People story | January 2025 | Read time: 2min
Turning tough talks into triumphs
My journey to Deloitte didn’t start with perfect grades and a 4.0 grade point average. While I was never at the top of my class academically, I made an effort to take on leadership positions and engage with the student body. When I accepted my internship at Deloitte, thanks to a partner who saw my potential, and knowing I had an advocate who was as equally invested in my success as I was, made me want to work hard to prove them right. That spirit of apprenticeship has been a constant in my career, and what’s kept me here for more than 18 years.
My career path hasn’t been perfectly linear. There were times early in my career where I had personal matters that took more of my attention, and my top priority wasn’t always my career. Sometimes, it felt like I was just going through the motions at work. I was lucky though to have leaders in my corner, who saw my potential and pulled me aside to have real, hard conversations in pivotal moments. At first, I took that critical feedback personally and felt like I was being shown the door; but instead, it became a turning point in my career. My leader and I made a deal: I needed to exceed expectations (not just meet them), and he’d help me take the next step. This challenge, and my leader’s investment in my goals, motivated me, and that year became the best of my career. I was promoted to senior manager, was compensated fairly for my new role, and my career trajectory changed for the better. These achievements were not just because of my hard work, but also because I had someone else in my corner supporting me and cheering me on.
Today, as a principal, I am committed to paying it forward. I love the people I work with and am passionate about helping them succeed. Deloitte has cultivated an incredible culture of diversity, inclusion, and fellowship—especially in recent years. As a leader, I’m focused on being the person I needed early in my career. I enjoy leading programs for new hires, helping them see the opportunities in front of them and motivating them to excel. I make an effort to be that leader who’s not afraid to have those hard conversations with my teams and to push them to be their best, both at work and at home.
My Deloitte work-life balance
As empathetic people, there can be so much from our personal lives we carry into our days at work. I know from my own life experiences that sometimes that means it’s not the time to push as hard as we can professionally, and that’s OK. Over the course of my career, I’ve gotten married to my amazing wife, Hilary, and we have two beautiful children, Lucy and Ethan, who gave me a new purpose as well as perspective on balance and well-being.
That balance is something I strive to model for my teams as a leader at Deloitte. I believe our people follow our lead in taking PTO, disconnecting, and volunteering, so they won’t catch me checking my email while I’m on a family vacation or during a holiday celebration. They know how to reach me for truly urgent tasks and know that I will get back to them as soon as I can when I return to work, which is exactly what I ask of them as well.
For me, being present at home and fully disconnecting helps me do my best work and simply be the best version of myself—something I want for all the professionals on my teams.