We were lucky to catch up with Hanna McCarthy recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hanna , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
In life, there are big risks and small risks. I feel like I’m drawn to both!
I studied Biology and Pre-Med during my undergrad and had step by step plan to go to medical school. I think my mentor, Nikki, saw that while I’m definitely goal oriented, I was bored. I saw my life play out and felt it was predictable. For some people, that is a great thing, for me, I felt trapped. What if I didn’t like being a doctor? What if, what if, what if? The plan laid out for me gave me more questions than I felt comfortable with.
After I graduated, the summer I was debating my future, Nikki sent me a job description for Outward Bound Leadership School and encouraged me to apply. The pay was incredibly low, but the job was exciting, it was a literal adventure! There stood before me a choice: to continue on the known path or change it all and step out of my comfort zone.
I applied.
“No, you’ve worked so hard to get where you’re at, don’t take the risk to throw it away.”
“If you take a break now, you’ll never finish medical school,”
The second statement ended up being true – I never went back to medical school. But the first statement was so far from the truth. We don’t work hard to be mediocre in our own lives, we don’t work hard to throw our future away. I stepped into an opportunity that challenged and changed me, it led me to build more resilience in my life, it led me to withstand changes and take on more risk. What I learned from that pivot in my life led me to becoming a better leader and eventual better boss.
Risk is just choice reimagined.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Absolutely. Well for starters, I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. I’ve worked hard to experience so many roles that have shaped the way I think, decide, and lead. From working as a wilderness instructor for Outward Bound Leadership School to starting my own fitness studio at 24, I’m grateful for the steps that have created my path.
After graduating from Darden School of Business (Class of 2019) with my MBA, I found myself seeking creative ways to use my entrepreneurial background and leadership. I now serve as an Experience Design Strategist for a financial firm – working to shape the future of wealth management.
During my time at Darden School of Business, I worked as a new venture start-up coach and a business fundamental professor for Resilience Education, a program dedicated to stopping the cycle of incarceration by improving economic mobility for justice-involved individuals through high-quality business education and professional support.
When I’m not leveraging Human Design principles at work, I serve as a volunteer firefighter and fitness coach.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
During my time as a studio owner, I played a huge role in the support and development of other small businesses. By this I mean I gave some of my time helping other new businesses create their business structure, plans, training, etc. I truly believe in sharing success and being a mentor has always been a way of giving back and growing with others.
From sharing pro-tips to encouraging young entrepreneurs, you learn a lot about people and in return, you learn a lot about your own business when given the opportunity to influence others.
Being seen as a business expert took a willingness to fail and show improvement, it took a willingness to ask for help, pivot and change, and stay grounded in my mission and values. I think one of the best ways to build your reputation within your market it to learn for and by others!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I’ve had times when my team sang together and times when it felt rocky. I’ve learned a lot from both! I think one of the keys to managing a team is taking the time to know each individual, to see them as value, as individuals who have intention and opportunity to help the business thrive. I tried my best to encourage my team and show gratitude, even in the midst of rough times within the business.
Take the time to give kuddos and praise to the individuals in your team the WAY they individually want receive them. Sending a thank you email may work for some, but maybe a high-five or personal shout-out means more to others. Helping your team be seen is one of the key ways to keep morale high!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hannaladell.com
- Instagram: @hldobbels
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/hannalm