A common phrase at Aileron is, “A lot happens in an Aileron week.” You can only imagine what happens in six months. In this post, Aileron’s Assistant Brand Manager Megan Hershberger shares what she’s learned since joining Aileron in May of 2019.
Nothing Is More Powerful Than Community.
Growing up in a small town, I was automatically born into a tight-knit community. After graduating high school with a whopping 86 peers—all of whom I’d known since kindergarten—I headed to Ohio University. Although OU has a lot of students, it is a small town with a tight community.
After Athens, I moved to Cincinnati to start my career, but there was something missing. Sure, I had friends, but I was longing to be part of something bigger than myself.
Since starting at Aileron and moving back to this area, I finally feel like me again. The Aileron community is full of individuals who represent stories of success, hope, perseverance, balance, honesty, transparency, and hard work. It’s a community I am honored to be part of.
It’s Okay to Not Have All the Answers!
After attending Explore Conscious Leadership, we were tasked with identifying the stories we tell ourselves. A story I’ve been telling myself for years is I shouldn’t speak up unless I know the answer, mainly so I wouldn’t look stupid.
It wasn’t until I started at Aileron that I began challenging this story in my head. It’s such a simple concept, but there’s something bold about saying, “I don’t know.” It has been liberating to know that I don’t have to have all the answers; in fact, it’s pretty silly to think anyone could.
Sometimes a Walk Is All You Need.
Whether it’s at work or at home, the everyday hustle of life can be overwhelming. Getting out of my own head and taking 10 minutes to myself to regroup has become a highlight in my day.
Our Clients Are Amazing!
During every interaction I have with our clients, I am blown away by their experiences, curiosity, and kindness. Each interaction serves as a friendly reminder to keep pushing forward and to keep evolving for our community.
I Don’t Have to Come to Work—I Get to Come to Work.
It is truly a privilege working here alongside this team. Getting out of bed in the morning means something more to me now.
A Great Workplace Changes Everything.
In the past six months, I’ve grown into a better wife, daughter, sister, and friend. When I was interviewing with Aileron, Sara Wiggershaus said the same thing. I smiled and nodded, but I didn’t understand what she meant. How could a job affect you like that?
Once I started at Aileron, I joined the Becoming a More Conscious Leader program, and since then I’ve been reshaping the leader I want to be at work and at home. I’ve been challenging myself to deepen my relationships with those that mean the most to me. That looks like having challenging conversations with my husband, and being vulnerable enough to admit he’s right about me being a terrible listener. It’s asking deeper questions when talking with my family and friends. It’s a lot of things, but above all, it’s pushing the boundaries and stretching myself to new limits—exactly what Aileron is all about.
