Work From The Inside Out 164: Remember, Somebody Out There Needs You! with Darcy Eikenberg
Do you remember your first job? Darcy Eikenberg wins the prize for having one of the most unusual first work experiences. During the holidays in her central Illinois hometown, she was a talking mailbox at her local shopping mall. Imagine how a job like that would have made her resume stand out in her early career pursuits!
Darcy has roots that run deep when it comes to her relationship with work. She told me the story of her paternal grandfather who lost his father at age 14. He helped his Mom and eight siblings by going to work immediately at a local factory in Baltimore, Maryland, remaining there for over thirty years and retiring as the company’s chairman and CEO. Darcy’s father also worked for the company much of his career. The message was solid, “We had opportunities in front of us, and we needed to share with others and be able to contribute to helping others too and not just focus on ourselves.” Darcy stays true to those who came before her and yet, she has carved her own path in honoring the dignity of work and service.
Today, Darcy is an executive coach and the author of Red Cape Rescue, Save Your Career Without Leaving Your Job, which shows how to get more of what you want, without changing careers, or finding a new job without sacrificing yourself. The red cape is a metaphor for the confidence you felt as a kid when you grabbed a towel or a sheet and threw it around your shoulders feeling in control, even if all you controlled was in the backyard. Darcy shared, “The red cape feeling is the key to helping us individually as well as across our world. What if you could feel that way every day at work? What would change for you and not only what would change for you, but what can change for your company, your community, and your world?”
Darcy wears a lot of hats. She's been an executive coach to leaders at organizations such as The Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft, StateFarm, Deloitte consulting, and much more. She consults and speaks about career growth, employee engagement, and leadership development all over the world. She blogs regularly on leadership and career issues at redcaperevolution.com. Her ideas have been shared in the Harvard Business Review, Thrive Global, CNN.com, The Ladders, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Forbes, among others.
In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about Darcy’s journey:
- Darcy is a former communication consulting business leader at Hewitt Associates.
- She graduated from Northwestern University, studying journalism, speech, and communications.
Learn more and connect with Darcy here:
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