Kelsey Chisholm Honored at Consulting Magazine’s 2023 Women Leaders in Consulting Awards

The following QA with Kelsey was published by Consulting Magazine in conjunction with the awards: 

Although I cannot pinpoint a specific achievement, I genuinely appreciate the impact I have made for my clients and the positive experiences I have fostered throughout my consulting journey. Working with new clients regularly can be a challenge and there's a large amount of effort that goes into meeting their objectives while also providing a quality service that makes our clients feel heard. 



To me, the greatest achievement will always be creating happy clients. Sometimes I'll find that a client reached out with positive feedback or praise because of the great work myself and/or my team did, and it goes a long way to show appreciation for the hard work and time that goes into these engagements. I also find that when my clients become my advocates through sharing their positive experiences with others, I feel an immense level of satisfaction and validation because of the time and effort that went into that client relationship. For me, it's great to see the impact I've created, whether it be from myself or through my team and to know that I helped create these moments is something I will always enjoy about consulting. 

I recently received some of the best life and career advice I've ever had: Just a few months ago, I was preparing to return to work after being on maternity leave after having my first baby. Being gone for such a long time can be daunting and I knew I had to prepare in advance for my return to the office. While I was still catching up on what I'd missed, I had multiple conversations with other working moms to gain a better understanding of how they balance their full-time consulting job while juggling being a full-time mother. 



Going into these conversations, I was very anxious about my work-life balance and how that may affect my responsibilities as a mother. I wanted to ensure that in both my work and home life I was giving everything my all and being my best self at all times, which I know sounds exhausting. One co-worker told me to "be where my feet are"— meaning that when I'm at work, I put everything into my job, and when I'm home, I need to enjoy my time with my family by being fully present and not distracted. Since coming back to work, I've kept this mantra in mind every day and I think it's helped me to not only be a better worker but also a better mother. 

Don't let being "the only" make you feel like you don't or shouldn't have a seat at the table. You may often find yourself in a conference room or on a screen full of Zoom tiles where you are the only woman—don't let that intimidate you or question your right to be there and contribute. I have a personal example that I'd like to share: When I was growing up, I played on a Little League Baseball team where I was the only female player. One day we held a home run derby, and I ended up coming in first place over all the other boys on the team. What was important was that I didn't come out thinking I was better than everyone by winning, but that I had won by setting an example that girls can also "step up to the plate" and accomplish big things. 



This experience helped me to develop my confidence early so that, when I was confronted by situations where I may be the only female, I knew that I could play ball and be just as good—if not better—than any of my male co-workers. 

Just by being nominated, I feel incredibly grateful. It's an honor and very humbling to be recognized as a leader in the consulting field along with so many accomplished women. My nomination serves as a testament to the leaders and colleagues at Stax who've been great mentors and have given me the support as well as the opportunities to stretch beyond my limits and achieve great things. 

To me, this award isn't about winning or adding an accolade to my wall—this is about my impact and the recognition of it. I put much of myself into my work, and to see that dedication being reflected by my co-workers through this nomination means the world to me. 

This nomination is further validation of the hard work and impact I've created for my clients and will serve as an ongoing example of the value I place on my work and the people who have the faith to trust me.