Brown and Caldwell’s former Chief Technical Officer Cindy Paulson understands that for Balance and Belonging to thrive, employees need to be who they truly are. In her case, becoming authentic on the job took 10-plus years.

And, getting to that point, “it’s so powerful,” she says. “Being authentic creates the space for diversity of thought and means drawing on experiences that fall outside the box. That’s what it takes for teams to bring their best selves to work every day.”

Cindy had been with BC for 14 years (more than 30 years to date), managing a region and leading many projects when she felt something was missing. While she was in her element, developing regional client solutions with diversely talented teams, she realized that her clients and many colleagues did not know much about her personal life.

“I operated behind a work persona. I just had no idea what it would be like for me to be fully authentic at work.”

When she made the move to California in 2001, she became more open, sharing that she was happily married to a woman who also happened to be a great cook and winemaker. Together they entertained colleagues at their home.

Previously “I would avoid the conversation about “my significant other,” she says. But Cindy could feel California clients and BC’s culture were becoming more open and it felt like the right time to be fully herself at work.

Today, “my ideas as an individual come from confidence founded on who I really am, versus the persona. That opens the door to me being accessible and fully embraced and that’s powerful. I know I have support from leadership and throughout, and that’s a great feeling.”

As the executive sponsor of BC’s employee network group for women, Cindy worked to amplify the Balance and Belonging culture and framework internally and externally across an industry with historical nature of the industry being male dominated. “One of my greatest aspirations is to change the entire industry, creating a space that embraces the full range of potential and diversity that humans bring.”

“BC is creating the space for more diverse thoughts and experiences and bringing better solutions to our clients as a result,” she adds.