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Welcome to The People of Work, the podcast where we explore the unique journeys that bring people to their careers. Every episode is a deep dive into the twists, turns, and surprises that shape how individuals find their career paths—whether they’re engineers, artists, baristas, CEOs, or anything and everything in between.
It’s not about the destination; it’s about the story. Through honest conversations, we’ll uncover the moments that define careers, the challenges overcome, and the lessons learned along the way. These are real stories from real people, celebrating the diversity of work and the individuality of the people behind it.
Join us as we break down stereotypes, embrace the unexpected, and shine a light on the human side of work.
[00:00:00] Hollin Hart: Every company needs marketing and every person has a type of marketing. the second thing is marketing is more than what you see. Marketing is about sentiment, how people feel, and I think those two things are probably the biggest.
[00:00:14] Hollin Hart: opportunities for those companies that are not pouring into the marketing teams, it is not just about the logo, it's not about brand colors.
[00:00:22] Hollin Hart: It's not about a slogan. Marketing is. More than that,
[00:00:26] Ami Graves: You are listening to The People of Work, the podcast that dives into the real stories behind what people do for a living and how work shapes who we are.
[00:00:40] Ami Graves: Hi everyone. Welcome back to The People of work with, uh, your host Ami Graves. And I'm really excited to have a good friend of mine and neighbor who lives just a few doors down. Join me today for our conversation. welcome Hollin Hart, our, uh, the marketing communications leader at Cummins. And again, good friend of mine, I'm really excited to dig in and learn all about. Hollin's work journey, her story. And she's also, a new, new mom to a new baby girl. So we're gonna talk a little bit about that juggle between motherhood and, and career. all of us working moms can relate to that. So I look forward to learning a little bit about that too. So, welcome Hollin.
[00:01:20] Hollin Hart: Thank you so much for having me. Happy to be here and, and kind of dive into some questions that hopefully will add value to the listeners. Mm-hmm.
[00:01:28] Ami Graves: Yeah, I know, I know your story will add value to the listeners. So let's dig in. Let's talk about, what the work conversation was looked like, what it looked like at home for you in the very beginning. So were your parents talking to you about what kind of job you were gonna get as you, you were older.
[00:01:44] Ami Graves: What was your first job? Talk to me about that dynamic at home in the early, early stages.
[00:01:49] Hollin Hart: my first job I remember having when I was 15 so I'm born and raised from South Bend, Indiana. I worked in the bookstore at Notre Dame University. and that was my first kind of paying job,
[00:02:02] Hollin Hart: but then prior to that I did babysitting. And I say that because that was, I would call full-time. That was kind of like my first. Experience into almost like a entrepreneurship kind of creating your own relationships and then working at the bookstore of 15. And, and I would say from a conversation standpoint, it was expected that I have a job, not necessarily a 15, but that I, that was something that I aspire to.
[00:02:31] Hollin Hart: And then just observing in my household, uh, my mother is an educator. My father, he is blue collar worker. also my grandparents who were heavily involved in my formative years of raising myself. they also were hard workers. My grandfather was a bricklayer and my grandmother worked in the print shop, at the local community college.
[00:02:53] Hollin Hart: And so being. Focused on not only education, and being career oriented. Were heavily, a part of my reticulation as an adult.
[00:03:05] Ami Graves: was the focus like going to college and getting a job, or was the focus just get outta high school and get a job? Or was it kind of open to whatever appealed to you?
[00:03:14] Hollin Hart: Yeah, I think because my grandfather grew up in the trades and that was very successful for him, I think it was open. It was open to whatever I wanted to be, whether that was formal training, trade college, four year college, even if it was a community college avenue. So I'm really grateful for that opportunity to explore on my own, however.
[00:03:38] Hollin Hart: It was, use your skills, so have a job and use your skills, how you can use them.
[00:03:43] Ami Graves: Yeah. That's great. Well, let's talk about that. So you are working at the bookstore, you're babysitting, so you've got, you know, you're learning some of those foundational skills. what made you decide to go to Ball State, and when you made that decision, did you have a specific major in mind?
[00:04:00] Hollin Hart: I would say there was a couple of things, um, that. led me to that decision. The first thing is, My mom encouraged me to connect and to talk with people and so I babysat for a lawyer she was a lawyer and the husband was a stay-at-home dad, but worked part-time as a librarian and so I was able to see a very unique, non-traditional route to not only a household, but then also have connections into unique roles and jobs.
[00:04:29] Hollin Hart: So. I met with them. Got to learn more about that. in my high school, we had a series where we had. professionals come in and speak to us about their jobs. And I remember in my government relations class there were, students from Notre Dame University that came on site and kind of shared with us what they did, and they were lawyers and somewhere in marketing and never knew that that's where I would end up now.
[00:04:55] Hollin Hart: But I listened to them and I got really, really inspired. You'll start to see a theme here. and then lastly, I would say just being heavily involved in sports. I was a, athlete. I played soccer, I did basketball, and I ran track. And so not only is that an interest of mine, that's also a background I had.
[00:05:14] Hollin Hart: And so I was heavily involved in like. Being very quick, to be agile, understanding all the things. And so when I decided to go to college, and apply to schools, I was very, I didn't have time to apply to all these different schools, so I had to really narrow it down. I applied to three schools, and Ball State was one that I got accepted to.
[00:05:35] Hollin Hart: Being a mother of an educator. Ball state is a teacher's college. So that was encouraged also. Um, my family's very important to me, so I wanted to stay close to home. And so ball state was it. So I, I applied there. And how I decided to declare major of marketing was through some of those conversations and engagement.
[00:05:53] Hollin Hart: Ultimately, I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to be a sports marketing lawyer. I was babysitting for a lawyer, learned a lot. I loved everything. I mean, I was on the track to go to law school. those students that came from Notre Dame that came and spoke to us, they were lawyers and it just really spoke to me in something that I always wanted to do.
[00:06:12] Hollin Hart: and I wanted to be in sports marketing. So that's how I started off marketing. And then when I realized how much law school was and how. Much time it was going to take after undergrad. I almost talked myself out of it. and that was probably a little bit of imposter syndrome. I did take courses for law school.
[00:06:30] Hollin Hart: I did take the LSAT and I didn't score as well. And I thought that was just my way of. Divine way of, Hey, this isn't the path for you, nevertheless. that's how I came down to marketing and I will say that that was one of the best decisions that I've made. I had grew a lot of connections, and relationships in business college that I just felt like that was where I should be at the time.
[00:06:54] Ami Graves: Yeah, that's great. obviously in preparation for this interview, I spent a little time on, on LinkedIn and I was aware of some of the volunteer work that you do in the city, the Girl Scouts and some other things, but, I learned that you were actually on more boards, than I did know about.
[00:07:09] Ami Graves: So I'm curious, did you. Volunteer or, participate in clubs and stuff like that as, a high schooler and or college that kind of already prepared you to do some of this volunteer work as a working professional.
[00:07:24] Hollin Hart: So I was in the National Honors Society, i a part of sports and a part of, you know, attaining scholarships. So my mom was a single mother. It was. Heavily ingrained that you do for others, you uplift, you give back. also my faith is a very important aspect of how I pursue my professional values. and servant leadership showed up a lot.
[00:07:47] Hollin Hart: and so giving back not only, I would say is a. Professional benefit, but it's ingrained in my DNA. And so, yes, being a part of, girl Scouts of Central Indiana being on that board, I also have been a part of, meals on Wheels in Hancock County. I was on that board and other ways that I volunteer, I was on any black professionals, national Urban League.
[00:08:11] Hollin Hart: I am very intentional about how I spend my time. So those aren't a check of the box for me. However, I feel very passionate about giving back, but then also it's a way to connect with your community, and just really stay connected and and grounded. So I love giving back. like I said, I'm very intentional with my time because there's a lot of things that are offered, but you can't do everything.
[00:08:35] Hollin Hart: It's molded me in more ways than not.
[00:08:37] Ami Graves: Yeah. That's great. let's talk about your career in marketing. So when you left Ball State, you had, uh, a fresh new degree in marketing. What was your first move right after college?
[00:08:50] Hollin Hart: Yeah, so I actually jumped into sales, at Monarch Beverage and. I was hired through a sales development program. they came on campus recruited, and it was by far the best opportunity. I got to learn a lot, not only about the city, so like I said, I'm from South Bend, went to Ball State and moved to Indianapolis with this opportunity.
[00:09:11] Hollin Hart: it's kind of. How everyone should start off in hospitality. I think everyone should start off in sales. I think it's whether or not you think you're good at it or not, it helps you understand people. It helps you understand yourself, and organization skills.
[00:09:25] Ami Graves: and the business that you're
[00:09:26] Ami Graves: working for too. I mean, what better way to really understand your product or service value than spending a little time in sales? Right?
[00:09:34] Hollin Hart: Hit the nail on the head and I never would've connected to that degree why sales and marketing go hand to hand, but being on that side was very important. And then, Also just learning about myself, right? Fresh out of college, you're learning about what is your style? What do you bring to the table?
[00:09:53] Hollin Hart: What do you need to improve? You can be book smart, but you need to have that be applicable in the workplace. So I would say that was a very eye-opening experience, but it was fun. So I worked in sales when. we brought the Super Bowl at Indianapolis, so it was still connecting some of the fun entertainment things that I loved everywhere that there was something to celebrate was Monarch.
[00:10:16] Hollin Hart: So we are downtown at the circle. We were, doing things in Broad Ripple. Any major event in Motor Speedway, I got to be a part of events that I would've never had the opportunity to do so. And so I think those are. Things I can look back on in my career and there are full circle moments where things that I'm passionate about, whether it's sports, whether it's being a lawyer, whether it's volunteering, have always shown up in my job, even if it's not a part of my job description.
[00:10:44] Ami Graves: I love that because you know, that's kind of the crux of this show is so much about the pivot or that there's not only one path to get to where you wanna be. So the fact that you, I mean obviously had a passion for sports, you were an athlete, you know, as a young person, but also, you really wanted to connect the work that you do in your career to sports, and you were able to do that simply by, you know, volunteering opportunities and having that kind of first position at Monarch. It is just interesting to me that somehow it all ties together. I think without any effort.
[00:11:16] Ami Graves: Certainly you were seeking out those very specific. experiences and, and opportunities, but I mean, it's a nice like, combination, right, of marketing some sports, and certainly volunteerism, which is important to you too.
[00:11:29] Hollin Hart: there's been a lot of things, like I said, I've been a part of, and one of those things have been a book club and I would hands down tell anybody, one of the most impactful books that I've read was Lean In. I know that sounds super cliche.
[00:11:42] Hollin Hart: everybody was doing a book club, but Okay.
[00:11:44] Hollin Hart: I love to read. I've always loved to read, but one of the biggest quotes that stood out, it's like one of those books you need to read like almost every year or every other year to remind you, but it's like your career is a jungle gym, not a ladder. And I think once I really not only read that on words and paper, but lived it and felt it of saying.
[00:12:04] Hollin Hart: It can be crazy on the outside, but it's still all interconnected and you can still rise and then you can come down and then
[00:12:11] Hollin Hart: start again. I think that's where I kind of was reminded of, okay, the woman that wrote this book is saying this, and look how far she's come, but then also. You can do a lot of things.
[00:12:23] Hollin Hart: Your career, your life doesn't have to be one dimensional. And once I started to be open to that, to say like, I may not have a five year plan, or I may, I may have a five year plan, but it can still all be relevant and connected because I'm living it. That's when I think things in my, confidence started to open up just how I was, you know, building my network and bringing out the energy.
[00:12:45] Hollin Hart: It, it changed.
[00:12:47] Ami Graves: I love that for you. That's great. Let's talk about that Jungle Gym of Work and how you, uh, landed and spent seven years at Cummins. You're still at Cummins as the
[00:12:56] Ami Graves: marketing communications leader there. Tell me what you've been doing for seven years at at Cummins, and particularly in the role that you're in now.
[00:13:04] Hollin Hart: let me first, be very transparent, I did not know anything about Cummins before I joined. Like I said, I've moved to Indy. Um. Early at the first stages of my career and had no idea about it. So the headquarters are in Columbus, Indiana, and Cummins is a power solutions company.
[00:13:19] Hollin Hart: And so when I joined or heard about Cummins, it was through, my network, so through my sorority sister who worked here. and they were looking to grow some people in the sales and marketing function. I applied, um, Cummins, just the insight is very competitive to get in. So super blessed and grateful for the opportunity.
[00:13:39] Hollin Hart: but it's a phenomenal company. They really uplift, develop, and they're a global company, so there's so many different opportunities. That you can leverage. They highly encourage, not only networking, that's a part of like a cultural, I would say, a value. You know, connecting with others while also moving around.
[00:13:58] Hollin Hart: So if there's other things that you wanna explore, if you wanna be, you know, if you're an engineer but then you wanna go to product management, all the things, they encourage that. Not only do they encourage that I've lived it. So I came in starting in a marketing, sales functional excellence program.
[00:14:14] Hollin Hart: And then quickly moved over to customer facing solely. So I was an account manager and through that customer relationship management, I mean, it was sales, right? Like I wasn't selling the product, but I was in the crux between sales and marketing of focusing on the customer, sustaining our product, upselling, you know, relationship management, all the things.
[00:14:36] Hollin Hart: And so stayed on that side for a little bit. That was. Probably, a fast and furious way to understand the company because you're dealing with so many different functions. Finance, engineering, product management, quality, all of the things. and your product can be not only, domestic, but it can be global.
[00:14:55] Hollin Hart: now, I'm in marketing and so I will always tell people marketing is at the core of what I love to do, but what comes natural is I understand people. And so when I understand people. I wanna make their lives easier, so I'm identifying solutions for their needs.
[00:15:12] Hollin Hart: And I think that's where the sales and marketing overlap. and so I serve on the pickup side of the business. So Dodge Ram pickup trucks, if anyone knows about those, some of them have a Cummins engine. And so my job has been supporting, making sure people know about that engine. in the Dodge Ram pickup.
[00:15:32] Hollin Hart: we just launched a new product this year, so that is super exciting. So go to your Dodge Ram dealership and check it out. but that's what I do. I help market that product, make sure people know about it, and understand some of that, opportunities and how they can get it.
[00:15:47] Ami Graves: I love that. So recently you have returned to the office from maternity leave so Hollin's got three beautiful, amazing children. Grayson Harper and Little Baby Girl Tony. So talk to me about that transition back to work. I'm just curious about. not so much the logistical stuff.
[00:16:07] Ami Graves: You're going in a couple days a week. I know there's like a, a hybrid schedule there that you're working, but just how you're, how you manage a very demanding role for a, a global company like Cummins while juggling motherhood of free small children. I.
[00:16:21] Hollin Hart: without going down a rabbit hole of things you probably hear in other podcasts or other people, I would, I would probably boil it down to three things. The first thing is my husband having a really great partner, having a really great best friend in-house, that is supportive of not only me, but is an active.
[00:16:43] Hollin Hart: Present parent. That is a game changer because how I show up at home being on one accord, feeling whole, feeling supported at home is a distinct reflection of what you can get right now. What help I get in the middle of the night. What help I get would pick up. And I wouldn't even say help because we're a
[00:17:01] Hollin Hart: team, we're a partnership, but that is a reflection.
[00:17:04] Hollin Hart: So, to make this applicable across the board to people that maybe don't have kids or. are not married. I would just say how you stand up at home in the practices, in the wellness boundaries that you put up at home. That is going to be indicative of your success at work. I don't care who you are, what you believe, what role you're in, unless you have that framework built up at home to be your best self, you won't be successful or sustainable at work.
[00:17:34] Hollin Hart: So that'll be my first thing. My husband is how I've navigated this. The second thing is, being agile. I am a type A to the team I write the list, I write the meals. We have skylight calendars. I have a paper calendar. I have notebooks everywhere. I'm type A, but I have to be agile in this season of life or else it doesn't do anyone justice.
[00:17:58] Hollin Hart: Because what I've learned is as much as I think that I'm in control, I am not If. A fire drill happens at school and I have to go pick 'em up. I can't say I'm just gonna do, it wasn't on my agenda today, so I'm not gonna do it. Or if I get sick, or if the CEO of the company emails me and says, I need this marketing plan done today.
[00:18:19] Hollin Hart: I'm gonna be agile. And so being. very planful, but then also having that room to adjust and waking up with an open mind of, if this comes my way, I'm going to attack it with agility that will make you, successful as well. And then lastly. I think energy, and I know that's a really random word and people can say that's a feel good word, but I would say showing up with the right energy and the mindset.
[00:18:49] Hollin Hart: like I said, my faith is a huge, asset and aspect of how I show up. And Joyce Meyers has this book called The Battlefield of the Mind, and I would say. Once I learned that, that's how, what I think is what comes out, whether it's in action, whether it's in energy, people are attracted to energy, people don't wanna work with mean people.
[00:19:10] Hollin Hart: People don't wanna work with people that are grumpy. At the end of the day, you think about a manager and employee relationship, it's a two-way street. A manager can only be a manager if they have someone reporting to them. No one wants to report to someone. That's cray cray. So at the end of the day, I would say once I learned that it would giving and exuding the natural, Optimistic energy. The goofy, I'm always joking. you know, energy that I can give is going to just make things so much lighter because I'm not a brain surgeon. I'm never gonna be that. So once I learned that, I could probably take it down a notch that everyone would be enjoying the energy that I give.
[00:19:51] Hollin Hart: So, I would say my husband being agile and just really showing up with a really good attitude.
[00:19:56] Ami Graves: I love that. That's such good advice. I feel Okay. We can wrap up now. You just, you just gave, it gave so many gold nuggets. No, no, no. We, we can't, we gotta keep going. Uh, so tell me Hollin about, one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your work life.
[00:20:11] Hollin Hart: Oh gosh. The biggest challenge, I'm gonna reference, Another book, which is really wild and I'm keep referencing books. But, there's a book by, uh, Shonda Rimes that's called The Year of Yes. And it's talked about saying yes to yourself.
[00:20:25] Hollin Hart: I think that's been hard for me and not because anyone else has positioned themselves. It's a mental barrier that I have sometimes. And so I think one of the challenges, specifically at Cummins, I'm not an engineer. I'm never gonna be an engineer.
[00:20:38] Hollin Hart: That is not a passion of mine whatsoever, but I work with engineers. We're a power solutions company, we're a manufacturing company, and so. One of the things that in anyone in marketing across Cummins has to do is build that rapport to say, although I'm not an engineer, I have my value as this, I can lend this.
[00:20:57] Hollin Hart: One of the things that I put on my resume, or what I talk about when I talk by myself is I'm a translator. So I can translate technical engineering, very complex things so I can untangle that jungle, dim and make it a ladder because I can go, I can do it front, you know, all different ways. And that has been something that not only did I have to overcome as imposter syndrome, but then also have to, rebrand as a strength and say, I know I'm not this, but I am a hundred percent that and I am that woman that can translate.
[00:21:32] Hollin Hart: Anything technical that can make something hard, feel light, make something that feels icky and chaotic, feel like a, a fun project because that's what I can do. And once, I learned how to talk about that, it became my superpower.
[00:21:48] Hollin Hart: and I love that to this day, that I can be in a room with the highest person at the seat of the table and not feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, nervous, or be at this cross-functional table of product, of product launch and say, all right, this is what we need to do and share my voice and speak up.
[00:22:06] Ami Graves: what do you attribute that to? What do you attribute that comfortability to walking into the room with the CEO, the COO and having that confidence, in yourself? What do you attribute all that to?
[00:22:19] Hollin Hart: because I'm a only child, there's nothing that I haven't probably seen or said to myself that anybody can say to me for the first time. I'm very, accountable and very real. I think growing up as a only child, you're the responsible one, you're the one that has to pick up toys behind yourself.
[00:22:36] Hollin Hart: You have to answer the questions of why something didn't get done. You have to be, you know, the first, the middle and the last child. And so you take on a lot of different hats and you learn to speak up and to communicate very early on, but you also learn to observe, right? You're always connecting the dots.
[00:22:54] Hollin Hart: And I think from an early stage, you know, I was deemed the talkative one. I was deemed the busy body. And from that I just felt like, I grew tough skin, but then I also just grew like, Hey, it's only me, so I don't have anything to lose. 'cause I already started off as one, so I'm gonna end as one.
[00:23:12] Ami Graves: I love that. So what's something, that people might be surprised to know about? Marketing. you know, I work in hr,I know enough about marketing to be dangerous, but which isn't a whole lot. when I think about marketing, my first thought always goes to like social media marketing or generating leads for sales teams, that sort of thing.
[00:23:32] Ami Graves: So tell me something that's maybe unique that listeners would wanna understand about marketing.
[00:23:38] Hollin Hart: I'm gonna say two things. I think the first thing is Every company needs marketing and every person has a type of marketing. So I would say that the second thing is marketing is more than what you see. Marketing is about sentiment, how people
[00:23:53] Hollin Hart: feel, and I think those two things are probably the biggest.
[00:23:57] Hollin Hart: opportunities for those companies that are not pouring into the marketing teams, as far as either creating their own teams, giving the, the financial bandwidth to that, but then also only seeing marketing as one dimensional. like I said, it is not just about the logo, it's not about brand colors.
[00:24:14] Hollin Hart: It's not about a slogan. Marketing is. More than that, it's about your brand and how you make people feel, what people are thinking of you and how the community is thinking about you. I would say one thing I love about the, company you work for is you guys sponsor the PGA, women. You have a woman that you
[00:24:35] Hollin Hart: sponsor on the
[00:24:36] Hollin Hart: PGA and I think that is amazing because.
[00:24:40] Hollin Hart: You all are extending your brand. It's not just about technology, but you focus on women and then you're focusing on a way that people network. Golf is a huge connector in a huge way that people network, and so I think that is an evolution and you're really connecting the dots of what your company stands for and.
[00:25:01] Hollin Hart: It's in stem, women make up are starting to increase the percentage of how they engage in stem. and what better way, and I think that's really awesome. So I, I would say, yeah, that's a, a misconception that sentiment is not connected to marketing when it is.
[00:25:18] Ami Graves: you co-created, uh, an organization I think here in Indy. tell me a little bit about that.
[00:25:24] Hollin Hart: Yes, so it was called Indie Black Millennials. It has soon, or has since transformed any black professionals. and so there was me, a woman named Diana. And also Boomi and we all came together, um, and Boomi was a brainchild of it and said, Hey, I wanna start this. Would you guys be a part of it?
[00:25:45] Hollin Hart: And it has since grown. and in 20 20, 20 21, I kind of stepped away as I was reevaluating some personal things, but it was a networking organization for black millennials and we saw that there was a gap in the community, um, and also wanted to create something that was fun. It allowed people to connect in different spaces.
[00:26:06] Hollin Hart: Because Indie has become a transplant city. A lot of people are coming from all over. Boomie and I, worked at Salesforce and they were seeing that Salesforce a global company. Me working at Cummins, the same thing. And so that was a great experience. I really attribute the growth to that, to Boomi.
[00:26:23] Hollin Hart: He is a natural connector, but it was a really great way to see how. People will really pour into building up young professionals in the city.
[00:26:34] Ami Graves: how do you handle this tug of war? I, I call it a tug of war because I feel like it's a tug of war for me sometimes. we've talked about this, the juggle with career and motherhood, and I actually just wanna go back and reference the, how much I appreciate the comment you made about it being a jungle gym and not a ladder.
[00:26:51] Ami Graves: Because there have been so many times, even in my own career, where I've taken a pause and very purposely. Tried to climb that ladder and said it is time to pause. and going to part-time, and I also remember thinking. Is this gonna hurt my career long term? Am I going to regret taking a pause? Of course. I look back and I, have zero regrets. It was the very good decision, but even now, I think it's just that constant tug of feeling like you've gotta be, you said this earlier, you, you've gotta be in all the places.
[00:27:21] Ami Graves: You've better do all the things. it truly is a juggle. I don't know that I ever would say there is a work-life balance. I don't know that I. Subscribe to that, really. But I'm interested in your thoughts on that, especially since you very recently went back to work.
[00:27:37] Hollin Hart: I love this question. I think I'm. Noodled on it for quite some time. So for those of you that don't know, like Ami said, I have a 6-year-old, his name is Grayson. I have a 2-year-old, who's Harper and I have a four month baby whose name is Tony. And as I've navigated, being, you know, mid-level career professional, I've thought about that.
[00:28:00] Hollin Hart: I've had and seen individuals that have. I've done the pendulum right, have dove in and not slowed down. And then I've had people that have cut back. you know, Cummins, there's been multiple individuals at Cummins that have changed their work schedule to being either part-time or doing 50%. and I think that's a, a really amazing opportunity that companies can lend is to be open to how parents return to work.
[00:28:26] Hollin Hart: Because like I said. For me, how I show up and what I'm successful in at my house is how I'm gonna give at work. But, Starting off with this, this foresight of whatever is for me is gonna be for me. And you and I have talked about that in many different, settings. But I have to be okay with knowing that I'm not in control other than doing value added work, giving my best, energy and best, you know, perspective and attitude.
[00:28:55] Hollin Hart: And then also saying, Hey, what can I do more to add value? And I think once. I started doing that, all these other things that just felt like unnecessary. And I think I felt the weight of that. After COVID, you know, during COVID I worked in a customer facing role and we had to stop travel
[00:29:15] Hollin Hart: and obviously the world stopped travel, but then we did, you know, all of the organizations you're a part of, you know, reevaluated.
[00:29:22] Hollin Hart: If they were running, how we were meeting. And when I stopped doing all the things and realized what I was doing and how burnt out I was, I said, oh, I need to be very wise about what I say yes to, and even to this day. I just started to feel like there, even though I show up from eight to five, my time cannot be filled with things during the eight to five or else I'm going to exhaust myself from my five to nine, which is at home.
[00:29:51] Hollin Hart: And so how I've navigated that is saying if I don't wanna be somewhere, if I don't wanna do something, don't do it. That's the first thing. Like if it feels like a burden to do it. Volunteering, nonprofit, sitting on a board. Taking on extra projects at work, I need to just be real honest and say, this is not for me.
[00:30:11] Hollin Hart: Because anytime you get involved with that, it's not gonna give your best work, and people are gonna feel that energy. So that's the first thing, is how I am evaluate that work-life balance if it doesn't serve me. The second thing. If I come home and I'm just depleted and I can't transition, if you know, it's just been a difficult team to work on, then it's not for me because I'm not giving my best self.
[00:30:35] Hollin Hart: and then thirdly, I think mentorship. it's so important to have a mentor, or mentors that come in and see things and say, Hey, you should join this. I think this is really value added, or, have you considered this opportunity? I think that. That lens and that foresight can help you identify gaps that you probably wouldn't have, but then also be connected.
[00:30:58] Hollin Hart: Shout out to Jasmine French. She brought me into Girl Scouts of Central Indiana. She was on the board. Her board term was coming off. She messaged me. We sat down and had a meeting. She said, this would be great for you. She connected me to the board leader. Me and the board leader had a meeting, and then I joined the board
[00:31:16] Ami Graves: Danielle? Danielle Shockley?
[00:31:18] Ami Graves: Was
[00:31:18] Hollin Hart: Yeah, Danielle. Yes. Yeah. And so I just say that is so important because that is the best board that I've ever been a part of. And that all became from, I wouldn't consider her my mentor. She was probably in that moment, more of a sponsor, but at the same breath, that is someone that saw something in me and opened the door.
[00:31:38] Hollin Hart: And so those things as far as like work life balance, Which I agree. I don't believe in the balance. It's more of like integration and just
[00:31:45] Hollin Hart: kind of like
[00:31:46] Hollin Hart: this Seesaw
[00:31:47] Hollin Hart: it's a toggle. So that's, that's how I've kind of navigated that.
[00:31:51] Ami Graves: five-year plans. If you listen to the episode previous to this, that's launching this week, it's with my good friend Latoya, and she was explaining that she had a five-year plan. That she was like very hardcore sticking to, but of course it didn't.
[00:32:06] Ami Graves: She was gonna be Oprah, the next Oprah. So that didn't work out. But she's doing other great things. So I'm curious, what's next for you? I don't, not necessarily in a five-year plan, but what are you thinking about doing? What's exciting you about, what's next?
[00:32:19] Hollin Hart: I think the first thing is I want to be really in, value add in my work. And so whether that's kind of shrinking my work plan, so to be. To instead of doing five things, doing three things. So that's something that I've really appreciated at Cummins in the last couple of years with our, um, CMO.
[00:32:39] Hollin Hart: Our leadership is reevaluating work plans and getting very, very crisp in saying, in the past we've kind of say, do all this valuable work. Then it's like all the things can't be priorities, right? The fact that you have a word priority means like it has to be very, small and very thoughtful. And so the rule is no more than three things on your work plan.
[00:33:01] Hollin Hart: You can't do more than that in a year and go deep. So that has been intentional. We've been very. Focused on writing smart goals, writing things that make sense. and then also, IEP. So really being that intentional about what are you pouring into yourself. I think I wanna have, that's been my five-year plan of more of a balance.
[00:33:21] Hollin Hart: I think CU supports you doing professional growth, but a part of your professional growth is personal growth. And I wanna pour more into the personal growth side. So what does that mean? I'm finishing up a certification. I also want to volunteer more. So Cummins does triple EEC hours, which is basically community service hours.
[00:33:40] Hollin Hart: They allow every employee to do, four hours a year. and so I'm doing that on Wednesday. I'm really excited about that. and then the last thing is I think cross-functional learning. And so whether that's within Cummins or on the board. So I've been able to be a part of some really fun projects with some of the nonprofit boards I've been a part of.
[00:34:01] Hollin Hart: But then also I was on, the marketing committee for the NBA All Star that came here. So just having the opportunity to do some, almost like immersive learning in my function outside of the walls of Cummins, I think has really opened my eyes to so many different career things moving forward.
[00:34:20] Ami Graves: I love that. Yeah, that's great. What advice would you give to, somebody who's either young in their, path and heading to college and considering a career in marketing, or somebody who wants to just do a full on pivot? they were doing something over here and they, they really are considering a career in marketing.
[00:34:37] Ami Graves: What advice would you give them?
[00:34:38] Hollin Hart: I would say leverage. Leverage being new. When you are always new, people are willing to support and give you guidance, probably more so if you're like super tenured. So I would say leverage the fact that you're new. Ask the questions. Do the programs, do the development programs, the rotational programs.
[00:34:59] Hollin Hart: It's okay to take a lateral move, do all of the things that will allow you to learn and maybe you won't understand it in the moment. But just like some of the things I'm learning in my certification, I am taking notes. Let's just be honest. We gotta go back to the fundamentals, take notes, put it in a binder.
[00:35:15] Hollin Hart: You don't know how much you'll come back to that or how much you'll retain it later down the road. And so leverage being new in the development, in the learnings that you'll have exposure to. And then the second thing I would say is, you know, really take the time to thank your connections. Thank your network.
[00:35:33] Hollin Hart: Gratitude and being thankful and being and verbalizing that to people goes a long way, like people pouring into you. My mom always said, people don't have to do anything for you. They don't have to, even if they're supposed to be your mentor, they can go further with a thank you and validating people's time.
[00:35:52] Hollin Hart: And so I would say just showing appreciation for those that have like taken the time to give you advice or having that coffee date. Write a thank you note. Do something in the mail, send an email, like do something because you know, we're in a generation where we're, you know, not humanizing things enough or moving fast, and it's so important for us to keep that connection and keeping that humanity of, I appreciate you, I need your help.
[00:36:19] Hollin Hart: I need your guidance to go far. So that would be my thing because right now there's a lot of people business professionals that are concerned about this next generation of workers that don't think that they're serious, that don't think that they have good business acumen or professionalism.
[00:36:37] Hollin Hart: And that is an element of being professional is saying Thank you, following up, doing all those things. So that's what I would say.
[00:36:43] Ami Graves: That's great advice. One of the common themes we've heard through every, you know, episode on the show is, about your network or your personal board of directors, those a few people have
[00:36:54] Ami Graves: called it, and just the, the importance of that, because then you mentioned sponsorship earlier, and I just think that that's so critical because the farther up you go in your career, it's less about. Landing a job because you've applied. And they found your resume through a Boolean search in their HRIS system. it is so much about who you know, the connectors you have in your life, the opportunities I think also, you know, for those that mentor you, but also to kind of give back and you put, you know, say their name in rooms that they're not into to kinda help elevate them.
[00:37:29] Ami Graves: as well. It's kind of that giving back to the people that are giving to you and pouring into you. So I think that's, uh, really good advice. Hollin, any parting words? I just love this time with you. I'm really appreciative and you've given such great advice. Uh, anything you'd like to share before we, uh, close out today?
[00:37:46] Hollin Hart: for those that are listening, at the end of the day, you know, your work matters, but you, you matter more. And so make sure whatever, whatever you're doing, make sure your wellness, your health is well. If you gotta go, stand outside, get some fresh air. Do what you need to do to be well.
[00:38:03] Hollin Hart: We have a couple more months left of the year, so not only is a year short, life is shorter. So just have
[00:38:10] Hollin Hart: at it. Make sure you're well.
[00:38:11] Ami Graves: I love that. Thank you Hollin. Hollin, thank you so much for being on the show,
[00:38:16] Ami Graves: we love Hollin. Appreciate your time. Talk to you soon, honey.
[00:38:19] Ami Graves: Thanks for tuning in to The People of Work. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow along and share it with someone who loved these stories too. Do you or someone you know have a unique job or an inspiring work journey? I love to hear about it. You can find me on Instagram @thepeopleofwork, or visit thepeopleofwork.com, and if you're navigating a career transition or just.
[00:38:41] Ami Graves: Need support in your work life. I'm here for that too. From personal coaching to leadership and HR consulting, I'd love to help head to The People of Work.com to learn more and get in touch. Until next time, thanks for being a part of The People of Work.