Welcome to the September Executive Powerhouse Spotlight.

 

This month's featured powerhouse is Lindsay Beaupre!

 

This dynamic woman shares a glimpse into her journey balancing her career and family with the support of her husband and her village, including advocating for herself and self-care, the importance of empathy and flexibility, utilizing coaching and mentors, and learning the valuable lesson of not taking yourself too seriously.

 

Take it all in. She's serious. She's fun. She's seriously fun! 

I'm the Chief Administrative Officer at Lyndra, which means I wear a lot of hats. I oversee all aspects of people and operations, including HR, information technology, communications, environmental health and safety, security and facilities management for Lyndra.

My role involves developing strategies and solutions to meet organizational needs, which boils down to caring for both the company and the incredible people who work there. Just as importantly, I'm a mom of three amazing kids —14-year-old twins and a 16-year-old. My role at home mirrors my role at work —I strive to create a safe and caring environment for my family and team members to be their most authentic selves and empower them with the tools they need to thrive. 

It takes a village. It's been quite a journey balancing my executive role with family life, and the secret truly is that I couldn't have done any of it without the incredible support of my “village” – especially my husband. It's all about teamwork, both at home and at work.

When my kids were younger, I worked part-time as a mom. My husband and I planned how to support each other and how to prioritize our careers. At that time, for me, that meant negotiating with my boss to get a four-day workweek, which allowed me to put my best self forward at home and at work. As my kids got older, the priorities shifted for me and my husband. I was ready to go “all in” on my career with this executive role at Lyndra -- and he supported me, taking a step back in his. I owe a lot of the credit for the ways I’ve managed and balanced my career and caregiving to him and our partnership. We’ve always been there for each other and respected each other’s aspirations and needs, which has been instrumental to my career journey thus far. 

Parenting, planning and flexibility are the cornerstones that have shaped my outlook. Parenting has been the greatest joy of my life; it is a privilege. As a full-time parent and executive, planning has been critical, especially when my kids were younger and my husband and I were still learning how to balance our many responsibilities. With planning also comes the need for flexibility; you can only plan so much. Some things are out of your control, and that is when the need for flexibility and adaptability comes in.

I'm also an advocate for self-care and have found ways to incorporate it into my life for both my mental and physical health. Our lead asset at Lyndra is in the Central Nervous System space, which has served as a regular reminder to practice what we preach in the work we do, take care of myself so I can show up as the person I want to be.

One distinct aspect of my parenting and leadership style is empathy. I start by aiming to understand an individual’s goals and perspectives. This is something I pride myself on, and I find it really works, whether at work or dealing with my teenagers.

 

I also try to be a good problem-solver and communicator. When situations escalate, I try to be the one asking the questions of “what are we trying to accomplish here?” and “what problem are we trying to solve?” to get to the root of issues and solve them.

 

Lastly, being resilient has helped me navigate many facets of life -- especially navigating “the grey”, which I think has helped me grow into my roles through the years. 

I hope to expand my executive presence and impact beyond the work I do at Lyndra and talk more openly about issues like this, in case it might be helpful for others to hear. Throughout my career I have learned so much from leaders, peers and colleagues that I would love to share knowledge with and learn from the next generation of leaders. (Shoutout to you, Amy, for this head start and allowing me to share some of my story!)

Personally, mentorship has opened many doors for me. In one of my early-career roles, I had my first child. I remember feeling so overwhelmed figuring out the nuances of motherhood while working an in-person job. I compiled some research and asked for a meeting with a senior leader to advocate for a more flexible work schedule for myself. That senior leader saw me struggling and knew what I needed before I was able even to express it. Together, we created a plan that allowed me to fulfill my work and familial obligations and balance a schedule that worked for me. She shared a quote that has stayed with me: “Life is not a dress rehearsal -- you get one shot. Ask for what you need.”

 

I hold this story close to me as an example of when someone truly was perceptive to my needs and showed up for me. Her example inspires me to be a good mentor and coach. She also taught me a lot about advocating for yourself. Nobody will ever say yes to a question you don’t ask, and oftentimes there are compromises to be made. Today, she is still a mentor and friend who I trust in difficult situations and is always there to celebrate my personal and professional wins.

Professionally, I am a huge advocate for the use of coaches.  I have seen the power of investing in coaching engagements for critical leaders and the impact it can have on an individual’s growth and development.   I would encourage everyone to embrace employers that utilize this resource to support development. 

I have two tattoos.

I have a fun shoe collection.

I have an extensive wig collection (Ask me about how it started!)