📸 Kim Colucci: Culture & Growth Director at Mixbook

What it's like to create your own job description, lessons from hospitality and the power of community at work

Nov 01, 2023

🔛 How one job can transform into a newly created role
🧁 Ideas from hospitality to influence culture
🔗 The potential of connecting your colleagues

About Kim

Kim, here! 👋 Culture & Growth Director @ Mixbook.

Driven by an unwavering passion for understanding people, my current obsession is defining what the "new normal" is, refusing to simply watch and wait for the #futureofwork to unfold. My motivation was sparked by a transformative experience in my early career when a manager invested time, energy, and focus into my growth, which has profoundly influenced my "why". This moment has molded me into an empathetic leader, driven to discover and nurture hidden potential in others.

Presently, I participate as a driving member of the Human Operations team at Mixbook, where our mission is to empower people to be creative and connect deeply with the ones they love. Each day, I get to foster a collaborative and innovative culture that enables us to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing market.

I hold a degree in classical piano and a certificate in HR management. Most often, you can find me somewhere in Las Vegas, enjoying something sweet and watching the sunset.

What sparked your passion for working in your field?

I’ve always loved learning, especially trying to better understand others. From a young age, I've been a fervent "pre-crastinator," driven by an insatiable desire to be ahead of the curve. While this mindset extensively served my pursuits as a pianist, it made social interactions challenging.

My first real job in retail sales was transformative, turning my perceived weaknesses into unique strengths. Within the store I worked at, I opted for a more behind-the-scenes role — overseeing the cleaning, stocking, and daily operations. However, there was a pivotal moment when I realized the power of adaptability and personal growth when my manager came to me and said that if I weren’t in a customer-facing role and actually selling, they, unfortunately, would not be able to retain them as an employee after the holidays.

I took on the challenge to grow my social skills, and my manager took me under her wing. It unlocked my confidence. That revelation instilled in me an aspiration to kindle such self-awareness in others and pursue my curiosity. Now, I get to do that every day to create a space where others feel courageous, confident, and capable. It's been a really exciting journey both personally and professionally.

As you look back, what is one project you are proud of creating over the years?

My current role as Director of Culture & Growth at Mixbook stands out because I helped shape it. I initially joined the company as the Head of HR in January 2021, with the first six months heavily invested in recruiting. By 2022, we'd expanded our HR capabilities and established a robust Talent Acquisition function.

By mid-2022, as we started thinking about our growth as an organization, we acknowledged the necessity for dedicated leadership around culture and growth. We recognized that traditional HR practices didn't fit our forward-thinking, global, remote-first company. Pivoting our strategy, we began treating Culture and Growth like tangible products and turned HR into a People Operations team. We reimaged how we approach what culture means to us.

My work is focused on thinking about all of the ways that we work together — centering around trust, collaboration, teamwork, leadership development, innovation, and job fulfillment. In HR and Hospitality, I was very reactive, whereas today I get to think ahead and plan our future.

Currently, I'm excited about our Intranet launch, which is a content hub with a weekly blog post where I write about timely topics to share what’s top of mind more broadly with the team. Along with this, I’m focused on internal communications to really drive a mindset of collective results across the organization.

How did your experience in hospitality influence your approach to culture?

My time in hospitality was a lesson in the profound impact of intentional moments. Every interaction was a chance to leave an imprint while serving others. Drawing from that, I've centered Mixbook's culture around intentionality, ensuring every aspect is well-thought-out and feels special.

My time at Baked by Melissa provided me with unique insights into the power of storytelling. The brand (and Melissa!) has a knack for conveying narratives through Melissa’s (the founder) story, cupcakes, stores, social media, and training experiences. I had the privilege to have a part in the building of that initial training program.

This lesson was invaluable: storytelling is not just about narrating an event, it's a potent tool for communicating values, ethos, and purpose. I learned the Marketing Rule of 7 that a message needs to be heard seven times before being internalized and taking action to buy a product or service.

Drawing from these experiences, I've emphasized intentional, consistent, and compelling communication at Mixbook, ensuring that our organizational culture resonates through every layer and every member of the team. Also, the fast-paced nature of NYC hospitality refined my crisis management skills, contrasting my current strategic focus in shaping Mixbook's culture.

What are the skills needed to succeed in Culture work?

Culture work is not just about understanding an organization but also the intricate tapestry of people that constitute it. Essential skills for thriving in this domain include:

Empathy: This is at the heart of culture work. Truly understanding and valuing every team member's diverse experiences and perspectives ensures an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Adaptability: In a fast-evolving organizational landscape, the ability to swiftly pivot and adjust strategies based on changing dynamics is paramount.
Strategic Vision: Beyond managing the present, culture work is about crafting the future. It's vital to see the bigger picture and ensure that the culture continually aligns with broader organizational aspirations.
Feedback Processing: A culture that grows is one that listens. This involves actively seeking, processing, and implementing feedback to foster constant improvement.
Cross-functional Collaboration: With teams scattered across different functions and time zones, bridging these divisions to ensure a cohesive and unified organizational culture is pivotal.

How does your work intersect with internal communications?

Internal communications serve as the arteries of our culture, ensuring the heart of our organization beats in sync. My role involves conceptualizing and disseminating weekly content drops within our Culture & Growth Content Hub.

I also facilitate open dialogue through meetings like our weekly all-company "Come Together,” which focuses on connection and inspiration. We spend time together to get to know each other beyond the surface level. Recently, it meant talking about new product features and giving feedback. In our ask-for-help segment, we had a spreadsheet where folks could populate areas they might need help on. I get to play matchmaker on the spot and start to bring more people together to help each other in ways that they might not have been able to stumble upon in this virtual world.

Finally, I employ pulse surveys to capture employee sentiment. The essence of my work is ensuring clarity, connectivity, and a shared understanding throughout Mixbook.

How do you continue your professional learning journey?

Continuous learning is pivotal. I regularly dive into seminal works in our space, like Marty Cagan's Inspired, Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, and Patrick Lencioni's insights on organizational health.

Additionally, I stay updated with current trends, participate in seminars, and engage in peer discussions through a variety of communities. I believe that in a rapidly evolving world, staying stationary is not an option; we must constantly grow, adapt, and reimagine.

I also recently started a new certificate program program at Cornell's intrapreneurship program. It’s super exciting to bring that type of entrepreneurial spirit internally into the business. In addition, piano continues to be part of my life-long journey.

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