Join HLM's Lauren Anderson for Part Two of her chat with HLM's Chief Production Officer Michelle Nieset. This time around we begin with an impactful professional question, followed by some levity that allows us to get the know the real Michelle Nieset
Check out Lauren's Part One interview here.
Be sure to view the entire video on our YouTube Channel!
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #1
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #2
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #3
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #4
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #5
As One of the Longest-Standing Females at HLM, What Challenges Have You Faced in Your Career and How Have You Overcome Them?
Lauren Anderson
All right. One of our last questions here on the professional side, is as one of the longest standing females at HLM, what challenges have you faced in your career and how have you overcome them?
Michelle Nieset
Another heavy one here. I think that it's natural to feel this way no matter where you sit or what your job and role and responsibilities are. But I think that one of the biggest challenges that I've found over the years in my career has been just being myself and just leveraging my strengths and being okay, that my strengths might be different than some of the other leaders sitting in the room around me.
So I think, you know, that's one thing that I pride myself on today and that I can look back and say that I've overcome some of that, you know, challenge that self-doubt, that questioning, like, is my leadership style the right style for what the company needs?
I think at the end of the day, you have to trust that it is, and you have to make sure that you give yourself that validation, because that's what breeds confidence and that's what breeds strong leaders and allows you to, you know, essentially work more effectively with the folks around you.
So that was a big one, I think, that I encountered, you know, throughout the various roles that I've served in and II would just encourage others to just be you and lean into your strengths and don't doubt yourself, because often some of the things you're doubting is what makes you unique, and that's what's going to help you grow ultimately.
Lauren Anderson
Yeah, that's really good insight, like just being authentically you. I think it's easy sometimes to discredit ourselves or try to model somebody else's style that's not authentic to us.
And it's like, no, there's a reason why I'm here and I'm in this seat, and that's because of who I am. So being yourself is truly something to embrace. And sometimes it takes, a few years or a decade of experience to really start to embrace that, right?
Michelle Nieset
Yeah. And I'm fortunate, you know, I've been blessed with a lot of various mentors along the way, a lot of advocates and just supporters. So it's been great to have that again, going back to that network again, just helping build you up. But it makes all the difference.
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #2
Outside of Work, What Are Some of Your Hobbies And passions That You Enjoy?
Lauren Anderson
All right. Enough of the hard hitting stuff. Let's get into some fun stuff. So on the personal side, outside of work, what are some of your hobbies and or passions that you enjoy?
Michelle Nieset
Well, I'm a mom, so that probably says it all. A lot of my passion is centered around my two little boys. My youngest son, who is almost four. My oldest son just went to kindergarten this year. So, I spend most of my extracurricular activities helping them, supporting them, going to soccer games.
But when I'm not wearing my mom hat, I do love to, like, just go on a hike, be outside and get some good exercise in. I love watching movies. I love a good binge series. I play piano, so sometimes that's therapeutic for me. Coming off a stressful day. And I like to have a glass or two of wine.
So those are kind of those things that I do when I'm not wearing my mom hat.
Lauren Anderson
Video. What's your favorite song to play on the piano?
Michelle Nieset
I love like kind of the old classics. So classical music, Russian concerto, Beethoven, Bach, those are kind of my jams. But I've been trying to be more modern-age because there's so many great folks, especially where I live in Nashville. Yeah. Okay. I've tried to bring my skills into the more modern era, but I still fall back on the classical music.
Lauren Anderson
Classics are good. You know, held the test of time.
Michelle Nieset
They have. That is the truth!
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #3
If You Could Travel Anywhere In The World, Where Would It Be And Why?
Lauren Anderson
All right, so you're traveling anywhere in the world. Where are you going and why?
Michelle Nieset
Well, the beach is usually my go-to, so anywhere there's some of my favorite beaches that I have thus far visited, like Bora Bora and the Haitian Islands. So I would love to go back there. It would be incredible. But I'd also like to see some of Europe, wine tasting in Italy would be lovely, checking out Greece, Santorini, Paris.
All of those places fascinate me, so I'd love to travel there too. But my first place I want to go anywhere today would be a beach somewhere across the world.
Lauren Anderson
Yeah. Yeah, I hear you on that. So you're in Nashville and you flew to Bora Bora. How long was the flight? Was it rough?
Michelle Nieset
It was definitely. You know, we fly to the West Coast, and then you fly from the West Coast, to Tahiti, and then you take a plane, a small plane to Warrior Island, or you take a boat to your resort.
Lauren Anderson
Gosh. Planes, trains and automobiles like that was it?
Michelle Nieset
Truly, it was!
Lauren Anderson
A really great beach for that kind of effort?
Michelle Nieset
It is. I would definitely have it on your bucket list if you want to know where to travel!
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #4
Tell Us a Funny HLM Story!
Lauren Anderson
All right, so what's a funny story that you've got for us? Something that's happened at HLM over the years that still brings a smile and laugh. Maybe something you even share with team members?
Michelle Nieset
Oh, a funny story. Pick just one story. That's hard, as we like to have a good time. And I tell you what, it's been it's been fun to see our culture change from being in office, surrounded by people every day to virtual. Like, there's usually something that happens at least once a day.
But if I had to pick one, I would say I go back to my first day at Bell Media, as HLM was called at the time. I went into our Birmingham office and prior to this day, I hadn't met anybody in person.
I'd actually interviewed with Scott via video Hangouts. So I never got to meet anybody in person. So I'm going to this new place in Birmingham, Alabama. First time I've ever been in Alabama. And I walk into the office and everybody stands up and they walk to the back and they leave the room and I'm like, okay, what's going on here?
Am I in the wrong place? Well, lo and behold, my start date had happened to be April 1st, which is April Fool's Day. And so joke was on me, everybody came flooding back and laughing hysterically, and I felt like, so humiliated. This is my first day!
But we got we got a good chuckle out of it and it still to this day brings a smile to my face, because the sense of humor that I've gotten to know with this company has just been incredible and a lot of fun.
Lauren Anderson
Well, we do love a good April Fool's joke.
Michelle Nieset
We do have a great track record for the April Fool's jokes around here.
Lauren Anderson
We certainly do. Yeah. Culture Committee is already working on next year's, so watch out!
Michelle Nieset
As long as it's not on me. Let's keep them geared towards anybody else but me!
📽️ Jump to Video Clip #5
Bonus Question - What's Your Favorite Honky Tonk in Nashville?
Lauren Anderson
I do have one bonus question. So what's your favorite honky tonk in Nashville that's a must-see.
Michelle Nieset
So again, I'm an OG these days as a Nashvillian. And because I've been out here for a very long time now, it seems, I'm picking the classic traditional honky tonk that existed since the beginning of time. So my go to would be The Stage, which plays like a variety of music.
And they have the rooftop and all the shindig now. But back when I was going, it was not like that. But the music was incredible. They do rock and country and just a little bit of, you know, soft rock, and it's just a cool vibe. It's just different than all the other honky tonks. But then I also like Tootsie's - it's the original, I think honky tonk that first existed. It is still has its personality.
And you always can hear some really good music no matter where you go downtown. But those would be my two spots, and I'd pick them because they are just originals, and they have such character and personality that it's fun.
Lauren Anderson
There's no place like that good hole-in-the-wall bar. It's like there's nothing like that, you know, you can almost feel like the energy over the years. It's still in there. So Yeah. Tootsie's I've been to, but The Stage will have to be on my list next time I'm down there. And it.
Michelle Nieset
Definitely. We'll have to take a walk over there.
Lauren Anderson
Yeah yeah for sure. Well Michelle, appreciate it! Thank you so much for joining us for our very first Executive Spotlight. Looking forward to many more to come. For everyone that's tuned in today. Thank you for spending the time with us. We hope you enjoyed it and Look forward to seeing you on our next one. Have a great day!
Michelle Nieset
Thanks!
Wanna Work With The Best?
If you want to work with the best digital marketers in the industry, as an HLM team member OR as an HLM client then give us a call at (888) 717-4249 or visit our contact page to speak to someone within minutes.
