Rising ICON #33: Jen Lindahl
What name do you prefer to be called?
Jen
What are your pronouns?
She/Her
Where did you grow up?
Hudson, WI
What city are you currently based in?
Back in my hometown, Hudson, WI
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
Hi, I’m Jen Lindahl. I’m with Echo Search group, where I lead the development of service offerings that allow us to become a strategic people partner to our clients. I also founded WIRED, a women’s group that in the past 2 years has hosted 19 events, brought together nearly 900 women, and donated $60K to local non-profits. Would love to hear your story...
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I have a tendency to overthink every move I make. I'm working through the fact that failing fast is not failing. Failure to move forward is failure.
Who do you help?
Individuals or teams who need a push to unleash their full potential by giving them both freedom to do so and fostering a collaborative support network. At Echo - Companies having trouble finding or retaining talent. Companies scaling growth that need help aligning their organizational structure and people strategy to their overarching business objectives. At WIRED - Female professionals & entrepreneurs looking for a space to connect, grow, and give back to the community.
What are you building now?
At Echo – Pulse, measure what matters. We help organizations get a pulse on their people, processes, and environment, and establish a human-centered operating system that enables them to create teams of motivated and inspired employees who are accelerating sustainable growth. At WIRED – WIRED Connect which is an evolution of WIRED, offering a platform for women to get paired with 1x1 coaches, or become part of an ongoing Collective (facilitated group that meets monthly).
What were you building ten years ago today?
I was at Antenna, and spent my efforts initially by greatly contributing to suring up operations, and then by taking on a business development role. We doubled in size and revenue in 4 years. It was an incredible ride.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
Embracing fully the feeling of freedom of time, money, relationships, and purpose as I continue to find ways to create truly meaningful impact.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
77% of employees are disengaged at work meaning in a company of 500 with an average salary of $50,000, this costs $3 million per year. And turnover, a lack of engagement, and poor performance are merely symptoms of the real problem. The greater issue is a lack of alignment among your people, processes, and environment that is causing inefficiencies and conflict, creating burnout, and ultimately preventing sustainable growth.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
I’m able to make a positive impact on the lives of others in all the work I do, and through WIRED am also able to make a positive impact on our non-profit community.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
Ryan Beckman who is teaching me to live in the gain and not in the gap.
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
This video from WIRED to Give Holiday event in December. We went from raising $9,300 in year 1, to over $15,000 in year 2, and we’re just getting started.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7141524279992483840
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
Fast Company, Inc
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Adrian Williams, my Peleton boyfriend
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
Don’t trip over your own laces.
What award would mean the most to win?
Mom of the Year
What makes zero sense to you?
How to actually fold a fitted sheet. Seriously can anyone help with this?
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
Empowerment and Culture
What game are you changing?
Sparking Impact through Connection How women come together to impact themselves, each other, and their community.
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
WIRED Connect – learn more about joining a collective here - WIRED Connect: Calm the chaos, re-center your focus, and find your path (wiredmpls.com)
Where can we follow you online?
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Authenticity & Empathy
_______
We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Jen, for sharing your story!
LAUREL is a media relations partner for bold leadership. We build effective strategies for scale and growth specializing in digital executive presence and go-to-market strategy. To follow along with the Rising ICONS series, nominate a leader or subscribe to our weekly emails below. To accelerate your own rise, get our free guide to visibility Force to ICON: the TLDR.
“I have a tendency to overthink every move I make. I’m working through the fact that failing fast is not failing. Failure to move forward is failure. ”
Notice: It’s important for our readers to understand the origin of the interview content. The featured ICON contributed responses that were not edited from the original submission. All claims are made solely by the contributor and do not reflect the views of LAUREL or its partners. Thank you for supporting rising leaders. The future is bold.
