Finding Success with Authenticity

3 min. read

It’s clear Anna is a ladderburner and bridge builder to her core. She’s down-to-earth and not afraid to talk about her experience “figuring out her own path” with candor and respect.

Read what Anna had to share below about her pursuits at work – and if you have some time, give the Young Professionals Burning Issues Livestream a listen for more from Anna.

Success at work for me is being able to complete my assigned tasks while staying happy and healthy personally. My goal is to do my best while keeping my happiness top of mind.

At work:

When I first entered the workforce, I immediately connected with my coworker, Debbie. Since day one, Debbie has been patient, kind, and helped me feel comfortable and confident. Working alongside her has taught me that it’s possible to be a good employee without sacrificing personality or happiness.

Similarly, my direct supervisor, Joe has been a great resource for me throughout my professional career. Even while I wasn’t working at Envision Greater Fond du Lac, Joe let me vent about work and provided support and advice. All my co-workers at Envision Greater Fond du Lac have guided, challenged, and advised me as I’ve grown as a young professional. I feel lucky to come to work every day and know that any person on my team would hear me out and lend their expertise to me when needed.

At home:

I have a fabulous network of family and friends that provide me with advice. My parents operated a restaurant for 23 years, teaching me first-hand the importance of work ethic and teamwork; they always have useful insight based on their own experiences. Similarly, my siblings, close friends, and fiancé often give me perspective based on the hurdles they face in their developing career paths – it’s nice to know I can send out a quick SOS text during a tough part of my workday.

She would argue with me on this, but my coworker Tracy. I always tell her she’s who I want to be when I grow up! Tracy’s work is guided by her love of community, trying new things, and fully experiencing life. During times of uncertainty about my career path, looking to Tracy helped me realize how important it is to find and create joy in life, including at work. Tracy is one of the coolest people I know!

I try to maintain a healthy balance between my work and personal life knowing that work doesn’t define me.

To flip the question, I would say that my overall identity plays a large part in the work I do – I love being in the community and building relationships.

My favorite aspect of ladderburning is its promotion of authenticity.

I try to be genuine in the things I do, and it’s encouraging to see a practice that supports doing specifically in professional life.

“Don’t compare yourself to others – everyone’s success looks different!”

Job title:
Events Specialist at Envision Greater Fond du Lac

Career aspirations as a kid:
Janitor, dentist, writer

Industry:

Non-profit

Total Years at Work:
3 years post-college
(not counting 7 years as a waitress)


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