Wisdom Wednesday: Founders Edition – Kerry Crandell, President and Founder of WoMAN
We are so excited to have Kerry Crandell chatting with us for this week’s Wisdom Wednesday: Founders Edition. Kerry is the President and Founder of WoMAN, Women of Mergers, and Acquisitions Network. Additionally, she is responsible for introducing Dana and Amanda in 2019, extra points to her! Kerry is a smart and passionate leader and it was super motivating to learn about her story and how she shows up in her business. Watch the full conversation below or on our IGTV here!
Can you Share Your Founders Story?
“5 years ago I started Women of Mergers and Acquisitions (WoMAN).” After working in the Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) industry for a decade, she observed a lack of women working and flourishing in that industry and she started to get burnt out. “Everything I was doing in that world was for more money and a bigger and greater title, I wanted to make a different type of impact.” So, she brought together 10 women and shared her vision for what she wanted to create. From there, WoMAN emerged, an organization focused on enriching the lives of women in the M&A industry.
Her very first step when starting WoMAN was to get super clear. She spent time thinking about who she was, what she wanted to do, what her desire to create was, and most importantly how she could enrich the lives of women who work in this male-dominated industry. Kerry shared, “I’m a big journal person, so I wrote everything down, I had a great and grand vision and then took it from there!”
What advice would you give to yourself on Day 1 of starting your business?
“Seek progress over perfection” and “Enjoy the ride”.
Two powerhouse pieces of advice! “There were so many hours spent behind a computer seeking perfection versus progress early on.” Kerry shared that the progress is way more important and that piece of advice has guided her. Additionally, on enjoying the ride, “Don’t take everything so seriously, There is a reason why we live in joy, it’s to enjoy the ride.” An amazing perspective to have and an important reminder to us all, enjoy the dang ride!
How do you celebrate big goals when you hit them?
“A lot of good wine is how I celebrate, and of course champagne comes to mind.”
Kerry also loves writing thank you notes of gratitude to people she works with as a way of celebration. Traveling is another mode of celebration for her, “Really big wins, I love to travel and usually book it as soon as the big win comes through!”
How do you define work-life balance?
Balance is not a scale for Kerry, it’s ever-changing and fluctuating. She works really hard to prioritize her time and core values and spends time asking, “Am I living in alignment with what’s most important to me and to my core values?” At times, that may mean sitting all day and grinding out work at her computer, or that looks like spending extra time with her kids. This active practice helps to prioritize her time.
“Everything boils down to one word – awareness, being aware of the environment, and making shifts to achieve a balance that works best for you.”
Favorite sip + snack? (Favorite wine, other alcohol, or non-alcoholic beverage and pairing!)
Kerry’s fave sip + snack combo right now, since it’s summertime, is a glass of effervescent rosé paired with something cheesy and salty…. like a soft pretzel with cheese and/or some crackers with cheese. Delish!!
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