Service-Driven Leadership: Relationship Power and Bold Career Moves
Thalia Andre-Noel joins Natasha Ozybko to discuss her bold move into a VP role, the "tag-team" networking strategy, and why competitors are really partners in growth
In this forty-fifth episode of Conversations with MOXY, host Natasha Ozybko sits down with Thalia Andre-Noel, Vice President of Operations for the Texas region of McKnight International. In their final conversation for 2024, they explore Thalia’s bold transition into her current leadership role and her strategic approach to professional networking and relationship building within the infrastructure sector.
Talking Her Way into Leadership
Thalia shares an extraordinary account of how she secured her position at McKnight International through sheer persistence and a service-oriented mindset.
The Interruption While attending a conference with a friend, Thalia overheard the owner of the company, Sean Presley, conducting a debrief on speakerphone. Impressed by his leadership style, she literally interrupted the call to ask for a job.
Value-First Approach When asked what she could do, Thalia responded by asking what the company needed, eventually being hired to lead their rebranding effort.
Expanding the Footprint As she delved into rebranding, she challenged the owner on why the Philadelphia-based firm wasn't operating in Houston. When he cited a lack of local management, she volunteered for the role, leading to her appointment as VP of Operations for Texas.
Strategic Networking: The Tag-Team Approach
Thalia and Natasha discuss the underutilized power of collaboration in networking, particularly for women in male-populated industries.
Fifty Percent the Work, One Hundred Percent the Benefit Thalia developed a "tag-team" strategy with a colleague for large events. By taking opposite sides of a room and later swapping leads and making introductions, they doubled their reach while cutting their individual efforts in half.
Competitors as Partners Thalia challenges the "mean girls" clique narrative, instead viewing other women in the same space as potential partners rather than competitors. She emphasizes that there is plenty of work available and that partnering on projects where resources are limited benefits everyone involved.
Shared Information By being open to sharing technical knowledge—such as the specific timing of ground testing in the architectural process—women can build a stronger, more trusting professional community.
Conclusion: Success Through Shared Belief
Andre-Noel concludes that success is rooted in the shared belief in the power of relationships and the willingness to help those coming up behind you. She encourages women to swing for the fences, noting that even failures are valuable learning opportunities. Her journey proves that by being bold, asking "what do I have to lose?" and leading with an authentic desire to serve, women can create their own opportunities at the highest levels of infrastructure.