TorchLight January Contractor of the Month: Joyce Kelly
Meet TorchLight’s January Contractor of the month: Joyce Kelly! Read everything about Joyce – her favorite foods, where she wants to travel, and her best career advice.
Where did you grow up and where did you go to college? What did you study?
I’m from a small town in Monmouth County on the Jersey Shore. I graduated from University of Delaware (Go Blue Hens!) with a B.A. in Psychology and English.
What did (or do!) you want to be when you grow up? How did you get into marketing and communications?
As a kid, I wanted to be a teacher and loved playing “school” with my friends. Being the youngest of three, I think I just liked being in an authority role where I could tell other people what to do. I sort of stumbled into marketing by way of my first post-college job in customer service for a mutual fund company. I was promoted to help start up a new internal training department. We were creating collateral materials ourselves and, being a strong writer with a decent aesthetic eye, I just took to it and my marketing career grew from there.
What do you like to do for fun?
Spending as much time as possible at the beach, cooking, walking for exercise, word games and cheering on our high schooler on the rugby field (an awesome but nerve-wracking sport for any parent … no pads).
Favorite food? Drink?
New Jersey/New York pizza, hands down. And that first cup of coffee in the morning, when the house is still dark and quiet.
One bucket list destination…
Australia and New Zealand, one day. Love the stunning landscapes and the vibe.
What’s the best advice a manager has ever given you?
Shout praise and whisper criticism. Be vocal in publicly recognizing people for their efforts and give constructive criticism and coach them to get better in private.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their career?
Be brave, be adaptable and be open-minded about opportunities that come your way. Career paths are never straight and taking on a role that’s outside of your comfort zone or what you were hired to do will often lead you in interesting, unexpected and rewarding directions.
What work accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’m proud of the success I’ve had navigating matrixed organizations and establishing good working relationships and communications at many levels. It’s proven to be a real benefit, especially when changing roles or industries.
What has been the biggest plus about working from home during the pandemic?
Getting a couple hours back each day by not commuting has been a big plus. That and not wearing shoes.
What do you like about being a TorchLight contractor?
To me, Torchlight is all about personal service. They communicate, check in regularly and are transparent, so you know you always have an advocate close by and accessible. They also evaluate and adjust their benefits and systems regularly to best suit the needs of their contractors.
Congratulations again to our January Contractor of the Month, Joyce Kelly. Keep up the good work! Check out our last Contractor of the Month, Imani Wills.
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