Q & A with Fran Mallace, President & Chief Executive Officer of Make-A-Wish Arizona
Describe your career path and what you attribute your success to.
I worked at Cox Media, helping to drive revenue and digital marketing solutions with local, national, and digital teams. Throughout my various roles in the sales organization, I had the opportunity to lead a highly-motivated and engaged team to unprecedented success, reinventing/re-imagining the organization when necessary and serving customers in new and innovative ways. Also played a part in the organization’s ongoing evolution and championed its diversity and inclusion principles.
What were your most significant career risks and challenges, and how did you overcome them?
Taking on transformational initiatives and special assignments that could have impacted the current role I was in was always a career risk that offered unique and exciting challenges. I always believed there would be a place to land, even if it was another role, and I believed in the organization enough to take the risk.
What recommendations do you have to become a more rounded leader?
Giving back to the Arizona community has always been important to me, from working with nonprofits like Make-A-Wish Arizona to joining boards or mentoring individuals. I love to connect with others to ensure continuous learning and sharing experiences to help others. Also, taking the time to work on self-care by working out/hiking, etc., and continuing my personal education by getting EMBA and teaching at ASU.
What advice do you have for other local nonprofits in furthering their mission and important work in the Valley?
Have a strong mission and use it to build your brand and your program. If you have a strong mission people can engage with and feel connected to, you create advocates and brand ambassadors who share the successes and needs beyond your typical donor. Plus, you should always have fun telling your story and the “why” of your nonprofit, which is so important to understand. This is what creates engagement and a desire to become part of the team.
How do you advise other businesswomen working to advance their careers and break glass ceilings?
Keep giving back by paying it forward, and always remember where you started and share experiences that helped growth. Don’t be afraid to share the risk that worked and didn’t and what the outcome was. Be confident and stick your neck out like a giraffe and be courageous. Ask for feedback and do something with it. This is so meaningful to continue to grow. Feedback is a gift! It’s what you do with it! Also, seek out a board of advisors to be honest with you and share what they see as good and where there is an improvement. I would also encourage everyone to keep an electronic HAPPY FOLDER when they receive feedback about how you made a difference in someone’s life. That folder will be a great reminder when you may have a challenging moment that there is so much goodness in what you do. FIND a strong mentor to help you and return that favor by becoming a mentor.
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