Advice and lessons from a global career adventurer
Our lives are comprised of dozens of intertwining adventures that ultimately make up our unique stories. We each have chapters and write new pages as we gain more experiences.
We want to introduce you to a colleague writing not only an interesting career story, but one that is filled with leadership best practices and tips for work-life-balance.
Meet Lisa Kirchner, Operations Manager, in our Continental Tires manufacturing facility located in Mount Vernon, Illinois. Before working in the U.S., Lisa’s career adventures have taken her to Continental in Germany and South Africa.
In her current role, Lisa oversees a wide range of departments from Purchasing, Supply Chain, and the Warehouse and Transportation groups.
Working in Supply Chain, Lisa says there are a lot of uncertainties especially throughout the pandemic. “No day is like another anymore, and it seems like every week has a surprise and a challenge I’ve never had to deal with before.”
So, what does she do to make it through the challenges? “I’m very proud of my team, as they keep finding solutions, thinking outside the box, and everybody really steps up to the challenges together.”
When asked what tools she relies on to attain work-life-balance, Lisa said, “there are definitely many days where I take work home, at the very least mentally. It really helps me to go for a run after work with my husband and clear my mind. Exercise is a great tool for me to balance the stress this job brings with it.”
Another exciting element outside Lisa’s professional responsibilities is her camper van. During COVID, Lisa and her husband rebuilt it by themselves. “It’s our little house on wheels and allows us to go off the grid which is great to reset my batteries and come back to work completely refreshed afterwards.”
Her favorite camping trip so far has been inside an Arizona national park parked between the cacti. If you are into picturesque sunsets, stargazing, and campfires it is a great place to be!
Looking back at her career story so far, Lisa said the most exciting chapters have included her adventures to different countries and the relationships she built along the way.
If she were to share a piece of advice to her younger self, it would be trust and empowerment.
“Nobody is successful alone, share the success with one another. I do believe that success comes by working as a team and it’s impossible to build a career by yourself. I fully trust my team and enjoy coming to work every day, and that’s in the end more important than just focusing on the next career step.”
Lisa also told us it helps to have some fun along the way!
This article was written by our employee.
