Hyly.AI’s Post

Occasionally my business overlaps with my friendships, and I love it when that happens.... Julie and I first met in 2002. We waited tables together at an Italian restaurant here in my hometown. Julie is one of the most kind, welcoming, genuine people you'll ever meet. If you know her, you can't help but love her - that's just who she is. I came from the chain restaurant world of Ruby Tuesday (are they even still around anymore?) to this fine dining restaurant and felt completely out of my element. I didn't know how to open a bottle of wine (heck I was 19 and probably drank Boone's Farm back then), or about the variety of seafoods and pastas we offered. Jules took me under her wing and graciously taught me everything she knew, up to and including how to tie a tie (part of our uniform). Little did she know, she also taught me how to create an awesome customer experience, how to run a team, and how to lead by example. Jules went on to marry a successful chef and restaurant owner, but years later when he decided to sell the business and go a different path, Jules was ready to try something different. HYI was looking for a PL Account Manager and I knew Julie's personality, work ethic, and customer service skills would make her a perfect fit. She had all the makings to be successful, she just needed to learn the insurance piece. She wasn't sure she could do it - but I promised her that on the right team, I knew she could. One of the things I love about Joe Lapi is that he keeps an open mind. He also trusts me. When I presented Julie as a candidate 3 years ago, he said "If you like her for this, I'll talk to her." She was offered the job that week (even edging out a candidate who HAD experience). Today my dear friend who spent her entire adult life in the restaurant world has made a total pivot into insurance, and has a successful new career path ahead of her. If you're a retail agency always wondering where your next awesome AM is going to come from, try keeping an open mind. Go for the person who has the right attitude and checks SOME of the boxes. Planning ahead instead of waiting until the hire is a 5 alarm fire will afford you the time to train folks like this. I promise you it will result in some of your very best hires. I think Joe and team would agree, Julie's been an asset to HYI - not just professionally, but in keeping with the awesome culture he's creating over there. Cheers to 3 years, Jules! 🥂

Let Present fix this for good.

Today, I recognize one of my greatest career accomplishments: celebrating my 13th anniversary with my husband Robert Maloney. We actually met at work, but more significant is the time we have spent growing into leadership roles in different industries (he had a head start) during COVID, rapidly changing and uncertain workplace dynamics and evolving business structures -- while also raising a young family. When we do get quiet moments late at night, we commiserate over shared work challenges and celebrate each other's milestones. This has often reaffirmed our values that we hope to model for our children: - Pride in work. We don't take our responsibilities lightly or those of our teams'. - Humor. We might take our work seriously, but not ourselves and find the absurd in everything. - Mentorship. It shaped our own work ethic, and we wish we could find more space to guide our teams. - Resourcefulness. It's a lost art and why God invented Google. - Gratitude. We pause to remind ourselves of the privilege we've been given in our roles - even during moments of frustration. It's not been an easy road, and balance usually eludes us. We have different styles and approaches, but marriage -- like business partnerships - benefits from those who have complementary skills committed to a single mission and shared values. While this might all seem very unromantic, it's actually served us well in our personal and professional lives - and makes us appreciate each other more.

OneEighty congratulates Bryan on his 5 Year work anniversary! Meet Bryan and Learn why he works at OneEighty... 1. How would you summarize what you do? I make sure that all of our facilities are safe and hospitable. 2. What makes you stay at our organization? I like the nature of the work. 3. What do you like about our company culture? We value recovery and believe that it is possible for anyone to recover. 4. Can you tell us a few details about your favorite part of your job? Finding the solution to a tough problem. It's a good feeling. 5. Which work benefit or perk is your favorite and why? Flexibility of schedule. I can often get personal or family responsibilities taken care of without having to use up all of my time off. 6. What’s unique about working for our organization? I get to be a part of other people's recovery while I'm doing my job. 7. Describe how you’ve grown professionally since you started working for us. I have learned a lot more about HVAC systems and diagnosing problems with them. 8. What’s the best advice you can give someone who wants to work for us? Go for it! Are you interested in working at OneEighty? https://ow.ly/WmxC50TWKvf

Cheers to ONE Environmental Managing Principal J. Rusty Field PE who is celebrating his 15-year work anniversary! Back in 2009, Rusty envisioned a customer-centered company that prioritizes lasting, meaningful relationships over the bottom line when he and his partners founded ONE. And the rest is history, as they say. Learn more about Rusty on our blog! https://bit.ly/3yJdDxF

If you want to know more about QA in SaaS and Kraken🐙, this is the video of the day! 👏 Thanks for sharing your experiences at MARMIND Sarah!

As this year winds down and I celebrate my work anniversary at SFPA, I find myself reflecting on a leap of faith I took a year ago. After spending 10 years at my previous job, making a career change felt monumental. I had been in my comfort zone for years, and while comfort is nice, I knew it was time to challenge myself. Still, I was afraid of change. I questioned if I could succeed somewhere new. Could I find a role that not only allowed me to grow but also honored the things I value most—time with my family, time with my son, flexibility, balance, good benefits, and good pay? I wanted to continue learning, growing, and contributing meaningfully without compromising those priorities. Feeling a sense of purpose in what I do is so important to me—whether it’s supporting my team or helping clients. That purpose drives me and keeps me striving for more. Looking back, I’m so glad I took the leap. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t always comfortable, but it was worth it. Over the past year, I’ve challenged myself, learned something new every day, developed new skills, and found my groove. I didn’t lose the things I was afraid of compromising—in fact, I’ve gained even more. Growth is a process, and this year has been a reminder of the importance of believing in yourself and pushing forward. I never want to stop challenging myself or settle into complacency. Here’s to continued growth, new challenges, and what’s ahead!

Today is Jule Day's 🥳fourth anniversary🥳 at the Economic Alliance, and we're FOURtunate to have her! In honor of her big day, we asked her some intriguing questions: -Why did you want to work for/be a part of the Economic Alliance? To be a part of change that tangibly affects the people and community I care about. Projects I work on and lead with my team can be enjoyed by my family and friends, bring joy to the community, and have a positive impact that I, too, feel fulfilled from. Being part of a small team means you wear a lot of hats, so you certainly feel like you are an extreme value add to everything that we do because, without each of us, many things would NOT happen! We are busy, but man, do we also feel important. -What has been the most rewarding part of being a part of this team? The degree of talent, experience, and diversity in backgrounds on this team is second to none. Many incredible people have been a part of this organization, and I'm honored to be a part of that roster. You feel like you are a part of something special on this team, and even as we grow, our new talent brings GREAT energy! -How are you planning on celebrating your anniversary? What excites you about the upcoming year? Our team is growing. There are LOTS of new ideas in the pipeline. There won't really be an opportunity to stop and party, but we will celebrate year-round by doing awesome things for our communities. -What is your favorite Economic Alliance brand color and why? Green. Green means growth, balance, and thoughtfulness. It also happens to work perfectly with strawberry blonde locks 😋

Happy to celebrate another work anniversary at Innova! 🎉 To honor my 3 years here, I'm sharing 3 of my learnings: 🏆 Always strive for better The standard can always be raised. When you move out of survival mode into successful handling of the status quo - don't stop growing, but work toward even bigger and better results next! 🎯 Come with a solution We run into challenges all the time (at least most of us do 😁) but it is far more helpful and effective to present a challenge along with a proposed solution - or two. 👩👩👧👦 Relationships matter Whether it concerns colleagues, business partners or suppliers: relationships can (help) make or break your success. Treat others the way you hope to be treated. Picture: the gorgeous tulips in front of Innova's HQ! ❤️

🎉 Celebrating my 7th work anniversary today! And thanks to everyone who wished me a happy anniversary on the DM in the past 2 weeks. Today is the official, formation day. Last year, I was able to check off a few things on my bucket list. There were definitely moments when I felt like throwing in the towel, but I’m grateful I didn’t. Resilience has been one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over the past few years, especially during the pandemic when my entire business depended on a market that kept going in and out of lockdown for 3 years. In the past year, I have met many inspiring people, made new friends, learnt more, created more and shared more—all thanks to my work. Running a China-focused marketing agency is still fun and fulfilling, most of the time! I still love my job after 7 years and here is to many more years of growth and success! ( too early for drinks, here is espresso to kick start the day!) A friend once pointed out that I don’t share enough online, which is true—and sometimes it’s intentional. I refrain from posting too much. While I’m more extroverted in professional settings, I usually only share what I feel is relevant to the business. This habit reflects a mix of cultural influences, personality, social media protocol, and the constant pull in different directions. This year, I’m challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone, just a bit more. While my personality and style may stay the same, I will find more creative ways to create and share insightful content. Stay tuned for more updates!