Kate Murray, 24
Communications & PR Specialist, American Solutions for Business
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Your nominators point to what a great network you’ve built in just a short time in the industry – less than two years. How have you managed it?
I’ve had some really cool opportunities already. It’s just the investment that the people above me at ASB are giving me. They’re giving me a lot of opportunities to attend events and connect both regionally and on the industry level, so I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities that way to meet people and build connections and then also continue those online with different social channels and networks.
Nominators also point out your leadership qualities, despite being so early in your career. Where do those come from?
I grew up playing softball, so I think I give a lot of credit to sports growing up for my natural instincts to lead and communicate. I’m surrounded by great people that encourage me to step outside of my comfort zone and do hard things, but I love just collaborating with people, and it’s easy to do when you work with amazing people. And I think a lot of it is proving myself. When I got hired, I think I went in ready to prove that I could do everything that was on their list for me, but also, hopefully, go above and beyond that. So, setting a good example, building trust with the team, and hopefully, in the future, there are more opportunities that come.
How have your perceptions of the industry changed since you started?
I was definitely aware of the industry when I started, but on a very small scale. The depth and opportunities for us on the distributor side, but also on the supplier side and for our customers, there’s so much that we can do for our clients, and I think that’s really cool. The creativity behind it is incredible, and I’m inspired by so many people every single day. The creative projects that they put together and the solutions that they bring to our clients’ problems – the problem-solving is amazing.
