We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Noel Ransom. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Noel below.

Alright, Noel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

The most important lesson or experience I had in a job that has helped me in my professional career is the fact that I am in control and in charge of my own professional development. All too often, employees look to the company to provide training, professional certifications, tuition reimbursements or career progression paths and expecting the company to chart their course. The best advice I learned was from a former colleague and now close friend, that I need to take control of my own professional career. This means if the company doesn’t offer the certification you need to advance or if funding runs out and you missed the chance to get into that last class, take control and take initiative and find other ways to make it happen for yourself. There have been instances where I needed to obtain a certification and I had to invest in myself, take weekend courses or evening classes and pay for my own professional development. Had I waited for someone or some entity to provide that for me, it’s more than likely that I would still be waiting for someone to open the door for me. Why do we expect others to do things for us that we should really be doing for ourselves? Sometimes we are being held back by no one else but ourselves and I had to learn this the hard way but it stuck with me and to this day I have my own plan of action and I make sure that my goals and dreams are realized due to my own planning and execution. If I happen to get the opportunity to accomplish these goals with the help of an organiztion it is simply a bonus. However, I always have a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C.

Noel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am currenlty in the project management and continuous improvement industry. I help organizations solve business problems using project management and lean six sigma process improvement methods. I use data to drive decisions and eventually improve productivity throughout an organization. I also teach Lean Six Sigma and Project Management and certify Lean and Lean Six Sigma practitioners and Green Belts in the area of process improvement. I truly enjoy the work I do because I help people and organizations become more efficient. I am most proud of the work I do in the non profit sector raising funds for local pet shelters by organizing 5K run/walks throughout the Southeast United States. I enjoy the work I do because I drive results that I can see and people can use the tools and resources I provide to immediately make an impact on their personal and professional lives. I am currently working on the last part of my Doctorate of Business Administration with a Specialization in Project Management and Operational Excellence. I study to continue to keep up on indistry standards and the evolution of process improvement. What sets me apart is my pasion for the work and the dedication I have to helping people and organizations. I am most proud of everything I do, there is not one specific or primary “thing” becuase all that I do makes me the person I am and each goal or milestone achieved helps me become a better coach, teacher and mentor.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What has helped me build my reputation within my market is delivering on the committments and promises to my client. In my industry everything revolves around the customer. We called it customer centricity because what’s critical to quality for the customer should drive the services and products you provide as a business. I have gained credibility in my indsutry for delivering results and delivering those results within the committed timeframe. Providing the best customer experience is critical to gaining market share and differentiating yourself from the competition. We all create similar products and services, however, it’s how we deliver those prodicts and services, how we resolve customer issues, how we respond to customers and how we communicate to our customer that helps build that credibilty and reputation. Being acocuntable for mistakes has also helped me earn trust and respect in the industry and these days trust and respect are becoming rare intangible traits.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I thought I wanted to be an accountant or a CPA. I have always been great at numbers, I am a math and science nerd so it would have been the typical path for me to take. However, I quickly discovered what was missing was the people aspect of this field and I needed more engagement with people. I got all the way to the CPA exam and decided this was not the career path I wanted to take. I earned a dual master of science degree in Accounting and Financial Management and although I still use that knowledge today, I am nowhere near a CPA or accountant role. I wanted to be able to see how people and organizations benefit from the work I do and that is what motivates me to continue to coach and teach and mentor.