Gambel's 2021 Blessings
Happy Holidays from the Gambel team! This holiday season, we are happy to share our reflections and blessings from the past year. We look forward to a prosperous new year for all!
Joy
My favorite word to capture the spirit of the season is joy. We find it in abundance in Christmas carols, greeting cards and even advertising. During the holidays, people smile and step with a sense of glee. Hugs and kisses abound.
As social beings, we relish collective effervescence. Coined by Emile Durkheim, a 20th century sociologist, the term describes the energy and harmony people feel when they come together. Yet this joie de vivre has been, for the most part, absent from our lives since the pandemic. With life opening up - just in time for the holidays - we savor opportunities to be together. From a congregation singing in church to fans cheering for the Saints, joy is contagious.
So during this most blessed of seasons, let us gather to cherish the joy that is reignited by the collective effervescence of others.
Balance
By Alicia Vial, APR, Senior Communications Strategist
Over the past two years essentially everyone I know, including myself, has been forced to reevaluate every aspect of life. Deciding what’s important for yourself, your family and your career to ultimately achieve the ‘perfect’ balance.
For me, the concept of balance seemed unobtainable. I had a picture of what balance looked like, and I thought to achieve it meant I had to do less and say no to anything that added to my overflowing to do list. I thought it meant never being stressed or overwhelmed. I’ve spent the last year running through a hamster wheel in my head about various ways I could bring more balance and calm to my life while still doing all the things I want to do. But I just couldn’t seem to figure it out.
It wasn’t until Hurricane Ida that I realized balance isn’t like a video game where, once you reach a goal, you move on to the next level. Balance isn’t something that I can check off my mental to do list once I figure out how to do it. Balance is a conscious decision every day. It’s forcing myself to think about things differently. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with all the after-school activities my children need to be brought to this week, I force myself to feel grateful I work for an amazing company that lets me be present for my kids. Grateful that they get to participate in these activities and learn new things. For me, balance is about mindset.
In hindsight, I’m not grateful for balance itself. I’m grateful for the realization that balance looks different for everyone and that I can find balance when I need it if I just look at it from the right angle.
3,000 Hours in Louisiana
By Taylor Roelofs Toavs, Communications Strategist
My journey to Louisiana began in May of this year when I joined Gambel Communications remotely. When I interviewed for the position, I had yet to step foot in the state; by the time I accepted the job, my time in the state totaled a mere 36-hours.
Louisiana has now been my home for over 3,000-hours and I feel that each hour has delivered a new experience, a new lesson learned.
To save on space – and let’s be honest, who has time to read a list of 3,000 things? I’ll keep it short, but here are the three most memorable insights I have gleaned from my time here.
This place will make you tough. From black widow spiders to hurricanes and even THOSE DANG POTHOLES, everyday life in Louisiana breeds resiliency, creativity, strength and community. When things have been difficult (or I need a recommendation for an exterminator), support from people around me has made all the difference.
There’s a lot of work to do. Across our state, families are lacking access to child care, people are disproportionately impacted by addiction, our coast lines and natural resources are diminishing. But, it’s individuals, companies and teams like those I work with every day at Gambel Communications that see the potential and the promise of this state, and put in the work to accomplish it.
There is always something to celebrate. Louisiana has taught me that every day is a cause for celebration – and if you don’t have something monumental to celebrate, well then, a new day is reason enough.
So with that, I raise my glass to you all! Cheers!
Connectedness
By Suzanne Whitaker, APR, Communications Strategist & Special Projects
If COVID has taught us anything, it is that connectedness is vitally important to our emotional, physical and social wellbeing. During the pandemic, we have discovered new ways to connect through Zoom and Teams and revisited more familiar modes of communication such as a simple phone call, text or email. But even with all the varied socially distanced avenues of communication, it still has not truly replaced the type of connectedness we all crave: in-person interaction.
This holiday season has me reflecting on the important connections in my life, both personally and professionally, and how thankful and grateful I am for those people who have been a part of my COVID-type communications world. While I have made the most of our socially distanced interactions, I know I am ready to get back to the basics: in-person interaction. Here’s to 2022 and rediscovering our connectedness.
Welcoming change
By Kendra Smith-Parks, Communications Strategist
In January of 2021, I began an exciting career switch from journalism to public relations and joined the Gambel team. My new year started with an array of new beginnings, from new colleagues to a completely new career path, and truthfully, I was terrified.
From planning a press conference to working alongside old news colleagues, I have learned so much over the past years, and the days are never boring. From Louisiana’s complex ecosystem to early childhood education, I am continuously learning and growing with my amazing clients.
As we wrap up 2021, I can’t help but smile when I look back at the nervous 25-year-old walking into Gambel for the first time. With that story, I encourage everyone to welcome change, and the new year is the perfect time to do so. Step out of your comfort zone. With the right amount of patience and equal parts of will, who knows where you could be a year from now? I am incredibly glad I did.
New opportunities
By Evan Vedros, Communications Associate
Not too long ago, I was in a very different place from where I am today. I worked in sales at a firm that specialized in corporate event planning, and I really enjoyed the work that I was doing. I was planning a trip to New York later in the summer with some friends, and I had finally saved up enough money to buy my first house, which I closed the sale on near the end of February in 2020.
Unless you’ve been in a coma for the last two years, you already know what happens next.
It sucked. I’m not going to lie to you by telling you that it didn’t, and I also won’t pretend that the pandemic didn’t suck for everyone else too. But I can say that one thing that helped me to improve my mindset and my overall satisfaction with life was to view the past 20 months – yes, that is how long it has been – through the lens of new opportunities.
Event planning wasn’t available to me anymore, but if it had been, I never would have had the impetus to seek out a new industry. I joined the Gambel Communications team and started a career in public relations, using a skillset that I hadn’t really exercised since my internship back in college.
With that one opportunity came hundreds more. I developed professional relationships with people I never would have met otherwise. I learned new skills that I never would have thought to pick up. I met clients with amazing, important messages, and I had the opportunity to help them. I broadened my worldview and became a passionate, vocal defender of causes that I wouldn’t have known existed.
Earlier this month, I got a flat tire on my way home from work, right in the middle of the bridge. Traffic had been bad, and since it was the middle of winter, it was already pitch-black outside. But as I stepped out onto the just-barely-too-narrow shoulder, car after car honking as they swerved around my beat-up Toyota Matrix, I realized that I had never seen the lights of the city from that angle before.
Practicing Leadership
A year and a half ago I was promoted to CEO of Gambel Communications. It happened amidst a global pandemic, but business was good, we were fulfilling client needs, and I felt pride in our success. However, it was what tested me in my new role that taught me the most valuable lesson of the year.
The challenges came swiftly in unexpected ways. The COVID surge midsummer cancelled major events we were working on. I found myself navigating transitions in our team and reorganizing how we deliver some of our service lines. Then Hurricane Ida came and packed a punch. If I’m being honest, the disruption it all caused put me on an emotional roller coaster. Further, I felt like the whole world was on the same roller coaster. Business trades were flooded with articles about mental health and work-life balance. I worked harder and felt more introspective than I had in years in my career. I challenged myself to face the adversity solution-oriented and forward-focused.
I realized this year that leadership doesn’t come with a title. It comes when you step up and lean in to adversity, address challenges and purposefully navigate your way through to a better place for yourself and for your team.
As I emerged into my new role as CEO this past year, I made a pact with myself to listen more and observe human behavior consciously to carry on the legacy of success and great work that we are known for at Gambel Communications. I think I’m doing okay, and I’m proud of where we have landed as we look ahead to 2022.
Resilience, Reflection, Reset - Gifts of the Season
By Cynthia Maddox, Senior Communications Strategist & Special Projects
Reflecting on the meaning of Christmas, I think of a line from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo March, the main character.
It may not be Christmas without presents, but it will be Christmas with gifts. As another year of uncertainty draws to a close, the gifts I receive are not wrapped in glossy paper and bows.
Resiliency, reflection and the ability to reset. And it took a powerful storm for me to accept these gifts.
A textbook type-A personality, I don’t relinquish control easily. Yet, Ida reminded me I had no control of anything, while I watched helplessly from Mobile as the storm roared ashore.
By the next morning, resilience set in. If I were to call myself a New Orleanian, pity parties weren’t an option. Checking on clients, tracking resources and communicating their needs filled the day. Their resilience, most of whom had been through Katrina, inspired and motivated me.
During this time, I also reflected on what was truly important. While a lifetime of belongings remained back in New Orleans, being safe and sheltered with family was the most precious gift. Hearing from friends from across the country and abroad gave me strength.
When I arrived back in New Orleans, a single moment prompted tears and the resolve to hit a reset button. I had overlooked securing a glass hummingbird feeder on my terrace. It remained in place, having resiliently survived the angry winds.
As I reflected on this small miracle, a hungry hummingbird darted to the feeder. It was time to reset and get on with life in this amazing city.
Re-entering the World of In-Person Networking
By April Catarella, Communications Strategist
After a year and half of making connections via Zoom, in-person networking events are returning and now is the time to get prepared. Whether you’re trying to develop your career or forge new business relationships, networking is one of the best ways to promote yourself and your business.
Networking has become one of those buzzwords that professionals either love or hate. The idea of “getting back out there” in a professional sense is intimidating. As the holiday season ramps up, I’ve experienced that usual sense of anxiousness on my way to events. Here are a few strategies to consider that will ease re-entry.
Be prepared. Come prepared with a goal in mind. Ask yourself who do I want to meet, and why? If a guest list is available scan it before you go to identify a person or company you’d like to connect with.
Bring conversation starters. Sure, it sounds like preparing for a blind date but going to an event with a few planned intros is always a good idea. If it is an industry event, bring a few notes on the topic, and be prepared to ask others their thoughts. If it is a networking event, prepare questions you can ask others – deeper than where do you work? Think about open-ended questions like – what is a project you are working on right now that you find interesting?
Be a good listener. No one wants to be asked a question only to be interrupted by you promoting yourself, so stop and listen. Flag thoughts in your mind and ask follow-up questions. This will help the conversation flow and often lead to more input in a group setting.
There are a lot of opportunities out there, so brush up on your face-to-face skills and get ready – networking in person is back!
Experiencing Happiness Through Your Profession
By Chelsea Porché, Communications Strategist
According to a study done at Gettysburg College, the average person spends about one third of their life at work, resulting in more time with their coworkers than their family members. After hearing this statistic back in August, I began reflecting on my work/home-life balance and my innate desire to serve my community, which is tied to a great part of my happiness.
In October, I joined Gambel Communications as a communications strategist. I have the pleasure of working with a variety of clients including The New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter, #iGiveCatholic Giving Day, Operation Restoration and other organizations and businesses that focus on bettering the community.
For years, I’ve applied the common saying, “be generous, be happy” to my personal life, but I never considered applying it to my career until I experienced the joy that comes with helping my clients who continuously give back to the community.
Seeing that we spend so much of our lives working, I suggest that professionals take time to reflect on how their current jobs help them achieve a dose of happiness, and if not, how can they change that?
If you find yourself unhappy in a current job, I suggest taking a moment to write out pros and cons, and, while reviewing your list, be sure that one of the pros taps into your happiness. Because after all, life is short, and we all deserve to be happy.
smart resolutions
By Carlisle Rieveschl, Communications Coordinator
The new year signals reflection. Over the two years, many of us have just been in “survival mode.” I regularly find myself using the phrase “I just have to make it to the end of the year” as if the strike of midnight on December 31 will magically hit the reset button. As we enter 2022, setting SMART personal and professional resolutions can help guide success in 2022. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-oriented. Here are a few SMART personal and professional goals that you can set in the new year to guide your success in 2022:
Keep a journal: Before starting your day, set aside five to 10 minutes to journal. Use this time to reflect and set intentions for your day - work-related or otherwise. Personally, I aim to use this time to jot down a few things I am grateful for and reflect on all of the blessings in my life.
Network: As the city begins to open up again, getting back to traditional networking is crucial. Proactively reach out and reconnect with people who you did not see enough of in the past year. It is important to take the time to build connections with people who have made an impact on your life. So, set time on your calendar to grab coffee with a mentor once a month, or reach out and reconnect with an old colleague. Make time in your schedule to attend networking events and exchange business cards while there. You never know where a connection may lead.
Take advantage of continued learning opportunities: No one knows everything. Take advantage of continued learning opportunities by identifying a timeline and plan of action to pursue learning opportunities. Use your network to explore learning opportunities!
Regularly check in with your boss and colleagues: Scheduling regular one-on-ones to make sure you’re aligned with their priorities and goals is the key to success. It is important to have an open dialogue so that the metaphorical ball does not get dropped. Set weekly, monthly or quarterly check-in meetings in order to maintain efficiency.
Work on yourself: This applies both personally and professionally. From a professional lens, think about it this way: what’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of you in a professional setting? Are they giving you rave reviews about a project? Applauding your organizational skills? Make a point to actively manage the way people think of you by being deliberate when it comes to talking about your achievements and results. Personally, set aside time to better yourself - whatever that means for you - whether that is regularly exercising, setting aside time to go to dinner with friends or picking up a new hobby. Personal maintenance is crucial to professional success.
Finally, stick with your goals. Don’t let these goals fizzle out at the end of January. Continuously check in with yourself and make sure you are on track. It is also important to continuously re-evaluate your goals throughout the year. These are your goals. You can change them if you want to.