Meet Christi McKinley, a driving force at Cascade Web Development, where her role transcends the traditional boundaries of a Controller, touching every facet of the business with her leadership and vision. Beyond the virtual meeting room, Christi navigates life with the same fervor, balancing her responsibilities as a mom, wife, and boss with a blend of dedication and warmth. Her story is one of passion, resilience, and the pursuit of harmony between professional achievements and personal fulfillment.
Get to know Christi a little better, as we explore a series of questions that reveal the depth and dimension of her journey, illuminating the person behind the title.
Q: If you could have one superpower to help you juggle your roles as a mom, wife, and boss, what would it be and why?
"I love this question! This is something I think about a lot actually. There are two things that actually come to mind. First I would like to have the ability to stop or pause time. This would give me time to finish everything that needs to be done and allow for time to do everything I want to do. I can't count the number of times I have looked at the clock and thought "I wish I had one more hour..."
The second thing I would love to have is a magic wand. (This pretty much doesn't really require a lot of explaining.) We probably all want one of these! This would make everything so much easier if I could just point and voila DONE."
Q: Looking back at your journey with Cascade Web Development, what decision are you most proud of?
"I started working for Cascade in the spring of 2005. Prior to Cascade I was an elementary school teacher. Ben was growing Cascade while I was teaching. Ben came to a point where he needed help with administrative tasks and even though the business world was new to me and a major step outside of my comfort zone I decided to join the team. I have to say coming on board with Cascade is the decision I am the most proud of. I am a creature of habit and do not love change.. So doing a 180 for my career was hard but something I do not regret!"
Q: As a leader, what’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome, and what did it teach you about leadership?
"As a leader I am a work in progress. I still have so much to learn. The biggest challenge for me is to not take things personally. We all have our challenges and issues and being compassionate and understanding of others is necessary. "
Q: If you had to choose between a week-long leadership retreat or a week-long family vacation, knowing both would immensely benefit you, which would you choose and why?
"I would choose a week-long family vacation. Being with my family grounds me and makes me feel at peace. This then translates over to the work side as well. Also, our kids are getting older and I realize there is only limited time left that they will be around and able to take week long family vacations. Ask me this question again in a couple years and the answer may change. ?"
Q: In a hypothetical scenario where you could only focus on one aspect of the business for an entire year (innovation, client relationships, team development), which would you choose and why?
"This is a hard one.. A year is a long time. Ideally I would focus on each for a third of the year but I know that is not what is being asked here. If I had to choose one I would choose team development. We already have a very strong team but I feel like focusing on that even more would only make us stronger. With a strong team comes stronger client relationships and motivation for innovation."
Stay tuned as we continue to get to know both Christi and Ben McKinley though out the "Ask The Boss" series. We also invite questions, so please feel free to reach out to simon@cascadewebdev.com to have your question considered! Thank you!
