchant, director of Continued Learning, notes about the ongoing event, “BLSS is one of my favorite Orr Fellowship events! The opportunity to learn from and network with prominent Indianapolis leaders is such a privilege. Our speakers are generous with their insights, and invested in our success as Fellows and Indianapolis change-makers.”
“Our speakers empower us to pursue our career goals with deliberation, curiosity, and humility,” she continued. “More importantly, however, they don’t stop at encouraging us to carve our pathways. Their commitment to their causes and communities are a reminder of the responsibility leaders have to support others along the way.”
Year in Review of BLSS
Over the past year, Orr Fellowship has welcomed an incredible array of leaders to participate in BLSS:
Amy Balcius, a current member of the Board of Managers for Riley Hospital for Children, and active member of IU’s Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council (WPLC) and Society of Aeons. Amy spoke to the value of philanthropic involvement within the community and the importance of taking risks to unlock one’s potential and find lasting purpose.
Yaw Aning, CEO and co-founder of Orr POCO Malomo, an order tracking platform that enables brands to deliver the best post purchase experience to their customers (and an Orr alum!) Yaw shared his experience as an entrepreneur navigating the importance of work-life balance and building the unique and incredibly innovative culture of Malomo.
Erika Cheung, Executive Director at Ethics in Entrepreneurship, a nonprofit focused on taking a stakeholder-led approach to improving the ethics, culture, practices, and outcomes of emerging companies. Erika spoke with Orr Fellowship about her experience as a whistleblower at Theranos and the need for ethical leadership and decision-making in organizations. Learn more by checking out Orr Fellowship’s LinkedIn post.
J Douglas Boles, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sue Ellspermann, President of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Frederick Yeakey, Chief Partnership Officer at Providence Cristo Rey High School, Melissa St John, CEO, NCIDQ, RID, CEO at Relocation Strategies, and Donna Wilkinson, Chief People Officer for Pacers Sports & Entertainment. This all-star panel came together for a special edition of BLSS centered around the transformative power of education in unlocking career potential and personal fulfillment.
September 2023: BLSS with Louise Jackson
In September 2023, Orr Fellowship hosted Louise Jackson, founder of Talent Cabinet and current Vice President of the Carmel Clay School Board. In a moderated discussion with current fellow Kenny Coleman, Louise spoke about career growth, personal branding, and resilience.
Learning from a Young Age
Louise started working at 14 years old, first at a candy shop and later in music retail. She transitioned to McDonald’s, gaining customer service experience. Realizing the need for a career with longevity, she chose to study computer technology, becoming a mediator between technical and non-technical areas, which in turn opened doors for her. Louise’s ability to distill information made her relatable and relevant. Lessons learned in project management included understanding project needs, assessing progress, and facilitating growth.
Secret to Success
In her own words, “Understand what the need is, what’s going well or not, and help them go to the next level.” On the topic of specialization, she advised fellows to explore various aspects within a specific field and gain a good grasp of different roles, so they can become versatile problem solvers, ready for any challenge.
Touching on her experience as an executive coach, Louise described helping individuals navigate career uncertainties, and how in turn, this allowed her to grow within her own career. She emphasized the significance of self-awareness, using assessments like StrengthsFinder, and seeking feedback.
Louise’s coaching success stories often involved helping clients leverage their strengths for career growth and recommended active listening, asking the right questions, and fostering psychological safety within teams. Her favorite question: “How can I help?”
Three Guiding Principles
In her role as a personal branding coach, Louse describes three guiding principles: action, accountability, and challenging others. Rather than engaging in aimless pursuits, she actively seeks feedback to discern her professional reputation. Her coaching philosophy centers on helping individuals develop tangible actions, fostering a sense of accountability, and instilling the belief that they are remarkable beings with a wellspring of hope.
For her, selling oneself means maintaining a deep understanding of one’s identity, regardless of the context. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing consistencies in behavior and aligning personal strengths with the needs of the environment. In essence, she believes in creating a powerful connection between one’s authentic self and the demands of the situation.
Finding Purpose Beyond Career
Next, Louise touched on her personal life, and how wanting to make a meaningful impact (especially as a parent), which unexpectedly led her to a school board position. Balancing family as her anchor, she emphasized intentional decision-making for a work-life balance, inspired by the notion of the “best yes,” prioritizing the things that served her passion the most, noting “focus will mean that you disappoint some people.” She experienced burnout constantly saying yes at work, but she makes thoughtful and intentional decisions about what she does.
The Inevitable Failure
Addressing failure, Louise advocated acknowledging mistakes, finding solutions, and showing herself grace. She highlighted the importance of psychological safety in organizations and advised job seekers to screen for it during interviews.
When asked about advice after experiencing failure, she gave some key advice: when you fall short, don’t justify it—see it as a chance to grow. Find solutions, ask how you could’ve done better, and invite others in to disarm tensions. Show yourself grace, and instead of overthinking, take a breather, and ask for input. No need to take mistakes too seriously, if you can laugh, you can learn.
In a rapid-fire Q&A, Louise discussed common mistakes in handling failure, the importance of personal confidence, marketing soft skills, navigating imposter syndrome, and the impact of notable mentors. She shared insights into serving on a school board, the challenges of public roles, and the art of facilitating effective collaboration. The biggest takeaway was her perspective on being vulnerable within the workplace, not seeing it as a weakness, and expressing when you are feeling out of place or underutilized.
Key Insights
In essence, Louise’s conversation centered around intentional decision-making, self-awareness, and the continuous pursuit of growth, both personally and professionally.
As Kenny Coleman noted after the talk: “Louise was able to reaffirm some things that I’ve learned over the last year and a half since graduating. Understanding how to fit the business need, being authentic to who you are, and knowing how to advertise yourself, just to name a few. Knowing that these are things she’s advising others to do in her professional role, made me feel like I’m headed in the right direction. It can be hard to feel that way, but the conversation with Louise allowed me to appreciate where I’m at in life right and feel inspired about what’s to come.“
Special thank you to Louise and all the incredible BLSS guests for the wealth of knowledge and wisdom you have shared!
Blog written by Cece Taylor, Class of 2023
