This month, GLMV’s own Candace Wilson was recognized as one of the Wichita Business Journal’s (WBJ) Women Who Lead. Candace goes above and beyond for her team and the company as a whole. As Marketing Manager, she wears many hats, some of which include leading the team in driving new business via winning proposals or client events, improving marketing team processes for company-wide efficiency, and coordinating the annual ECHO event. We are so thankful to have Candace as a part of TESSERE and look forward to her many successes to come! Read on for a recap of the WBJ interview.
What is your leadership style? I like to think that I am a supportive leader who tries to bring out the best in those around me. I truly feel that helping others grow helps me grow, too. I don’t believe in asking someone to do anything that I wouldn’t dig in and do it right along-side them.
When did you first feel like a leader? Throughout my career, I have been blessed to be in positions that I’ve felt empowered to take the initiative and find my own path. I may not have always had the confidence inside to feel like a leader but the fact that others believed I could lead was all the encouragement needed.
Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your career? Throughout my career, I have known so many strong, independent women making their own path for success—whatever that means to them. These women are the ones who give me the strength to keep me going when I might not feel like I have any more to give.
A specific example, Dixie Larson, who was my supervisor at Kennedy and Coe early in my career. While working for her she was a great example to me of holding your own when you may have been the only woman in a meeting and always had a “can-do” attitude when looking at new ideas, etc. It wasn’t until much later that I realized how much she had guided me behind the scenes over the years and how much of that I have carried with me.
What are you doing to mentor women in your industry? We have several individuals early in their careers on our marketing team at TESSERE and I hope that I am able to give them some nuggets along the way that help them to grow and thrive in their personal career journey.
Best advice for young women considering your industry? Surround yourself with others who lift you up and you can learn from. The marketing industry continuously evolves, and the majority of the expertise can’t be learned from textbooks. As the saying goes—it’s not what you know but who you know.
What was your career path? The path to marketing for the A/E/C (Architecture/Engineer/Construction) industry was long and winding for sure but every stop along the way taught me something that stayed with me and helped prepare me for my leadership role today at GLMV.
What inspired you to choose a career in your industry? Marketing and Business Development chose me, actually. I started in an administrative role with the accounting firm, Kennedy and Coe, in 2002 and the role quickly transitioned into a marketing position. It’s through marketing and business development that I discovered a love for strategizing, storytelling and connecting with people, and this industry allows me to capitalize on my abilities in such a variety of ways!
What do you like most about your job? There are so many things about my job that I love but above all it’s the people that I work with every day. GLMVers are incredible people and I am so fortunate to be a part of the team here. I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically shout out to the Marketing team—love you guys!
