Our MD in Cincy, Maggie Schear, has been working with BrightHouse since she graduated from UVA. Now, she’s reached the highest level and working to win us new business with her new position and new baby. Here’s 5 questions to help us get to know a little more about her:
Why did you choose BrightHouse and why have you stayed?
“I joined BrightHouse because I was interested in the intersection between business and social impact. At the time, I was studying business at Virginia and taking most of my electives in global development. I thought business done differently could change the world and was thrilled to find a set of like-minded people at BrightHouse. I’ve stayed because I love both the work and the people at BrightHouse. The work is meaningful, interesting, and dynamic. And the people are special – collaborative, curious, playful, committed, and deeply caring.”
You’ve been at BrightHouse for most of your career. How have things changed since you started?
“The core of who we are – our purpose, values, and culture – haven’t changed. But there have been two big changes since I started. First, we became part of BCG in 2015 and we now work closely with our BCG colleagues on many of our projects, multiplying our impact by combining our skillsets. Second, we’ve grown quite a bit. When I started we were just seven or eight people. We all pitched in on every project, and I knew everyone’s kids, pets, and parents. We’ve since hired a bunch of brilliant thinkers, moved into a bigger space at Ponce City Market, opened an office in Berlin, and I no longer know everyone’s dog personally. But we have very much retained our family feel, our unique culture, and the creative-strategy collaboration that makes us special.”
What was your most proud moment at BrightHouse?
“We worked with P&G’s Always brand to develop the strategy and insights behind their iconic #LikeAGirl campaign aimed at stopping the confidence drop that girls experience at adolescence. I continue to be so proud of what the brand is doing with that thinking – from starting a national conversation by putting the #LikeAGirl spot on the Super Bowl to building confidence curriculum into their worldwide puberty education program to working with the IOC to keep girls in sports.”
What inspires you most about what you do?
“There are two things that inspire me most about what we do at BrightHouse. (Is that cheating?) First, we help people find meaning in their work. We all crave meaning; it’s profoundly motivating to know that what you do matters. And yet a huge percentage of people aren’t inspired or even engaged at work; they’re actively disengaged. We help organizations go from disengaged or indifferent to inspired, and it’s incredibly gratifying to see this in action. Second, we guide organizations to deepen their impact. Purpose serves as a filter for decision-making. When our clients have a clear sense of why they exist, they have the clarity and confidence they need to make bold decisions in service of not just the bottom line but of a better world.”
One of our values is Family is Everything. What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?
“Definitely travel. My husband and I love exploring new places, and we particularly love outdoor adventure travel. Our favorite trips have been backpacking in Patagonia, road-tripping across South Africa, and exploring majestic Bagan in Myanmar. We just returned from our first international trip with our one-year-old daughter, to the Azores and southern Portugal. She loved it, so hopefully there are many more adventures to come with her in tow.”
Check out Maggie’s recently published whitepaper: Institutional Investors Discover the Power of Purpose.
And look for more information about our thought leadership here at BrightHouse on the blog. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest insights on purpose.