Mar 31, 2021
“We have this fun work culture that people really want to be a part of.” ~Kerry Wekelo
How Kerry Aligns Gratitude in her Financial Services Company
Kerry is the COO of Actualize Consulting, a financial services consulting firm specializing in capital markets and treasury, mortgage and fixed income, and culture. She has been on its leadership team for close to two decades. She utilizes mindful strategies to infuse gratitude, empathy, and communication throughout all levels of her organization. Kerry says, “It is my passion and why I love my job.”
“In the first five years with the company, we were focused financially and operationally on getting the business up and running.” She realized they needed to shift their focus when she looked at their high turnover rate. Kerry changed the direction to being people-centered to retain their employees. “We have a culture in which we celebrate one another, and people want to celebrate. You want to give your peers awards.”
Since this time, their turnover rate has been less than 4%, and Actualize Consulting was named Top Company Culture by Entrepreneur Magazine, a Top Workplace by The Washington Post, and Great Place to Work-Certified. “Not only do we see our retention going up, but we’re also winning awards.” People tell her that the workplace feels more like family than a shared office environment.
Working Remote Pre-Pandemic
Her consulting firm likes to give people their space. Even before the pandemic, Kerry’s work structure was remote with bringing people together during meetings and events. “I like to give people their space and entrust them to get the job done.”
Culture Infusion and Putting Clients First
Her book, Gratitude Infusion, published last July, talks about how Kerry infuses gratitude into her workplace culture. Using her nine principles, you too can build and manage a thriving organization.
Listen in as we talk about why building a culture and infusing important people connections is essential for your business and why it’s crucial to lead with gratitude.