You Can Cultivate a Culture of Belonging

I started my career in radio broadcasting as the Director of first Impressions—otherwise known as the front desk assistant. While it was a great way to get my foot in the door and put me in a position to be seen by everyone in the company, it was really lonely. I was the gatekeeper for the radio offices which meant I was secluded out front, boxed in by glass windows and doors that were forever locked until I pushed a button.

I would spend my days juggling phone calls, greeting prize winners, prepping the mail and whatever task the business office had for me that day. While my boss would assure me of how important I was to the team, I couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. A green, 20-something trying to forge her path into her dream job with my daily reminder from Paul McCartney & Wings singing overhead: