MARY CONNELLY
While working as a bartender in New York City in the early 1990s, Mary Connelly was approached with a life-changing offer: to be on the launch team for Out magazine. Connelly spent 25 years in executive management in media sales and marketing, mostly at Condé Nast, and worked on leadership teams of iconic publishing and tech brands, including Vogue and Vanity Fair, before she reevaluated. “I loved the relational aspect of my career. I love working with people. I love problem solving,” Connelly says. “I just didn’t want to sell media anymore.” Five years ago, Connelly dove headfirst into professional coaching, earning a diploma in management from NYU’s School of Professional Studies, and launching her own coaching and consultancy business. “Coaching enables me to use my skills in executive management and career development, to help other people navigate what [are] sometimes challenging career and work environments,” Connelly says. Now, Connelly works with both companies and individuals to realize their highest potential, using a collaborative and holistic strategy with inspiration and motivation at its core. The work has been incredibly fulfilling for Connelly, who lives in Brooklyn with her partner of 25 years, Stacy Alldrege, their dog Bee, and their two cats, Julie and Guinea. When asked about the most rewarding aspect of her work, Connelly is ready with an answer: “[s]upporting a client to create a significant, positive change in their career, like asking for and getting a promotion, or the courage to quit a toxic environment because they rediscovered their self-worth and landed a much better job,” she enthuses. “There’s nothing like it!”
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