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Realistic

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

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Develop or execute strategies to address issues such as energy use, resource conservation, recycling, pollution reduction, waste elimination, transportation, education, and building design.

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Sustainability Director

<p>In Fort Collins, Colorado, Calvin, Tina, and Vanessa stop to have a pint with Jennifer Orgolini, Sustainability Director, and Bryan Simpson, Media Relations Director, of New Belgium Brewing Company. The team then proceeds to Kansas City to interview Greg Carroll, CEO of the American Jazz Museum. Across town, they are also able to connect with Michelle Dreher, printmaker, owner, and operator of Two Tone Press.</p>

Fort Collins - Kansas City

I think for a lot of people, and especially including myself, the idea of struggle is really scary. Though it seems these moments of struggle, from the other interviews we've had as well, provide some sort of special introspection in the person who's going through it. For you, when you're going through moments of struggle, was it something that you are happy you went through? Did you ever learn something about yourself that was shocking or new? >> Absolutely, I think that times of struggle are times of growth. Personal growth and figuring out, who am I? What's really important to me? Where I'm x number of years old, what do I wanna do with the rest of my life? What's important to me? Our ex-CEO, one of our founders, when he ran a company he used the metaphor that's always stuck with me. He was a triathelete, or still is. He would talk about the periodization of stress. And I've always looked at our life here at New Belgium in that way, and my own personal life, that you need those time of stress. That times of stress is necessary for growth. But you also need that time of recovery and ease, because that's when you sort of integrate your gains. You know what I mean? And that you can't always be sprinting, and you can't always be coasting. That you need both in life, so kind of try and take the long view and realize that both are necessary. [INAUDIBLE]. 

Self-Reflection

Struggle

Periodization of Stress

(Roadtripper #1) We're set on the road this summer talking with people who have really followed their passion in life and defined their own road and are doing what they love, so we came here today to talk with you and we like to start by asking you, 'where were you at our age?' (Jennifer) Um, I'll have to think what year that was. Um, I started, when I was 25 I started working at the brewery. Okay so that put's me in, calibrates me. Um, I was in grad school. And one of my thesis advisors said, "You know you can get paid to go to grad school in philosophy." I didn't even take that much philosophy as an undergrad. It was mostly anthropology and literature. Um, so when I was writing my masters thesis, I got a part time job at the brewery. Working on the bottling line, and then our CEO needed help doing office work and I had experience doing office work and I was like, "i'll do that." And so I just started doing that. You know it wasn't like a big career vision. It was just like someone asked, someone needed help, I could help her. So I picked that up and then I just realized that it would profit me and the company for me to get my MBA. Like Kim, our CEO, was interested in someone in management having an MBA and none of us did. I was like, "I'll do it." So yeah I was working full time and doing the night program. Um, it was a lot of work. And i've been here for almost 16 years. (Roadtripper #1) What were you planning to do, or did you have plans? Like what was that like for you? I did not have plans. Sort of for the first, um, no sort of the whole way through I have figured out what the options are at the next juncture and chosen the option that appealed the most. And I have never really had like a five steps ahead plan. So you can imagine making the transition from philosophy, to finance, to then I was chief operations officer, and now i'm sustainability director. So at all of those junctures have been a, "What am I doing? Is this what I want to do with my life?" And I've talked to myself a lot about, career doesn't have to be the fullness of your identity. You know and sometimes I think we expect it to fulfill a lot of things you know? I've wished that I could just be the receptionist sometimes. Um, do something simple and achievable and go home at night. But um, one of our founders, um when he ran the company, he would talk about the periodization of stress. And i've always looked at our life here at New Belgium in that way and in my own personal life, that times of stress is necessary for growth. But you also need that time of recovery and ease because that's when you sort of um, integrate your gains. And that you can't always be sprinting, and you can't always be coasting. That you need both in life, so kind of trying to take the long view and realizing that both are necessary. (Roadtripper #1) Earlier you talked about how you didn't want to be defined by just your career and sometimes you wish you could be just the receptionist that just goes home at the end of the day. Um, just a couple months ago is when I really started working full time, and I feel like all I did was work, I didn't really do anything in my free time, so how did you make a conscience effort to change your life being not just a career. Or being defined by just a career? (Jennifer) I think it's really important to find a job that you believe in and that is making a difference for self-satisfaction. But I also feel like i'm a realist about that, that's a luxury for some people. I mean not, I mean there are a lot of jobs out there that I imagine are not very fulfilling. But people have to support their family, you know, so um, so I don't want to come off as an elitist, "Oh everyone should be fulfilled by their jobs." Its just really fortunate that some of us can be. Um, but I think that you see other folks, you see other folks who have made the decision all the way to the other side related to material well-being and haven't really cared much about their soul, at work at all. And I have to imagine that is a very deadening way to live. And that is why I decided it was important for me to make that choice of following my life's purpose rather than material well-being. And certainly at your age is a much better time to make those risks than after you have kids. And so um, so certainly I would encourage you at this point not to um, over hastily make arrangements that are financially comfortable because I tell you, once you do, you get really used to a certain salary and it's harder to walk away from it. 

Choices

Education

Experience

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Hard Work

Money & Financial Security

Planning

Risk

Regrets

Values

Interview

What were you planning to do? Or did you have plans? What was that like for you about to leave your undergraduate career? >> Right, I did not have plans. Sort of the whole way through, I have figured out what the options are at the next juncture, and chosen the option that appealed most, and I have never really had like a five steps ahead plan. 

One Juncture At A Time

Yeah, so you can imaging making the transition from philosophy, to finance, to then I was Chief Operations Officer, and now I'm Sustainability Director. So at all of those junctures have been a what am I doing, is this what I want to do with my life. And hopefully that's healthy. Also I feel very fortunate that I have had the ability to change careers within the same company. A lot of folks can't do that regardless, so I feel very fortunate. It's a luxury really to be able to have so much introspection and choice around what you're gonna do with your life. 

Transitions

Luxury of Introspection

I think it's really important to find a job that you believe in, and that is making a difference for self satisfaction. But I also feel like I realized about that that's a luxury for some people. I mean, not, I mean there are a lot of jobs out there that I imagine are not very fulfilling, but people have to support their family. So, so I don't wanna come off as an elitist and be like oh, everyone should be so fulfilled by their jobs. It's just really fortunate that some of us can be. But I think that you see other folks who have made the decision all the way to the other side, related to material well-being. And haven't really cared much about their soul at work at all. And I would have to imagine that is a very deadening way to live. And that is why I had thought about, contemplated leaving New Belgium is because I decided it is important for me to make that choice, of following my life's purpose rather than material well being. And certainly at your age, is much better time to make those risks than after you have kids. So, certainly I would encourage you at this point, not to over hastily make arrangements that are financially comfortable. Cuz I tell you, once you do, you get really used to a certain salary, and it's harder, harder to walk away from it. 

Your Soul At Work

I do think that it would pay to think about where you wanna be in the end. You know, that maybe I should have thought more about that. What would success or happiness look like for me? You know, maybe it would have helped me have less of that anxiety, retrospective anxiety like, oh, should I have? Applied myself more in school. Should I have tried to get a bigger job? You know, have more of a trajectory. Because, and then look where I ended up. I always thought I'd either be in academia or public service. I never thought I'd work in private enterprise. 

Where You Want To Be In The End

When I was writing my master's thesis, I got a part-time job at the brewery. I was working on the bottling line, and then our CEO needed help in doing office work, and I had experience doing office work, and I was like, "Um, I do that," and so uh, and so I started doing that. You know, it wasn't like a big career vision. It was just like someone asked, someone needed help, I could help her. So you can imagine making the transition from, uh, philosophy to finance, to then I was Chief Operations Officer, and now I'm Sustainability Director. So all of those junctures have been a "What am I doing, is this what I "wanna be doing with my life?" Career doesn't have to be the...the fullness of your identity, you know? And I think sometimes we expect it to fulfill a lot. Sometimes the stress is, um, necessary for growth, but you also need that time for recovery and ease because that's when you sort of um...integrate your gains, you know what I mean? And that you can't, you can't always be sprinting and you can't always be coasting. 

Jennifer Orgolini

Sustainability Director

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Jennifer Orgolini

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