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Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. Every week we spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This week’s Q & A is with Allison O’Kelly, Founder and CEO of Mom Corps. Allison founded Mom Corps in 2005 as a working mother who wanted to help other working moms find work-life satisfaction. Mom Corps has a talent network of over 200,000 candidates.

1. What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?
Having my first child in 2003! I had always been a Type “A” overachiever/perfectionist. I returned to work at Toys “R” Us in a fast track management program and realized that I was anything but perfect. I was finding it tough to be on time, I was constantly getting calls from the day care to pick up my son, I felt I couldn’t be a good employee or a good mother. I knew there had to be a better way. After doing some freelance accounting work and being so professionally happy, I realized it wasn’t just an “Allison” issue but a working mom issue and I knew I had to help others achieve the same professional satisfaction and thus founded Mom Corps in 2005.

2. Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?
My husband and I met in our MBA program. He’s the best sounding board I have and I know he’ll always be honest with me even if I don’t want to hear it!

3. What is your biggest goal right now?
Mom Corps is celebrating 10 years this summer. Our clients love us because of our access to different talent but also because of our high touch service. They have come to count on us for all of their professional staffing needs (both part time/interim and full time/contract) but our brand does not reflect this to future clients. We are expanding our brand this summer to Corps Team – A complete professional staffing solution. The Corps Team Solutions will include Mom Corps, Corps Search and Corps Advisory. We look forward to letting the world know what our clients have known for a long time…. And introduce our full suite of services.

4. How did you get your first job? How did you jump to your second job?
I was an accounting major in school, so it was a fairly structured path to a first job at an accounting firm – work hard, get good grades and network! Once I realized that I wanted to do something outside of the accounting field, I decided it was time to get my MBA and redirect. It’s never too early or too late to reinvent yourself!

5. What time do you typically wake up? What do you do every morning?
I wake up sometime between 6:00 and 7:00 when my four year old decides it’s time for me to wake up! With three small kids, the first hour or two until my nanny gets in is spent with them. Coffee for me, juice for my little guy, the older guys on the computers and Disney Junior on the TV. At 7:45 I turn into my professional alter ego and start my work day.

6. How did you feel on your 30th birthday?
What were you doing at that time? Tired but excited. I was pregnant and due to give birth to my first child. I had no idea what was coming and how it would impact my career. In some ways, I wish I had known and planned better, but in others, it was the catalyst to this amazing entrepreneurial journey.

7. What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?
Being a working mom of 3 boys! It’s a daily challenge and a daily achievement. I am so lucky to have a work/life blend that works perfectly (most of the time) for me and my family. My career is very important to me, but not important enough to sacrifice my family. It’s a constant balancing act, but I love it and am very proud of how I’ve been able to handle both.

8. What cause do you most want to advance?
My youngest son was very ill with a missed heart condition at birth. A simple EKG would have made a big difference in his early days. Congenital heart defects are America’s #1 birth defect yet we do very little testing at birth. One day “when I have more time”, I would like to advocate for cardiac diagnostic tests before babies leave the hospital.

9. What is your “keep me going” quote?
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison

10. Who on the list of prior Honorees would you like to meet?
All of them of course!

Check out Allison O’Kelly’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!

Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. Every week we spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This week’s Q & A is with Tere Blanca, President and CEO of Blanca Commercial Real Estate. Tere launched her own boutique firm during the U.S. recession and has been consistently recognized by South Florida Business Journal as one of the top 25 commercial real estate firms South Florida.

1. What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?

Deciding in December 2008 to leave a leadership position with a global firm to start my own business – and then launching Blanca Commercial Real Estate in April 2009.

2. What is your biggest goal right now?

To grow Blanca Commercial Real Estate’s footprint in Florida.

3. How do you unplug? How often do you unplug?

Boating; on Sundays with my family..connecting to nature in the ocean gives me clarity, peace and re-energizes me…

4. What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?

On the business side, it’s the success of my firm having celebrated our 5th anniversary and now enjoying the largest market share in our core business (landlord agency office leasing) in the key four largest submarkets in Miami. On the personal side, it has been raising two amazing daughters who are smart, caring, responsible and independent young adults.

5. What was the last business book you read?

How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything by Dov Seidman

6. What cause do you most want to advance?

My work as Chair of City Year Miami, in support of our community’s K-12 education system. City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization that partners with public schools to help keep students in school and on track to graduate. Nearly one million students drop out of school every year, and 50 percent of those dropouts come from just 10 percent of schools. City Year fills a gap between what many students in high-poverty schools need to succeed, and what schools often have the resources to provide.

7. What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Email is great but lots can get lost when you are not communicating face to face….have face to face communication with your team and clients as often as possible…it helps build long term loyal relationships.

8. What is your “keep me going” quote?

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” I am inspired by Gandhi’s life and especially this quote…I serve as Chair of City Year Miami and have built the culture of my firm with this in mind.

9. What is your secret indulgence?

Dark Chocolate

Check out Tere Blanca’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!

Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. Every week we spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This week’s Q & A is with Karen Carter, Global Business Director, at Dow’s Packaging and Specialty Plastics business is the highest-ranking woman reporting to the business president and serves on the global leadership team for this $12 billion business.

1. What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?

The two years I spent living and working in China was pivotal for me personally and professionally.  This time allowed me to grow and stretch in ways I thought were unimaginable.  I was working in a new business, had a new role, I was in a new geography and experiencing a new culture – all at the same time.  But the experience was amazing! It has been hard to duplicate the energy and complexity of that assignment.   I firmly believe that everyone that can and has a desire to live outside of their home country should do it at least once.  The amount of diversity that the world has to offer is unlimited.  But at the same time – our basic fundamental needs and desires are not that different. The appreciation of diversity and desire to focus on similarities and capitalize on differences can truly accelerate solutions to some of the greatest challenges our generation faces.  I take this experience and what I learned during it – with me into all new challenges and opportunities that I face.  It allowed me to discover how far I can really go – and how enjoyable the journey can be.  This experience was further enhanced because I was able to share it with my husband who enjoyed it as much as I did.  In one word – ADVENTURE!!

2. What is your biggest goal right now?

Personally I am working on a project with 2 colleagues and 2 external local organizations to prepare, develop and hire individuals that are looking for viable employment in a neighboring community in Michigan.  The unemployment rate in that particular community is fairly high and the evolution of the manufacturing industry has had a negative impact.  So the program is aimed to help individuals develop and/or refine their skills and ultimately match them with open jobs at local companies.  We just finished our first class and over half of the participants are now employed!  Our current goal is to secure funding for the 2nd class to start in the fall of 2014 and to exceed our success rate of the 1st class! Sustainable employment has the potential to change families and communities!

Professionally – my biggest goal can be summed up in one word – GROWTH.  Growth for our company and business through the marketing efforts and amazing team that I lead, career growth to increase my enterprise wide contribution and impact – and personal growth to continue to improve my skills and competencies to enable my family to reach our life objectives.

Family – My extended family created a “bucket list” a few years ago, and one of our (my husband and I) biggest lifetime goals is to be able to enable as many of those wishes as possible!!

3. How do you unplug? How often do you unplug?

This is very easy to answer – with my family!  I’m the youngest of 3 girls and many of my family members live in Wichita, KS.  The best time I had recently was when I went home to help my mother with her annual garage sale.  At one point, my sisters and I were sitting on my Mom’s porch together – just sitting, talking and watching the cars go by.  It was the most amazing feeling!  People often ask me, ‘which is the place I like the most out of all the places that I’ve traveled to around the world?’ And my answer is always consistently – wherever my family is.  Going home for me is like going to the gas station – because it fills me up with so much joy and satisfaction!  I am with my Kansas based family at least twice a year if not more, but I connect with one of them on a daily basis.  Technology has made this much easier to do.  Yes – my mother does text, but not while driving!!

4. What was the last business book you read?

I don’t read books from front to back…and so I am in the process of reading 2 books:
The Big Pivot by Andrew S. Winston
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

5. What song can’t you get out of your head? 

“Just Do You” by India Arie – if you haven’t listened to this song, you should.  The lyrics are extremely motivating!  I spoke at a women’s conference recently and opened with this song – and women continue to inquire about it because it spoke so loudly to them!

6. What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Never eat alone – every moment is an opportunity to network!

7. What is your “keep me going” quote?

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela

8. What is your secret indulgence? 

If you promise not to tell anyone….The Golden Girls sitcom!  Believe it or not – I have all the seasons on DVDs…and I watch them, a lot!  It represents great writing and gives me a lot of laughs!

9. Who on the list of 2013 Honorees would you like to meet?

All of them!  If that isn’t possible – Dr. Alissa Johnson, Fara Mohamed, Kimberly Bryant, Rachel Sklar, Stacy Ratner, Wendy Clark

Check out Karen Carter’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!

Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. Every week we spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This week’s Q & A is with Maria Chrin, Founder and Managing Partner at Circle Wealth Management, LLC.

1. What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?

Deciding to leave Goldman Sachs after a wonderful 15 year career was a pivotal moment for me. I took a huge risk – leaving the stability and status for a total unknown. The decision to leave was driven by my realization that there was so much I did not know about the industry despite being considered a “veteran” at that time. I dedicated my time to Circle Financial Group (CFG), a wealth management peer organization for sophisticated women investors, which I co-founded. The experiences and learnings after 4 years of being in CFG eventually lead to my founding Circle Wealth Management, LLC. My mission was to create a different model for delivering wealth management services. This model is based on full transparency, alignment of interests, collaboration and education.

2. Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?

My maternal grandmother was my mentor and greatest sponsor. She provided me with the inspiration to pursue my passions and was an incredible role model. Having lived in Honduras her entire life and not having had a college education, she encouraged me to leave Honduras and study in the United States, sponsoring the cost of both my college and business school educations. When I was in business school and learned in my first term that I was pregnant, my grandmother spoke to my husband and me and asked that I do not quit Columbia Business School and that I continue to pursue my passion to work on Wall Street. She encouraged my Mom to move to NYC so she could help me with the baby while I finished my MBA and pursued a job in finance.

3. What is your biggest goal right now?

My biggest goal is to continue to build Circle Wealth Management  and use its credence and success to promote and support financial education for women and girls around the world.

4. How did you get your first job? How did you jump to your second job?

I was determined to be on Wall Street, at a top firm, and was willing to apply to a job that most other Columbia MBA candidates were not interested in, in order to get my foot in the door. I was tasked with cold-calling clients in order to build my own wealth management practice within Goldman Sachs in NYC. Having grown up in Honduras and going directly from Lehigh to Columbia, I did not know many people to call on in order to build a business. Yet, I did it and over the years built one of the firm’s premier wealth management practices, managing several billion of client assets. The experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop great entrepreneurial skills. I also learned not take “NO” for an answer and never to take rejection personally.  I stayed at Goldman for 15 years and did not jump to a second job. I left the firm to explore and learn more about wealth management not knowing what I would do next.

5. What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?

I launched Circle Wealth Management (CWM), in 2007, a year before the financial crisis. This was a true test for me, personally and professionally, as I had invested a lot in the firm in terms of my time and financial resources.  Although it was a very challenging few years, I am proud to have been able to help clients navigate well the difficult market conditions while simultaneously continuing to raise a young family and to build the new business and expand the team. 2008-2009 put CWM on the map given the care we showed and thoughtful planning we did for our clients. Those clients referred us to their friends in the subsequent years. All the assets we managed today, about $1.3 billion, have come from referrals. I am also proud that 80% of our clients are women and that 80% of the members of the CWM team are women.

6. What cause do you most want to advance?

Education, specifically financial education for women and girls, with a focus on the Hispanic community.

7. What song can’t you get out of your head? 

“Happy” By: Pharrell Williams

Check out Maria Chrin’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!