In this episode of frankly…
What does it really take to stand out and succeed in your first job after graduation?
Dan and guest host Franco Senior Integrated Communications Specialist Christina Quirk sit down with Michelle Gilbert, chief engine officer at Purple Engine Coaching and Consulting, to discuss the habits and leadership skills that can help new graduates thrive early in their careers.
Michelle shares practical advice on everything from staying organized and tracking accomplishments to finding mentors and building confidence in the workplace. She also explains how developing intentional habits now can create long-term professional success and leadership growth.
This conversation offers actionable insight for recent graduates and early-career professionals looking to build a strong foundation for the future.
Let us know what you took away from this week’s conversation, and, as always, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
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The transcript below is AI-generated and may contain minor inaccuracies. Tune in to the episode audio to hear the full conversation!
Transcript
Dan
Hello and welcome to frankly. Today I am joined by a co-host, Christina Quirk, who is a senior integrated communication specialist here at Franco. And we get the opportunity to welcome back Michelle Gilbert, who is chief engine officer for Purple Engine Coaching and Consulting. So Michelle has been on the show a couple times in the past, but her kind of specialty with Purple Engine is she helps people increase confidence, improve communications, and just overall strengthen their leadership capabilities. So, you know, we’re right in graduation season here at the beginning of May, mid-May. And today we thought it would be a good chance to kind of talk with Michelle about some of the leadership traits that new graduates entering their first post-grad careers or first full-time careers can really start honing today. Talk a lot about the importance of mentors and coaching in developing your career and some other tips for, you know, folks entering the workplace for the first time so really great conversation. I think the time is great right now here as we jump into summer. So with that, we’ll turn it over to Michelle. Hope you enjoy the conversation. Hi, Michelle. Welcome back to frankly. Thanks so much for coming on.
Michelle
Thank you, Dan and Christina. It’s great to see you both again.
Dan
Yeah, so I know this is your third time on the show, but for those who haven’t heard those past episodes or who need a refresher, tell us a little bit about your background, kind of where you started in communications and leadership coaching now and kind of how you got to your current role.
Michelle
Absolutely. So I spent 34 years in public relations and corporate communications. 24 of those years were working for Fortune 50 companies. And throughout my career, what I’ve always enjoyed the most was really helping other people grow theirs. I always had teams that I led. I always mentored individuals. And I knew that at some point, I wanted to hang up my corporate cleats and give myself a little bit more flexibility, but wasn’t really ready yet to. Retire. So I pursued getting my coaching certification. And about 2 1/2 years ago, I made the switch, started Purple Engine Coaching and Consulting. And now I primarily focus on helping other leaders navigate all of the difficult conversations and uncomfortable moments. that we face in the workplace. And sometimes it feels easier to avoid those conversations, but typically it causes more issues when we do. So I help people navigate all those tough moments.
Dan
Yeah, that’s great. I think you mentioned you’re more regularly working with leaders on these types of issues, but right now we are just at graduation season, I’ll call it, here at the start of summer and the spring. A lot of folks just starting in their first postgraduate roles or their first full-time roles. What are some things that what are some ways that, recent graduates can start to build some of those skills or start thinking about, future leadership skills now as they just get started in their career?
Michelle
Yes, absolutely. And this is a space that I know very well. I do help a lot of young professionals who are looking for their first opportunity with their interview skills and things like that. So I know how hard the job market is right now. And when you land that first job, you’re so excited and overjoyed and you want to do everything perfectly. So what tends to happen is we take on everything and we don’t know how to say no. So the first thing that I can recommend is learn how to say yes and. what I mean by that is you only have so much capacity. And if you don’t communicate with your leader and negotiate new deadlines so that you can can take on new projects, they may not necessarily realize how much you’re struggling. So you have to be the one to say, yes, I would love to take that project on. And just to refresh your memory, I’m still working on these three initiatives. Can we adjust some of the timelines so that I can learn from this new opportunity as well? That’s a great way to take on more work. You want to be a yes person, but you have limitations and you’ve You’ve got to be able to voice those. The other thing that I think is really helpful is find a mentor. Find someone that you can go to, kind of your trusted confidence, so that when you have challenges, you have someone that you can talk to. Even if you love your boss, and hopefully everybody loves their boss, sometimes you still need someone outside of your boss to be able to guide you. And I find it very interesting because a lot of people want mentors assigned to them. And I think this is a very personal choice, and there’s no reason why you can’t go out and find the mentor that you feel is right for you. One other, two other things that I’ll share. Well, I really have three, so it depends how much time you want me to spend. Yeah, go ahead. I’ll go through these quickly. If you don’t have strong organizational skills, you better start building them now because you are always going to be juggling a million different things. And you’ve got to be able to organize things in a way and build a system so that you can swiftly shift from one project to the next. I also encourage you to keep track of your accomplishments. What do I mean by this? What I mean is the things that you are most proud of in your first, your second years of working, say at Franco, you’re not going to remember five, six years from now. So when you’re going through and maybe you’re applying for a promotion or you’re applying for another job and they ask you all of those those scenario questions. Tell me about a time you had to do this. You want to be able to tap those examples. So if you start keeping track of those now, you will always have them to pull from.
Dan
Yeah, that’s such a great point because there, I mean, a couple of years can go by and, you know, some of those major things start to fade away and start to become distant memories after just a little bit. Because like you said on the organization point too, there’s just so much going on that it’s hard to It is hard to track some of those big wings or kind of like put a bookmark in that. I love that idea.
Michelle
It is. And I’ll give you the flip side example of that. I’ve recently worked with several very seasoned professionals, 20 years with the same company. And all of a sudden, they were the victim of layoffs. And so for the first time in 20, 25 years, they’re looking for a new job. And they don’t remember all of those accomplishments because they were happy and they were just doing their thing. So they didn’t feel that pressure. And that’s why I always say, just… It doesn’t have to be anything formal. You just write a couple bullets about what the scenario was. And quite honestly, more and more companies are doing annual performance reviews. You should be playing a role in that. Don’t expect your boss to remember every amazing thing you did through the year. If you have the opportunity to fill it out and say, here’s why I’m a rock star, it gives you that opportunity to remember everything that you accomplished through the year.
Dan
Yeah, that’s a good point too, because I think most people set goals. whether it’s on a six-month or an annual basis, whatever that might be for performance reviews. But then you don’t think about, what applies to each of those goals necessarily or structure that in a list in any way until you have to go back and have your next review. So, and then by that point, it’s, 10, 11 months ago and it’s tricky. That actually, that flip side actually kind of brings up the next question I had, which is the flip side of the first one. But you mentioned you work with a lot of leaders. What are some of the common bad habits that people come to you with that they wish they hadn’t kind of developed early in their career that people can maybe think about avoiding as they start out?
Michelle
So I work with a lot of leaders who are intimidated to have a difficult conversation, whether it’s managing up to a boss or a client, managing down to their direct reports because they don’t wanna hurt their feelings, and even managing across to a peer. And that can be some of the trickiest conversations because you’re both at the same level. So one of the, I don’t necessarily know if it’s a bad habit, I think it’s more that They were never taught how to prepare for those conversations so that they can go into them with the intention that they have. So that’s why people either tend to avoid those conversations, or if they go into them, they may not come across confident, or they allow their own emotional triggers to get in the way, and then they don’t come across the way they wanted to. Pay attention to every person that you’re communicating with, and be willing to adjust your style based on what their approach is. So, for example, if my boss… doesn’t like a lot of detail, I’m not going to go into a conversation and give him a lot of detail as opposed to maybe someone else who likes more, asks a lot of questions. I’m going to give him the bare basics and then let him pull out of me what more he wants. That way, my message with him lands versus him getting caught up in too much detail because I haven’t adjusted my style for him. I think another thing that leaders do is they microman, or I’m sorry, they multitask. So, and listen, we’re all guilty of it. And I 100% was guilty of it. The problem is when you’re a leader, if you’re spending time with your direct report, or you’re with your boss and you’re in any way multitasking, you’re not coming across with the strong professional brand that you want. If you don’t think that people can’t tell when you’re multitasking, I will tell you, I’ve been in meetings and finance has been giving their update and I’m A comms person. So I’m sitting here and I’m sneaking in a few emails, to reporters to make sure that I’m meeting their deadlines and all of a sudden I heard my name called and I’m thinking, what the heck? Why is my name being called by finance?
Dan
Yeah.
Michelle
And now I have to go back and ask, what did you need from me? So that’s not putting my best foot forward. I would say that’s a bad habit that every busy leader needs to pull back on.
Dan
Yeah, I mean, it’s inevitable that there’s going to be multitasking throughout your day, you know, in one way or another, but I’m totally on board with that. Time and a place.
Michelle
Right. Exactly.
Dan
And those are not the time or the place.
Christina
It’s interesting too, Michelle. I know I’ve heard you talk about managing up before when I attended your seminar on managing up. Do you have any recommendations for people who are new in their career and they’re looking to open those direct conversations with, whether it’s leaders or like you said, peers or what have you, how to open up a dialogue to learn what someone’s preferences for communication might be so that way you can navigate and learn how to manage up?
Michelle
Absolutely. That’s a really great question, Christina. So If, for example, you have a regular one-on-one with your… leader, and you might be struggling with their preferences and their communication style, I might put it on the agenda and say, hey, one of the other things I’d love to discuss with you is I want to make sure I’m communicating in the way that you prefer. And ask them, or you could even put together a very short and keep it short survey with a couple of questions. How do you like to be notified of things? Text, you know, teams, because we have so many different communication formats. And I know I had a boss who hated e-mail, but because of what I did, I had to send her things in e-mail to review. So I got very smart and I would either send her a text, I would, I would send her a text and I would say, just a heads up, this is in your e-mail to review. And I would give her a deadline. Some employees that I worked with who had to review things for me preferred a calendar invite with a deadline. So they got reminded when to look for things. So I adjusted my approach based on what their communication preferences were. You know, you can, I would plain ask someone, do you like a lot of detail or do you prefer to keep it short and sweet? The other thing you could do is you could say, I’m going to give you the high-level version and then let you ask me questions based on the amount of detail that you feel you want. Because the amount of detail they want may differ depending on the moment. If your boss is running out the door to pick up a sick kid, they may not want as much detail as they would normally get from you. So it can even change in the moment, which makes it, of course, trickier for the employee. So we just have to be fluid and go with the flow and not be afraid to ask questions.
Christina
Yeah, I think that’s great advice, especially for people that are new in their career. I mean, clarity is kind and being proactive like that and learning everybody’s communication styles around you, I think is a great a great way to set yourself up for success early in your career.
Michelle
Yeah, I mean, I think we put, especially young, and when we’re new in our career, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get it right all the time. And there’s really no such thing as perfection. There’s only progress. So, you know, We don’t have to figure all this out on our own. And that’s also the benefit of having a trusted mentor or coach or whoever it is that you want to rely on to help you with these nuanced situations so that you have someone to bounce ideas off of.
Christina
That’s great. I think that’s a great segue into another question we had for you, which is, how can connecting with a mentor or a coach early on help navigate stressful or challenging situations throughout your career?
Michelle
I… Cannot tell you how many times I stubbed my toe, skinned my knee, fell flat on my face because of the mistakes that I made. If I knew back then, early in my career, what I know now about the value of having a coach, a mentor outside of someone who works in the office with me, because sometimes you don’t There are things you want to talk about that are not appropriate to talk about with someone in the office. It really, truly sets you up for success and it allows you to elevate your confidence earlier on, avoid potential mistakes. I mean, we’re all going to make mistakes and there’s nothing wrong with making mistakes, particularly when we learn from them. But If we can avoid some of the embarrassing ones along the way, why wouldn’t we want to do that, right? So I think that having somebody kind of on your side who can help you with those moments and provide you with the kind of clarity sometimes we get in the weeds and it’s hard for us to find it on our own. But when you’ve got someone who really shows up curious and asks you those questions and is willing to strategize with you, it makes all the difference in the world.
Dan
Yeah, I mean, I think one thing that can hold people up from doing that is just kind of not being sure of where to go to find someone like that. Do you have any tips of like, of where to start if you don’t have an extensive professional network? Like where can people start early on to build some of those relationships?
Michelle
Well, I am a big fan of getting involved with your industry association group. So because we’re all communications professionals here, I mean, let’s really talk about PRSA Detroit and And if you’re listening from outside of Detroit, look for your local PRSA chapter, because that is such a tremendous opportunity to get to know other people in the industry who deal with similar challenges as you. And it’s a great way to find a mentor, someone that you can count on and start to build those, build and nurture those professional relationships. that are so meaningful throughout your career.
Dan
Yeah. I don’t know if there is like a good answer for this, but when people are looking for that type of mentor, that type of coach, do you typically see people have more success with people who are like, in their type of role? So like if you’re starting in an agency, finding a mentor who’s been in an agency or is it more helpful to find somebody with more diverse experience who’s like maybe grown up in corkbread or something like that? I don’t know if it makes a difference or if it’s more of a personality thing, but do you see anything there?
Michelle
It’s a great question, Dan. I don’t, I would say it depends. I don’t think that there’s a hard and fast rule, and I would say that the personality the personalities meshing is probably the most important thing. And I think the reason it depends is because it really depends on what you’re seeking support with. There are a lot of people who have mentors for different challenges that they’re working with. They may have, if they’re, let’s just say they’re a new mom, they may have a mentor who is a working mom, but then they might also have a, and that person may not even be in their industry, but then they might have a mentor who works in the industry who grew up in that agency environment. Then they might have a mentor who has nothing to do with communications whatsoever, and the person might be 30 years older than them, but from a personality standpoint, they know they have something to learn from this individual who’s kind enough to give his or her time. So it’s about understanding what are you looking for from the mentor and being very clear and specific when you ask, I’m looking for support with this. Would you be willing to mentor me?
Dan
Yeah, it’s almost like building an advisory board for yourself, you know, thinking about it.
Michelle
Yes, the new, what is the new term? Having your own personal board of directors, which I love that term. I just read a post on LinkedIn about that.
Dan
Oh, really?
Michelle
Yes. And what was funny about it is the first time I heard it was in a comedy, like a movie. It was all about a personal board of directors for this one character. But I think it’s a fabulous idea if you think about it. And that’s really what mentorship is. You’re finding the right people to support you with different challenges that you might be navigating, both personally and professionally.
Dan
I feel like we hear that a lot in the business sense on this in interviews here of you build your team around, what you’re strong in and where your weaknesses lie and kind of building that team and that network around you to kind of fill those gaps and just, understanding where you need some extra, bandwidth or some extra support. I feel like it’s the same thing that can go personally also.
Michelle
It is. And I will also tell you that when you have, whether it’s one mentor or several mentors, and this is something that I think when we’re younger in our careers, we don’t necessarily understand, but it is your responsibility as the mentee. to take the reins and schedule meetings and have agendas for those meetings. It is not up to your mentor to check in with you and say, how’s it going? How do you need me? How can I serve you today? It’s your responsibility to tell them what you need and when you need it. And again, being professional about it and asking them when they have time, can I schedule or, you know, can we get another half hour on the books a month from now or whatever it is. So that there’s continuity, and you’re really truly leveraging the gift that they’ve given you.
Dan
So, I know we’ve taken up a lot of your time here, but… I just want to kind of close with one, one more question here on kind of the same theme, but what’s something earlier in your career that you wish a coach, mentor, or leader would have told you, like going into your first day? What’s something you wish you would have known going in there?
Michelle
So I have two. Do we have time for two?
Dan
We do, of course.
Michelle
Okay. I wish someone would have told me that avoiding difficult conversations doesn’t make them disappear. It usually just makes them harder. And the second thing that I would say is I wish someone had told me that your talent may open the door, but your communication, your confidence, and your ability to navigate those uncomfortable moments will shape your career long after that first day.
Dan
I love that. Yeah, both great. Well, thank you so much for coming on again today. We’ll, for anyone listening, you know, definitely check out previous episodes and we’ll link Purple Engine Coaching in the description to find you. But where else can people find you? LinkedIn or other places?
Michelle
Yes, I’m on LinkedIn. I’m pretty active on LinkedIn. I think it’s Michelle B. Gilbert.
Dan
Okay.
Michelle
But if you just type in Michelle Gilbert and look for the color purple, you’ll find me.
Dan
All right.
Michelle
And you can also e-mail me at Michelle at purpleenginecoaching.com.
Dan
Great. All right. Well, thanks so much again for coming on and for your time today. This is great and always a pleasure to talk with you.
Christina
Thanks Michelle.
Michelle
Thanks for the great conversation.
Dan
Thanks again to Michelle for joining us again here on Frankly, and thank you to Christina for joining me as guest co-host today. You know, I know we’ve talked about this as tips and ideas and lessons for new grads or for people early in their career, but really, I mean, I think a lot of what we talked about today can apply to anyone. So if you’re interested in talking with Michelle, if you’re interested in just learning more or following along, like she said, you can check her out on LinkedIn. We’ll make sure that’s in the description along with a link to Purple Engine Coaching and Consulting, her company. So yeah, follow along with her, check her out if you’re interested in learning more about developing your own leadership skills. And thanks again for listening. We’ll catch you next time.
