For more than a decade, my corporate life centered around Haynes & Company, a market research and retail/consumer insights firm specializing in field-based data collection, depth interviews, consumer research, brand and retailer tracking, and due diligence support for hedge funds, private equity groups, and corporate clients.

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I started there with very little knowledge of retail cycles, financial markets, or the very specific language of institutional research. What I did have was a strong ability to solve puzzles, ask better questions, organize complexity, and design research that helped clients get closer to the answers they were actually seeking. What began as a contract side project grew into a long-term leadership career — eventually serving as Managing Director and helping guide large-scale research, operations, client strategy, and team development.

At Haynes & Company, I led multi-country research and insights programs, served as a primary client advisor across complex engagements, and worked closely with operations, finance, data, coding, product, and client service teams to turn messy market questions into clear, actionable recommendations. My work often lived at the intersection of strategy and execution: building dashboards, defining KPIs, improving workflows, managing resources, coaching teams, and translating field-level findings into executive-ready insights clients could use to make decisions with more confidence.

But the part I am most proud of is the team I helped build.

I believe great work happens when people feel trusted, supported, and clear on where they are going. Throughout my corporate career, I focused on building team cultures rooted in accountability, curiosity, communication, and low-ego problem solving. I have led and coached large global teams, built onboarding and quality systems, and helped create the kind of environment where people could share ideas, take smart risks, and grow into stronger versions of themselves.

My corporate work also led naturally into SpeakForward Communication Consulting, where I help leaders, teams, and organizations communicate with more clarity, confidence, and intention. Through customized coaching, corporate training, keynote speaking, and workshops on leadership, conflict, change, and communication strategy, SpeakForward brings together the same threads that have shaped my career: research, people, strategy, and the belief that better communication creates better outcomes.

That experience shaped how I lead today: with clarity, calm, structure, and a deep belief that good communication is the foundation of good work. Whether I am leading research, improving operations, advising clients, or coaching teams, my goal is always the same — to make complex work easier to understand, easier to act on, and easier to sustain.