POSTED BY Suzi Craig

Jul 17, 2012

Get to Know Laurel Kelly

Fathom recently named Laurel Kelly as Account Leader. Some of us have known Laurel for years, as a client with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. We have admired her from afar for a long time and are excited that she’s decided to join the Fathom team. Now it’s your turn. We asked Laurel a few questions so you can begin to get to know her too.

What excites you the most about being at Fathom?

I’ve always wondered what it might be like to work at an agency. Agencies are intriguing to me for their breadth of work but each one has their own unique culture. Fathom has the right mix of people, culture and quality of work. Beyond that, I wanted to be with an agency that valued relationships above everything else and I’ve found that here.

As Account Leader, what will you bring to our relationships with clients?

I believe you define success in an organization by how relationships are supported. I enjoy being the person who understands how people relate to each other.

Meet Laurel Kelly, Fathom Account Leader

My “tree top answer” for what I’ll bring to the table is that I place an importance on awareness, priority and value. Is everyone aware of what needs to be done and how we’ll get there? What is the top priority in each situation? Where does each person add the most value? These are the types of questions that I will ask repeatedly to ensure that both Fathom and our clients are able to do their best work.

How will we see your past experience show up in your work here?

I have become skilled at bridging the gap between the abstract and the concrete. At the Hartford Foundation I took projects from their highest level of conception – where it’s going and what it needs to do – down to the actual implementation tasks that need to happen to ensure the project’s success.

My favorite part of working with the Hartford Foundation was handling complex web development projects that involved different departments, goals and audiences. In working across departments, I needed to be an excellent listener from all sides of the conversation. I find myself being an advocate for my client’s audience as much as for my client. The client always has a goal, but the audience is easily lost because they’re not often sitting at the table. Know what you’re trying to achieve, but know what is important to your audience and what they want to achieve, too.

Where do you think your ability to bridge different worlds comes from?

I’ve always been the kind of person who can see all perspectives. I am heavily influenced by my very creative mother – she was an art teacher and a graphic artist for many years. But I also developed a fiercely logical side to my personality, likely from my father who is a successful businessman. These two sides of my personality were often conflicting, until I learned to use them both to my advantage.

I think a lot of creative projects need both sides of the brain. I often find myself thinking, “Can’t we all just get along?” Your way isn’t the only way, and no one way is THE right way. That’s what makes life interesting.

Is there a mantra you live by, or something you can share that let’s us see how Laurel sees the world?

I have a quote from author Wally Lamb taped to the inside of my glasses case that says this:

“It wasn’t until I finally was able to put everyone else’s expectations aside and begin to write the story for myself that I could begin in earnest.”

Walking into any conversation, we all have expectations about how it will go or what will happen. Letting go of those expectations can be challenging but, when you do, what opens up are new opportunities. Sometimes tangents can be redefining. But, if you are so focused on one path, you cannot accurately assess if the tangent you’re on is a distraction or an opportunity. Rigidity is limiting.

I’m not necessarily an overachiever, but I’ve always been an “over-striver” (if I can make up a word). I’m not satisfied with maintaining. I’m always thinking about how things can change and improve. I do this on projects, or even in my garden. Even as I’m weeding (maintaining), I’m thinking about which plants need to be moved, how I can bring more color or texture to a particular corner, or where I’m going to dig another bed for my new favorite plant. I bring this perspective to everything I do.

What do you like to do when you’re away from work?

We live outdoors and spend a lot of time outside. We also spend a lot of time with our two boys, Devin (17) and Seamus (13). We are the kind of family that eats dinner together almost every night, even if dinner is frozen yogurt at 9:30PM on a Tuesday. It’s important that we touch base as a family every day. If we’re taking a vacation, it’s usually hiking in the mountains or on a lake. I spend a lot of time gardening and, lucky for me, my husband likes to cook, which lets me spend even more time outside.

Posted by: Suzi Craig
Email the author: suzi@fathom.net