CenterSquare Investment Management’s Post

Thursday thoughts: It’s been a looong time since I was the “new kid” at work, and it’s been an even looonger time since I was a summer intern. As the olde…, um, most seasoned intern in the Omaha metro area, here’s what I’ve learned after six weeks: 1. I don’t know anything, and that’s OK. It’s kind of a relief because I was the veteran teacher who (allegedly) knew everything. 2. Working 8-5 is an adjustment. It’s very different from teaching from 8-3:30. 3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. 4. You belong there. They wouldn’t have hired you if they didn’t think you could do the job and were a good fit for the office. 5. Welcome and seek out feedback. 6. Ask for projects and additional work if you find yourself with an empty inbox. 7. Identify and cultivate relationships with potential mentors. 8. It’s OK to sit back and just observe for awhile. You have to warm up to the others in the office just as they have to warm up to you. 9. Learn people’s names and call them by their name. (This is an old Dale Carnegie trick) 10. You’re going to make mistakes. Take responsibility for them, fix them if possible, and learn from them.

Read my latest article on Medium. 3 Lessons About Success I Learned From Our Summer Interns. "The more creative you are about developing, positioning, and delivering your product or service, the more you will stand out from the competition." https://lnkd.in/e8y_4yqB

You ever had one of those moments where you're surprised you actually had a smart thought? 😅 We just launched our Chegg Summer Internship Program this week, and I was chatting with one of our interns about how I started my career in public education and nonprofits. They asked whether I felt like I was able to make an impact grinding it out in those early years. I said I did - but I also said that I don't believe the desire to make an impact is enough to sustain you in that kind of work. When we talk about burnout in mission-driven organizations, particularly in social justice, there is often this sense of "we're here for the mission". It's undoubtedly true, the folks drawn to this work care deeply about making the communities we live in better and more fair. But when it becomes the only thing that's true, the only reason you're working there, the core identity that keeps you there, it's not going to sustain you. The reality is that we'll never be able to make the full impact we want - no matter how successful our work is. That's because the challenges that face us are so much bigger than any one of us can handle. This isn't the same as being cynical or giving up - it's about recognizing justice work is a relay race, not a marathon, and we all have to pass the baton forward. When I look back on my pre-corporate years, I don't see that time as having been lost (even if I did come out of it missing a few doctors visits and retirement contributions). Nah - I learned so much in those years about myself, my instincts, how to build systems oriented around equity, all things I value now. So my advice for young professionals looking into impact work - yes, do it for the mission, but also do it for yourself. Think about what you want to learn, what you can learn from these places, and why that matters to yourself in the long-run. You deserve to grow, not just to serve, and when we value our growth, we can build healthier relationships to our work. Lowkey I'm very surprised I had all this in the back of my mind 😅

In this episode of The Connected Advisor, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Lisa Crafford, Managing Director & Head of Advisory at Constellation Wealth Capital. Lisa highlights the value of internships and the need for firms to invest in their employees. They also discuss the impact of technology, data, and professionalization in shaping the future of the financial industry. Watch this new episode on our Youtube Channel to learn more. https://lnkd.in/e9z7Xtry  Or listen to Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZTSMQHK 

3 Things My Interns Taught Me This Year: -Support Their Boundary-Setting: Notice those small moments where they work past fear of disappointing you or anyone else in order to set a boundary, and celebrate that moment! That moment may have taken so much energy to work up to, so let them know you value their effort in doing so. There are too many of us who struggle with setting boundaries, so it is always a great moment when our young people test this out. -Assume the Best: Okay, I already knew this, but I am always appreciative of those moments when you assume anyone you are working with has great intention when something does not go perfectly, and then you find out context that you were correct. We all just want to do our best! -Prioritize Space for Creative Freedom: If it were not for this, allowing my interns to have some decision-making power in how we navigate certain strategies, we would not have been able to create such meaningful connections with students on this campus. So thank you to my interns, enjoy the remainder of your summer, and I will see you in the Fall!

6 useful personal behaviors I’ve instilled during my Woodson Equity internship thus far. 1. Arrive before everyone else; using that quiet time to get settled and focused. Being ready to go as my colleagues arrive sets a productive tone for my day. 2. Breaking my day into hour-long segments. Tracking my activities this way helps me maximize tasks and maintain productivity throughout the day. 3. Use Excel to log my tasks and progress, ensuring everything is organized and easy to follow. Regularly give situational reports my current status on taskers. The work I input into software is almost anonymous, helping my team stay aligned on ongoing projects and responsibilities. 4. Further my connections both in and outside the office. For instance, during my summer I was selected for jury duty in the Northern District Court of Illinois, I met amazing individuals, some whose paths have since crossed with mine during my daily commute. Our mutual commonality in being veterans and working in finance truly demonstrates the power of maintaining connections in unexpected places. 5. Take detailed notes during meetings, tracking key conversations, and sharing those thoughts with my leadership. Asking questions will uncover valuable insights and develop a deeper internship experience. 6. When communicating electronically, always aim for clarity, conciseness, and professionalism. Avoid poor habits like using overly casual language, or unclear phrasing. Review emails and messages to ensure they reflect my best self and convey my thoughts effectively. I’m glad to be apart of this team of skilled individuals while still unraveling so much to learn. #TheWoodsonWay #PrivateEquity #InsideAnInternship

In our new All Business. No Boundaries. episode, we hear from former interns turned full-time associates. Discover what makes our intern program unique and how it sets students up for career growth and success.🤝🌱 https://okt.to/E8FA1r

I don’t care what industry you are in. Multigenerational communication is imperative. 👇 I’m not a financial advisor - my background and perspective is a healthy mix of my time in the military, researching insurgencies and security concerns in academia and for the State Department, and people operations and leadership development in the private sector. The lessons shared by Matt Zeigler and Lindsey Bell are crucial for leaders in ANY organization to understand. Building a sense of ownership is where identity comes from, because to the new generations (and the evolving attitude of mid to younger millennials), that is where authenticity lies. With the perception that so many institutions have failed or will fail them, why attach their identity to an organization that is just a means to an end? They aren’t trying to coast. They just don’t want to row without a purpose. Case in point: When I started the International Relations Organization at Virginia Tech, an academically peer-reviewed published group, the idea was for it to be a student run think tank. No credit. No payment. No reward. No institutional oversight. Just belief in themselves and their intuition, their voice. I was an average of 10 years older than the majority of the members, and I had to bridge that generational gap Matt speaks on. So what did I do? I gave them ownership. Nobody coasted because they all wanted to be there. 45 undergraduate Gen Z students. Putting in serious effort week after week after week. They accurately predicted how the failed coup of Venezuela in 2019 would go down, 5 weeks before it happened. They wargamed what long term involvement US involvement in the War in Yemen would lead to (results are actually quite eerie, considering that project was in 2020). They wanted to be there because they had ownership of the process and product.They knew their words had value, and they could be their authentic self. When the research was done, when they got recognized by the university for the level of community, by members of the State Department for the opportunity they forged for themselves, they could look at each other and not say “We did a good job because this is what we were told to do,” but rather “We did a good job, this is what WE do!” More than one have expressed to me in years since that it was one of the most empowering experiences they had ever had. Simply because they were allowed to have belief and ownership in themselves. And they still do. Not only did they survive the pandemic that shut most student-led organizations on campus down, they found a way to thrive - without my help. I haven’t lead the organization in over 4 years. But since then the younger generation has put even more work in, getting published, getting guest speakers, and the alumni of the think tank have gone on to succeed in NGOs, the intelligence and defense industries, and more. If you don’t find a way to forge multi-generational relationships, you are coasting.

It's almost summer internship season - how much are you thinking about multigenerational communication? (non-spoiler, but there's a Sunpointe Investments angle on this because we spend so much time looking up and down the generational ladder with clients, that I'm always extra amused by how wide our age spread is in our small team. it's reflective. Mental note to ask Jack Dwyer, CFA, CAIA if expanding to 4 decades of thinking was on purpose.) BACK TO INTERNS, and multi-generational colleagues, and maybe even family. You know what's the worst? Coasting. And Lindsey Bell just told guy penn and I where it comes from. "Coasting" comes from a lack of identity. When you're miserable, when your identity isn't tied to "owning" your work, you coast. You step back, and you don't care what happens. Want good interns? Want good multigenerational relationships - at work or within your family? Don't coast. Don't let them coast. Don't let yourself coast. Own it. Own fostering fulfillment, purpose, and authenticity. Own the whole vibe around the proverbial table you're setting. Those summer interns deserve an amazing experience. So do those older and younger colleagues of yours. Figure out how to make tying some identity to the ownership of the experiences you share, on your way to making things better. (I have to share this clip. It's from "The Shifting Future of Work" episode of Just Press Record on the Cultish Creative YouTube channel)

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. But it requires collective action. (the reason I joined the Board of Elevate+) How to make a difference? Join us. This September, your stride can pave the path for someone's future. Here's why you should participate in Elevate to Even Plus's Miles of Impact: - 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Your participation funds internships for summer 2025. - 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Help underrepresented students stride towards success. - 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵: Join a community committed to real change. Together, we can convert every mile into a milestone for aspiring leaders. Join us and be part of a movement that shapes futures. 🔗 in the comments