We recently connected with D’Arcy Toffolo and have shared our conversation below.
D’Arcy, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
From an early age, my parents instilled in me this belief that I had something to contribute to this world that was outside of myself and in service of those around me. By the time I was in grade school, I sought opportunities to help others, make them laugh, or set an example. I was reminded at an early age that home was a “safe haven,” that I could bring anything back to my parents and they would listen and support me. With this solid foundation, I think I was better prepared to navigate some of the challenges I faced in school – be it academics, social, or otherwise. I remember in 3rd grade being bullied for having a moose pencil. (It was a cool thing – a moose atop a pencil.) I think some kids may have stashed that pencil, never to be seen again. Instead I doubled down on that pencil, parading it proudly around, laughing with the kids who laughed at me. I’ve always been a bit quirky and instead of that being called out as a negative, it was celebrated and cherished. I realize now that who I am, what I bring to the table, is so much richer than what you see on my resume.
D’Arcy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As a double major in Economics and Studio Art from Boston College, I was unsure where my career might take me. I knew I wanted to get into a professional services business, however. My first job out of college was with a local community bank in my hometown, managing the relationship between the bank and the marketing agency. The agency were a hip downtown Chicago shop and immediately, I was drawn to their culture and the notion of developing big ideas for clients. Following a move downtown, I joined Rapp Collins (part of Omnicom), and subsequently two other agencies before moving to Denver in 2012. I learned the most at Digitas, an agency on the leading edge of “digital.” I asked my way onto the KitchenAid business and spent years helping them re-build their website, sponsor food events around the country, and manage their email marketing campaigns. The Denver market proved more volatile and emerging than Chicago; I made my way around a few agencies in town. While none were that fulfilling, I met some great people along the way, and learned some valuable lessons. I learned about what questions to ask in an interview to ensure I was joining a company that aligned with my values, was financially stable, and did good work on behalf of its clients.
Finding Moore, my current agency, was truly a blessing. At the time, I didn’t know how to spell Tallahassee or understand how I might contribute to an agency thousands of miles from Denver, but now nearly six years in, I’m so glad I took the risk. I get to work with people I love – something I had never found or thought possible. The hard days are met with support and love rather than disdain or judgment. The trust is there – and that has helped the agency achieve an unprecedented 92% retention rate among it’s staff, and a 98% retention rate among its client base. And, the work is fulfilling – we specialize in areas of education, healthcare, environment and workforce – all critical areas of need in this country.
In my role as Partner, Associate Vice President, I get to lead teams managing advertising campaigns, designing and developing websites, launching CRM campaigns out of HubSpot. Giving my team the opportunity to shine is my greatest fulfillment in my career.
While some agencies still rely on the culture of “work hard, play hard,” this agency is about ensuring team members have the rest and fulfillment they need – with 4 weeks of PTO given to new hires out of the gate, a week off between Christmas and New Years, and flex Fridays. As a result, I have been able to pursue my personal passions of marathon open water swimming (I completed two lengths of Lake Tahoe in 2020 and 2021, and the length of Torch Lake in 2022), and drawing. I enjoy drawing peoples homes on behalf of realtors looking to provide their clients with a one of a kind drawing.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Managing a team has become more challenging post-COVID. My team are happiest working from home – and the company allows it since we have always worked remote for a Tallahassee-baesd company. With this, there is greater pressure (and opportunity) to find new, innovative ways to connect and lead the team. We get together every three weeks for coffee at a local shop, and enjoy team builders like hikes and happy hours to keep people feeling connected. But we know from research that fun activities are really only a small portion of building team morale. Team members have to know you care – and that their career path is visible, and attainable. With this, we conduct weekly one on ones, quarterly reviews feeding into a large, annual review. The annual review is positioned more as a dialogue than a one-sided conversation. 360-peer reviews feed into the review, and it’s an opportunity for the manager and team member to reflect on the prior year, and craft goals for the year ahead. I recognize that most people on my team won’t likely retire with Moore, so I bring both soft and hard skills coaching into the review, working to ensure that each team member is set up for success both in the present, and in the future. At the end of the day, high morale is created through honesty, transparency, mutual respect, and listening.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Now nearly 30 years into my career, I’ve picked up so much experience navigating relationships – be it with clients, team members, bosses, etc. It is so easy to become jaded and to type-cast people – before you even have the opportunity to get to know them. I was subject to some pretty aggressive management by two women once – I reported to one though the other was in-directly managing me as well, based on the type of work I was doing. Most days, I felt judged and trapped in my role, every move challenged or micro-analyzed. It made me question my expertise and my social skills. I had no support from HR and therefore, felt discriminated against. I’m a fighter, and so the temptation was to just push through it and try to manage is, vs. trusting my gut that the situation was not healthy for me, or my family (as I would come home every night stressed out). It’s ok to move on from a job where your values are being put into question. It’s not quitting, it’s pivoting to something more rewarding. We spend so much of our lives working; the work, and the people, have to be the right fit. Not every day is perfect, but the overall experience you have should be fulfilling, and give you the opportunity to be your authentic self.
Contact Info:
- Website: themooreagency.com
- Instagram: darcy_withanapostrophe
- Linkedin: linkedin/darcylynchtoffolo