WEBVTT
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Just finding what you're interested in that will drive you longer than the job.
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The jobs will come and go, and bosses will come and go.
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But as long as you find what interests you, you'll continue to thrive.
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Hi everyone, and welcome to Pathfound, the podcast about the real, messy, unexpected journeys that lead us to the work we love.
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I'm Monica Argandonia, and every week I talk with someone whose story proves there's no single right way to build a meaningful life.
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What if you can make business better?
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Not just for the bottom line, but for the planet?
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That question has been at the center of today's guest's entire career.
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Today I'm sitting down with someone I've had the privilege of knowing for a few years now.
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She's a third-generation Southern California Edison family, a Cal Poly grad with a self-designed master's degree, and a sustainability leader who has literally written half of her own job descriptions because the roles she envisioned didn't exist yet.
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She's worked everywhere, from IBM to architecture firms, from a Philadelphia nonprofit to an engineering consultancy, and today she's heading up sustainability at one of the world's most recognized tech companies, Zoom.
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She is Holly Hill, and her story is one of vision, grit, and just enough willingness to leap before she could see the other side.
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Holly, welcome.
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I am so happy you're here.
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Hi Monica.
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So good to see you.
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Fun to hang out with you in a studio setting.
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So, like I start everybody's.
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What were you like growing up, middle school, high school?
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As a child.
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Well, I think I was very active.
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I would ride our tricycle, my tricycle all around the driveway.
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I remember doing that.
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I was the baby of five.
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And so yeah, they my older brothers picked on me a lot.
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So I grew to be a little bit tougher.
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So that was always fun.
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I used to play teacher.
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I remember that specifically growing up as a child.
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I would have a whiteboard and a chalkboard, and I would play teacher, and all the students were in front of me, and I would dictate to them what they had to do.
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So that was that was a fun time, I remember.
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And we always went camping.
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So I remember being out in the environment a bunch and just enjoying being out in nature.
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Were you a good student then?
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Yes.
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Okay.
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So I was a good student, but the feedback was always she's a great student, but she's a little chatty.
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She's a little chatty in class and she distracts the other students.
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So funny, I got the same criticism.
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Every report guard.
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She's great, but talks too much.
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Talk too much.
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Yeah.
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So social.
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So social beings.
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It's fine.
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So, all right.
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So you're in high school.
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Do you kind of know what you want to do?
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Is college on your radar?
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College was definitely on my radar.
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That was, I never wavered from that.
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Like that was my next step.
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Neither of my parents were college graduates.
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And so I was like, no, I'm going.
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I have a plan and I don't know what I want to study, but I definitely know I want to go and get a degree.
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And that was definitely intentional.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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So where do you go?
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How do you figure it out?
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So I remember getting awards in junior high and high school.
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And that opened doors for different applications and different scholarships and things like that.
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And then when I started seeing where those led, it was, it was the school was kind of the tail end, if that makes any sense.
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So I would see there was National Scholar Federation, for example, or something like that.
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And then you would fill out that form and it was, do you want to send your, you know, your resume or your application to these different schools?
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And I was like, oh, yeah, those are, those could be on my radar.
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And then you start looking at the different schools.
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My French teacher was actually very instrumental in helping me now that I think about it.
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He said, you make a long list and you make your short list and then you make your absolute, your, you know, your guaranteed list.
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And so he pushed me on that, on the aspirational list and, you know, to apply at Rice University and you know, have the long shots and everything.
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And then the other schools were middle of the range, and then the ones you you knew you were going to get into.
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So yeah, and reflecting back now, yeah, it was it was him that really helped me formulate a plan for that.
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So where did you go?
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Yeah.
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I went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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Okay.
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Yes.
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What did you major in?
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Industrial technology.
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Actually, I started in environmental engineering, and I still showed that off to my boys because I got into an engineering program at Calpali San Luis Obispo.
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And so I started environmental engineering, and then the physics was just too hard for me.
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So I was like, okay, I'm not gonna pursue that.
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And then a bunch of us were interested in this industrial engineering, and it was just kind of evolving.
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And it was, it was bridging kind of the tactical world of packaging and marketing with the engineering side.
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And so it opened, opened up kind of a new arena, a new field for a lot of us that were in the environmental engineering program.
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How did you even find that?
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Like how did you pick that?
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I like the technical nature of engineering, but I didn't necessarily want to sit behind a desk or go into environmental law or, you know, design levers or anything like that.
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So when just looking at the course catalog, literally, like I like this technical.
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I don't want to lean towards the liberal arts.
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I want to do the technical work, but I want to broaden that a little bit more.
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And so that's yeah.
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So you stuck with that, graduated four years.
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Yeah, and then stayed there and got my master's.
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Oh, okay.
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Straight through.
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Straight through.
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On the same thing.
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So my master's, my graduate degree is uh environmental studies, actually.
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Okay.
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So I layered on the environment on top of the business and the engineering.
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What do you think brought about the environmental piece?
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I always knew I wanted to do that.
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I always wanted, not I can't say always, but I would say in high school, I just had this aha moment and I was like, business spends so much money.
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And imagine if all of their money was helping the environment.
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Imagine if those business decisions could help the environment.
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Imagine if I could parlay that, you know, to be better business and better environmental choices.
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And so when I did the industrial engineering route, that was the business side of the house.
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And then I was, and then I created my own master's program marrying the two with the environmental studies on top of it.
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So when were you in high school?
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91 to 95.
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So you were ahead of your time.
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I mean, there was no sustainability program.
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There was no sustainability.
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There was very little environment.
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It's not like people chose there weren't a lot of colleges who offered those degrees.
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And even when I looked for a master's, the only ones, there was one in Australia that looked promising, and then there was one in a in a European country that looked amazing.
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But that was it.
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There was no, even now it's hard to find a doctorate in sustainability.
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So the master's, the master's was was fun to create.
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And yes, I was trying to get ahead of what I wanted to do, basically.
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That's so interesting.
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Like you actually figured out this is what I want.
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Now I gotta design it.
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Yeah.
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Huh.
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But it's funny you say that because I think it is a theme, because I actually have written four of my eight job descriptions.
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Okay.
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All right.
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So I'm jumping ahead.
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All right.
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So you graduate.
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Yeah.
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So you graduate your master's, and then what?
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Then there was a recruiting fair on Cow Poly's campus, and IBM wanted to hire me.
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They gave me a great offer.
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Housing, move up to the Bay Area, all of that.
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And so I started in their real estate organization.
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It was environmental compliance at that time.
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So that's where the degree took me, which was fine and great, but I knew I didn't want to do that long term.
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So and you had no experience in real estate.
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No, no, that's just where it sits.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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But it was just the compliance of policy correctly.
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Correct.
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Okay.
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So how long were you there?
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Almost seven years.
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Oh wow.
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That's been my longest job, actually.
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Still the first one out of college.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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All right.
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So did you like it?
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I did like it, but I didn't want to clean up anymore.
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I mean, I was raised with, you know, big business is bad, big business is bad, right?
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Like in the whole environmental movement of the 70s.
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And then to come to a company and they're building, they're manufacturing chips.
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And yes, they're not necessarily dumping into soil, but they're just doing less harm, right?
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So how do you get ahead of that?
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So I found myself when I was in the environmental compliance space cleaning up the messes.
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You know, there the pollution is happening and then you filter it on the tail end.
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Or, you know, you're generating hazardous waste and then it goes to an off-site facility, but the waste is still being generated.
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And that's what was frustrating me.
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I didn't want to be on the cleanup side.
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I wanted to be on the front end side to design that waste and that pollution out to begin with.
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Okay.
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Yeah.
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So you start looking for something else.
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So I picked up a side project at IBM doing lead certification for one of our facilities in San Jose.
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And it's called EBOM, Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance.
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And that was the certification project.
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And I just kind of did it on the side and got really excited about it.
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And then I saw a job opening at an architectural firm for somebody with EBOM experience.
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I applied and I got it, which was completely unexpected because I was going from environmental compliance at a manufacturing plant, basically, to an architecture firm.
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Very pivotal time, I would say, right?
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Like that was I did not expect to get that position.
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And I did.
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So it was cool.
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So all right.
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So now what are you doing in that job?
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Oh, at in the architecture.
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Yeah, I was a sustainable design manager.
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So I led the building group that did the energy modeling for them and did the lead certifications for them.
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Yeah.
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It was it was a great dream job.
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Yeah.
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How long did you do that?
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Four years.
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Why did you leave?
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We moved to Philly for my husband's job opportunity.
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So we moved back east.
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So I had to leave it.
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We can't go job by job.
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It'll go forever.
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No, no, but I think it's important.
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Okay, so now you're in a new city, no connections.
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New city, no connections.
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And I tried to navigate that same path.
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I tried to do the architectural arena.
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I tried to do there are amazing architecture firms in Philly and environmental consulting firms.
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And I wasn't able to get a job in there.
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So I ended up at GBCI, the Green Building Certification Institute, doing lead certifications.
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Okay.
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Which I didn't mind, but I found myself pigeonholed because now you're just doing buildings.
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You're not doing large-scale developments.
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You're not doing sustainability more broadly.
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You're just focusing on this lead certification checklist for these incoming projects.
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So I knew the system, I grew the system, it was, it was fine, it was great.
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It was remote.
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So that was that was excellent.
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And then we got the opportunity to come back to the West Coast.
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And so I changed jobs again.
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All right.
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So you come now what?
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Now, now I go to engineering companies.
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So I had a connection at an engineering company called Integral Group.
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And she brought me on as a lead consultant because I had worked with her previously at HMC Architects.
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So that connection absolutely paid off.
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I was out of my element.
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And I would say that each of these job moves, I was out of my element by at least probably 10 to 15%, you know, like you know you can do the job up to a certain point, but then you always push a little bit.
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And so from going from the nonprofit of GBCI to an engineering firm was very different.
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And so I liked the diversity of projects as now I'm seeing all the projects come in.
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I'm working with many of them.
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And then we're doing big scale projects, so net zero developments and trying to do zero energy or zero waste or zero water for the Levi's facility, you know, up in the Bay Area or something like that.
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So that really broadened my horizons and and pushed me technically for sure.
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Yeah.
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So what do you think it was about you that, you know, because we've I've had this conversation with other women on the podcast, how men will apply for jobs that they don't have any experience for sometimes.
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They just, yeah, I'm gonna apply.
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And women have to check off all the boxes.
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Yeah.
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But you really you you just jumped in.
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I did.
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And I I this the scariest one I would say was probably going to the architecture firm because these are degreed architects.
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I mean, these are people that have been doing architecture for 20 years.
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And who am I to come in and say, hey, you know, you need to do a reflective roof?
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And oh, by the way, you need more insulation in this wall so that it's a better performing building.
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You know, like who am I to come in and change design standards when I'm not an architect?
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And so I feel like I have always pushed to do that, to try to push myself and push the role to do what I want to do and make it work for me and just just go for it, really.
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Did you have people helping you?
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Did you have mentors?
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Yeah, support.
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I always felt that people wanted me to be successful, very fortunate with that.
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Every manager I have had has really been helpful and navigating upward for me and very much guiding me, you know.
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And so I think that's been very instrumental.
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I I have not knocked on wood.
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I've been very fortunate with the leadership I've had.
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Yeah.
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Okay, so you're in this engineering firm.
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In the engineering firm.
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Go to a small consulting firm next, and then saw another what I felt was dream job open up.
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And that was Southern California Edison.
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And I am third generation Southern California Edison.
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So my father worked there, my grandfather worked there.
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There's a lot of history in our family, a lot of pride in, you know, providing the electricity distribution network of Southern California.
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And, you know, there's placards, and I've been to the dinners and all of that.
00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:24.960
And so they had a sustainability role open here in Rosemead.
00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:29.440
And so I tried, I applied for it and I got it, and it was, it was great.
00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:30.559
It was awesome.
00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:31.919
But there wasn't support.
00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:35.360
There wasn't support for the role in how I wanted to do it.
00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:39.840
So I found myself there for four years, but I had the same project plan.
00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:41.279
It wasn't moving forward.
00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:50.159
And I needed resources, I need a I needed budget, I need people that were sincerely wanting to move this path forward with me to be successful.
00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:52.799
So then I applied for another job.
00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:53.759
Yeah.
00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:59.039
So you talked about earlier you mentioned writing your own job descriptions.
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:01.759
Did that happen in all of these jobs?
00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:05.279
I would say, yeah, I mean, a half of them at least.
00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:05.679
Okay.
00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:06.320
Yeah.
00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:10.159
So just kind of creating that role again because it's such a new field.
00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:10.799
Yes.
00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.519
So you stayed Edison a few years.
00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:18.000
And um, and then, oh, and COVID hit, right?
00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:21.519
And so then it was, okay, everybody, everybody go home.
00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:23.519
And so we were working from home.
00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:25.919
And again, just some self-reflection.
00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:30.639
Like I could I could take this job into retirement, but would I be fulfilled?
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:32.799
And I realized I had more to give.
00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:36.799
So although the company didn't need me to give more, I wanted to give more.
00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:38.399
And so it was time to move on.
00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:43.279
And so I applied for this position at Zoom and fell in love with it.
00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:45.679
And so I have amazing leadership.
00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:47.360
I've got amazing autonomy.
00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:53.360
I get to drive the program and build the case for it and then continue to execute on it.
00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.000
So I love the balance of strategic thinking.
00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:04.159
So, you know, every year you're looking at the plan, you're understanding what the needs are, what the customers want, and then actually doing the due diligence and the work to get it done.
00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:10.960
Again, probably again, speaking with you, going back to, I guess I do like the technical and the strategic at the same time.
00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:11.440
Okay.
00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:12.399
Yeah, that's fun.
00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:15.440
Do you think your degrees prepared you for all these jobs?
00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:17.279
I don't think the content was there yet.
00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:17.679
Yeah.
00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.799
My the work I do now was not in a classroom.
00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:22.480
It was not available in a classroom.
00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.240
Could could we build a pro, you know, a curriculum that speaks to the job now?
00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:26.960
Absolutely.
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.960
But it wasn't built at that point.
00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:33.120
I mean, the environmental compliance, maybe, but I wasn't going into policy and law.
00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:41.759
So I feel like the the backbone and the job that helped me the most was actually IBM because it gave me the ISO compliance.
00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:50.000
It gave me an understanding of the regulations and those environmental regulations I can always point to in all of the positions I've had as that as that experience.
00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:50.559
Yeah.
00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:55.600
So I don't think a lot of people relate sustainability to Zoom.
00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:56.879
Oh, yeah, that's true.
00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:01.120
So what does it mean, like sustainability and Zoom?
00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:01.840
Yeah.
00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:05.679
So Zoom does have buildings and operations.
00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:11.919
So even though we are a SaaS company, we have, I want to say 22 operations around the world.
00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:15.440
So sustainability at Zoom has kind of three pillars.
00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:17.919
Number one is customer engagement.
00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:20.480
So what do our customers ask of us?
00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:23.120
Are they asking us to set a net zero target?
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:26.159
Do they want to know our carbon footprint per call?
00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:28.879
Like what do our what does our customer base look like?
00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:30.639
What are our investors asking about?
00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:35.519
So engaging with customers, having those conversations, educating them about what we do do.
00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:36.960
That that's one pillar.
00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.679
The second one is reporting and disclosure.
00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:45.519
So looking at all of our data and our metrics, making sure it's accurate, making sure it's ready to be audited.
00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:47.039
That's another pillar.
00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:54.480
We are evaluating regulations globally to understand what that looks like as a global multi-billion dollar company.
00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:55.840
So that's always changing.
00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.720
And then the last pillar is operations and execution.
00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:11.039
So reducing waste in our own offices, choosing to do compost, all of our data tracking from our own facilities, collecting our energy, water, waste bills, making sure all of our site coordinators are doing that.
00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:15.519
If we have any on-site events, minimizing waste for that, choosing recycled materials.
00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:18.960
So it's not it, there is a global footprint.
00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:23.279
It is smaller than one might think, but yes, there is a global footprint.
00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:24.240
Yeah.
00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:25.599
So you love your job.
00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:26.000
Yes.
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.400
Are you, is this it for a while?
00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:30.480
Is it what's on the horizon for you?
00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.440
It's gonna be really big or it's gonna be really small.
00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:38.240
So I bid at every size company, and there's pros and cons to all of it, right?
00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:40.400
It's nice to have the formality of a big company.
00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:43.839
It's also challenging to work in a bureaucracy.
00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:45.680
And a startup is similar, right?
00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:48.880
Like you have to do so much in a startup, you have to be the jack of all trades.
00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:51.119
I think next is two options.
00:17:51.279 --> 00:18:02.240
I feel like it's going even bigger to like a Roche or a Genentech or, you know, a very massive company that has a large team related to sustainability.
00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:04.880
And they have a fully built-out program.
00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:07.839
And, you know, it's so it's a well-oiled machine.
00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:19.839
The other idea is to go to a nonprofit like the Nature Conservancy or NRDC and and be a support person there and use my use my skills to help them maybe even quantify their own impact.
00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:22.240
That's what I'm toying with, but not for a while.
00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:22.720
Not for a while.
00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:23.119
You're good.
00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:23.599
Not for a while.
00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:24.240
I'm so good.
00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:24.799
I'm so good.
00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:25.440
Yeah.
00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:29.279
So you knew very early on what you wanted to do.
00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:40.640
And you found, you know, you kind of designed this thing in college and grad school and really carried that through through all these different workspaces, which I think is unusual.
00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:44.079
I mean, I think people don't necessarily find that.
00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:50.960
Is it just because you kind of figured it out early and you think, yeah, this is it, and no question about it?
00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:55.119
Do you think you just didn't think to go somewhere else or do something else?
00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:56.000
Like, what was that?
00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:00.400
Because I think I feel like the backbone theme has always been there, right?
00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:02.319
Like using business for good, right?
00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:05.279
Like that that backbone theme has carried me through.
00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:17.200
But when you talk about the sectors, they're so different, you know, the building sector, the nonprofit sector, you know, architecture, compliance, that they're all business doing good.
00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:17.599
Right.
00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.079
And it's that theme that I've been able to do it in so many different veins.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:23.200
That's what's been fun.
00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:24.319
Like it's always different.
00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:26.319
It's all the conversation is always different.
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:29.279
The customer base is always different, the client's always different.
00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:31.200
So that keeps me motivated.
00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:33.599
It's the same theme, it's a different conversation, right?
00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:34.160
Yeah.
00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:46.079
So what do you you have two young boys in high school and what are you telling them as they're trying to figure out the path they want to take and colleges and careers?
00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:48.720
Again, going back to finding your passion.
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:54.079
And so I feel like my job as a parent is to help them find what they are passionate about.
00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:55.920
And it doesn't have to be a full stop.
00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:57.759
It doesn't have to be it's just one thing.
00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:08.079
But I feel like people are successful if they're living their dream, if they're, you know, if they are actually doing the work that makes them care and love and brings them joy.
00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:12.640
And so if they can find that, then I feel like I've been successful.
00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:14.400
That and that's also my fear, right?
00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:15.279
If they don't find it.
00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.920
Because I have several friends and they they say the same thing.
00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.839
They're like, I never found that, Holly.
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:21.440
I never, I never found that job.
00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:24.319
I never found that passion of what I want to do.
00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:28.559
And so I hope I can expose them to enough things that they can they can find that.
00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:29.599
And again, they're young.
00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:31.680
I mean, they might not find it till they're 30 and 40.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:32.160
Right.
00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:36.880
You know, but and I think one of the concerns and something that keeps coming up is AI.
00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:41.680
Are you concerned about AI in your career?
00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:44.559
I'm concerned about the perception of AI.
00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:49.920
So I've been using AI and it is straight up incorrect.
00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:58.880
What I've been curating, the prompts I've been giving it, and the information I'm receiving are completely wrong with what is truly happening.
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:10.480
And that's what makes me nervous, is because if people take that information without a human with expertise and experience reviewing it, then all of that false information gets disseminated.
00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:22.160
So it takes that level of human intervention and not just any intervention, you know, an actual keen eye with very knowledgeable experience to then, you know, interpret the AI results.
00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:27.200
So what worries me is that everybody's saying, yeah, just use AI, just use AI, just use AI.
00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:34.079
And I'm like, you can't just use AI, you know, like I am getting incorrect dates on regulatory filings from AI.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:35.599
I mean, black and white.
00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:38.720
You know, carb is telling me one thing and AI is telling me something different.
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:41.359
So I don't worry about it for my job.
00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:46.079
I worry about it for societal, societal, you know, impacts more so.
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:55.920
For my job, as long as I can have that layer of exposure to it before it becomes public or whatever we're doing with it, then I'm comfortable with it.
00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.839
But if I don't get to see it before it's going out the door, then yes, there might be some concerns.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.400
concerns.
00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:00.799
Yeah.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:05.759
You've also worked in nonprofit, you worked in corporate, you said all these different sizes.
00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:08.640
Are there pros and cons to those?
00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:09.279
Yeah.
00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:17.200
So again, the big, you know, the big bohemoths, they give structure, they've given give formality, there's rules, there's policies and everything.
00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:23.839
I will say the one company where I felt you knew where the ship was heading, everybody was on board.
00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:33.440
385,000 people worldwide was actually IBM, where you had clear understanding of the goals and the priorities of the company.
00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:38.640
Granted this was 20 years ago, but it actually felt very cohesive for its size.
00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:50.799
I've also been at an 18 person engineering company where it's very disparate and there is no formality to the HR policies or who's taking vacation or who's managing what projects.
00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:57.279
So I think there is something to be said for the large corporations and how they've learned to manage and evolve over time.
00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.599
And then the newbies coming up, right?
00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.559
Like everybody wants to be an entrepreneur on a startup.
00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:15.599
Well, there's a growing pain after you're a startup, you have to go through the teenage years and you do have to build out things that employees can rely upon or reduction emission reduction plans or whatever you know that nuance is.
00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:18.720
But you're going to have to come to that point if you want to continue to grow.
00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:22.400
And then once you get to those growing pains, hopefully you're successful again.
00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:33.119
So there's there's evolutions and there's ebbs and flows into when companies are successful in different times in their maturity and you jump in to to what feels right for you, you know?
00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:33.839
So yeah.
00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:36.880
And you also said your goal is to make business better.
00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:38.640
Do you think business can be better?
00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:39.680
Have you achieved that?
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:41.440
No, no, you've never achieved it.
00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:43.839
I don't feel like and that that's another driver, right?
00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:47.200
Like you could I can do more, you know, I want to do more.
00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:49.359
I want to expose leadership to more ideas.
00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:59.680
And there's people willing, you know, I mean we've got site coordinators in the Netherlands that are doing amazing work and they're going out of their way to make sure everything gets composted or something, you know.
00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:02.000
So there's no, we can always do better.
00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:02.640
Absolutely.
00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:03.039
Yeah.
00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:06.240
Sustainability, the term has become very political.
00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:08.000
Has that affected you?
00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.880
Job options, your kind of your role?
00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:12.079
Directly, no.
00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:15.279
Our business is driven by customers and what the customers want.
00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:18.000
Luckily our customer base is international.
00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:28.079
So we still get tons of pressure to set a science-based target, to reduce our emissions, you know, to evaluate water for our data center use and everything like that.
00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:33.359
So there's a lot of pressure still for us to to be responsible citizens.
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:41.200
So it has not affected me directly, but I do have very close sustainability colleagues who have been let go in other companies.
00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:50.640
So it's happening, you know, and people are feeling it but we are in in a certain spot where where we are still carrying ourselves accountable and holding ourselves accountable.
00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:52.240
Pinchelin will swing again.
00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:52.799
Exactly.
00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:53.279
Right.
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:53.680
Right.
00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:54.160
Yes.
00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:54.720
Yes.
00:24:55.039 --> 00:25:15.680
So what advice would you give just a college student right now who is kind of trying to figure out college and majors and what to do during that time and then graduating and how to find a job because I think you know you told me the story about you posted a job and got something like 800 applications in one day.
00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:18.559
In 72 hours we had 834 applications.
00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:18.960
Yeah.
00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:22.079
Overqualified overqualified like yeah insane.
00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:28.079
And I think you know they're getting frustrated they graduate and they apply and yeah who knows where those land.
00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:28.559
Yeah.
00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:33.440
What advice do you have as for those those young people coming out of college?
00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:39.039
So on the on the front end your earlier question, just finding what you're interested in.
00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:43.200
I because I think that will drive you longer than the job, right?
00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:47.279
So the jobs will come and go and bosses will come and go.
00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:51.599
But as long as you find what interests you'll continue to thrive.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:26:06.640
On the second piece the jobs what I have seen is just the networking the networking has to pay off because it's just the connections and the networking and who you know even all of us now in our 40s we are talking to each other about jobs.
00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:11.039
Those that have laid off they're reaching out to like you know we're reaching out to each other.
00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:15.359
It's not an open an open job on LinkedIn or anything like that.
00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:22.559
I've been lucky that I have gotten jobs via the traditional path and and you know LinkedIn openings and stuff like that.
00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:24.720
But I think that is becoming increasingly rare.
00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:33.839
But even networking, you know, because I tell I tell them that also but yeah you know it's really hard to connect to people I mean nobody responds to emails.
00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:36.400
Give a little bit more like how do you network?
00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:47.119
Yeah so when I came back from Philly I found the local organization in Los Angeles the US Green Building Council and they have many many programs.
00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:58.319
But I would say finding a local organization a local organization that you're interested in and it might not become your career network, but at least you have a friend base that's going through the same thing.
00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:02.640
And and that becomes harder and harder as you graduate from college, you know?
00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:07.759
And also yeah I would say it's getting out there and going to events and activities.
00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:08.319
Yeah.
00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:10.319
And you know the different programs we have.
00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:10.720
Yeah.
00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:11.359
It's hard.
00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:12.880
It's it's so hard.
00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:17.759
I mean I do not and I don't want to minimize that that is absolutely hard work.
00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:22.480
And again, experienced professionals, it is a full-time job to find another job.
00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:25.759
So it is very challenging for new grads as well, you know.
00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:33.599
I still think the big four want to take up you know the young ambitious graduates, you know, the PwCs and the EYs and stuff like that.
00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:37.839
And that's a great starting point because then you can figure out too what you want to hone in on.
00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:44.480
So going back, you know, when you were in college and maybe there's maybe you have no advice for yourself because you did it right.
00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:50.640
But what would you knowing what you know now, what would you go back and tell your your 21 year old self?
00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:59.279
I would probably say good job staying a fifth year because I loved college and I loved the campus and I loved the central coast of California.
00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:01.039
And so I was like why would I leave?
00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:04.240
Like yes I'm graduating but why the heck would I leave?
00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:08.640
So I I stayed and just finished the master's in a single year.
00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:12.799
And that was awesome and great and you know I was getting older.
00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:15.200
So I would say kudos to that.
00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:30.880
I would also say I wish I had taken more classes on fundamental environmental work and even even law probably not that I wanted to go into it but just more environmental classes just for interest you know yeah Holly thank you so much.
00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:39.920
I really appreciated this conversation because you know you have been a great mentor and really helped build our students network.
00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:41.359
So we appreciate that.
00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:46.079
Absolutely yeah it's a pleasure thank you and thank you for making business better.
00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:51.519
Thanks Monica Thank you so much for listening to Pathfound.
00:28:51.759 --> 00:29:00.079
If anything we talked about today connected with you or gave you a new perspective we'd love it if you subscribed left a review or shared the episode with someone you care about.
00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:03.119
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00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:08.160
To explore more stories, resources and ways to get involved visit Keystoneetwork.org.
00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:17.119
This podcast is just one part of the journey at Keystone Network where helping young people and anyone figuring it out as they go build meaningful futures one step at a time.
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A huge thank you to my podcast editor David Strutt you can find him on LinkedIn for helping bring these stories to life and to Elizabeth Minor at Silvermine Creative for the beautiful artwork and web design.
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And if you're on your own path navigating the unknown making a pivot or simply figuring it out as you go just know you're not alone.
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The route may not be linear but there's always a way forward.
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I'm Monica Argandonia and I'll see you next time on Pathfound
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Just finding what you're interested in that will drive you longer than the job.
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The jobs will come and go, and bosses will come and go.
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But as long as you find what interests you, you'll continue to thrive.
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Hi everyone, and welcome to Pathfound, the podcast about the real, messy, unexpected journeys that lead us to the work we love.
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I'm Monica Argandonia, and every week I talk with someone whose story proves there's no single right way to build a meaningful life.
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What if you can make business better?
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Not just for the bottom line, but for the planet?
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That question has been at the center of today's guest's entire career.
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Today I'm sitting down with someone I've had the privilege of knowing for a few years now.
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She's a third-generation Southern California Edison family, a Cal Poly grad with a self-designed master's degree, and a sustainability leader who has literally written half of her own job descriptions because the roles she envisioned didn't exist yet.
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She's worked everywhere, from IBM to architecture firms, from a Philadelphia nonprofit to an engineering consultancy, and today she's heading up sustainability at one of the world's most recognized tech companies, Zoom.
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She is Holly Hill, and her story is one of vision, grit, and just enough willingness to leap before she could see the other side.
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Holly, welcome.
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I am so happy you're here.
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Hi Monica.
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So good to see you.
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Fun to hang out with you in a studio setting.
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So, like I start everybody's.
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What were you like growing up, middle school, high school?
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As a child.
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Well, I think I was very active.
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I would ride our tricycle, my tricycle all around the driveway.
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I remember doing that.
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I was the baby of five.
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And so yeah, they my older brothers picked on me a lot.
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So I grew to be a little bit tougher.
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So that was always fun.
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I used to play teacher.
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I remember that specifically growing up as a child.
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I would have a whiteboard and a chalkboard, and I would play teacher, and all the students were in front of me, and I would dictate to them what they had to do.
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So that was that was a fun time, I remember.
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And we always went camping.
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So I remember being out in the environment a bunch and just enjoying being out in nature.
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Were you a good student then?
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Yes.
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Okay.
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So I was a good student, but the feedback was always she's a great student, but she's a little chatty.
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She's a little chatty in class and she distracts the other students.
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So funny, I got the same criticism.
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Every report guard.
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She's great, but talks too much.
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Talk too much.
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Yeah.
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So social.
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So social beings.
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It's fine.
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So, all right.
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So you're in high school.
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Do you kind of know what you want to do?
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Is college on your radar?
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College was definitely on my radar.
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That was, I never wavered from that.
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Like that was my next step.
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Neither of my parents were college graduates.
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And so I was like, no, I'm going.
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I have a plan and I don't know what I want to study, but I definitely know I want to go and get a degree.
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And that was definitely intentional.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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So where do you go?
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How do you figure it out?
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So I remember getting awards in junior high and high school.
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And that opened doors for different applications and different scholarships and things like that.
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And then when I started seeing where those led, it was, it was the school was kind of the tail end, if that makes any sense.
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So I would see there was National Scholar Federation, for example, or something like that.
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And then you would fill out that form and it was, do you want to send your, you know, your resume or your application to these different schools?
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And I was like, oh, yeah, those are, those could be on my radar.
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And then you start looking at the different schools.
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My French teacher was actually very instrumental in helping me now that I think about it.
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He said, you make a long list and you make your short list and then you make your absolute, your, you know, your guaranteed list.
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And so he pushed me on that, on the aspirational list and, you know, to apply at Rice University and you know, have the long shots and everything.
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And then the other schools were middle of the range, and then the ones you you knew you were going to get into.
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So yeah, and reflecting back now, yeah, it was it was him that really helped me formulate a plan for that.
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So where did you go?
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Yeah.
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I went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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Okay.
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Yes.
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What did you major in?
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Industrial technology.
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Actually, I started in environmental engineering, and I still showed that off to my boys because I got into an engineering program at Calpali San Luis Obispo.
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And so I started environmental engineering, and then the physics was just too hard for me.
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So I was like, okay, I'm not gonna pursue that.
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And then a bunch of us were interested in this industrial engineering, and it was just kind of evolving.
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And it was, it was bridging kind of the tactical world of packaging and marketing with the engineering side.
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And so it opened, opened up kind of a new arena, a new field for a lot of us that were in the environmental engineering program.
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How did you even find that?
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Like how did you pick that?
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I like the technical nature of engineering, but I didn't necessarily want to sit behind a desk or go into environmental law or, you know, design levers or anything like that.
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So when just looking at the course catalog, literally, like I like this technical.
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I don't want to lean towards the liberal arts.
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I want to do the technical work, but I want to broaden that a little bit more.
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And so that's yeah.
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So you stuck with that, graduated four years.
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Yeah, and then stayed there and got my master's.
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Oh, okay.
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Straight through.
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Straight through.
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On the same thing.
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So my master's, my graduate degree is uh environmental studies, actually.
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Okay.
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So I layered on the environment on top of the business and the engineering.
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What do you think brought about the environmental piece?
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I always knew I wanted to do that.
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I always wanted, not I can't say always, but I would say in high school, I just had this aha moment and I was like, business spends so much money.
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And imagine if all of their money was helping the environment.
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Imagine if those business decisions could help the environment.
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Imagine if I could parlay that, you know, to be better business and better environmental choices.
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And so when I did the industrial engineering route, that was the business side of the house.
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And then I was, and then I created my own master's program marrying the two with the environmental studies on top of it.
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So when were you in high school?
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91 to 95.
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So you were ahead of your time.
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I mean, there was no sustainability program.
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There was no sustainability.
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There was very little environment.
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It's not like people chose there weren't a lot of colleges who offered those degrees.
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And even when I looked for a master's, the only ones, there was one in Australia that looked promising, and then there was one in a in a European country that looked amazing.
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But that was it.
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There was no, even now it's hard to find a doctorate in sustainability.
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So the master's, the master's was was fun to create.
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And yes, I was trying to get ahead of what I wanted to do, basically.
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That's so interesting.
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Like you actually figured out this is what I want.
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Now I gotta design it.
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Yeah.
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Huh.
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But it's funny you say that because I think it is a theme, because I actually have written four of my eight job descriptions.
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Okay.
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All right.
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So I'm jumping ahead.
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All right.
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So you graduate.
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Yeah.
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So you graduate your master's, and then what?
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Then there was a recruiting fair on Cow Poly's campus, and IBM wanted to hire me.
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They gave me a great offer.
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Housing, move up to the Bay Area, all of that.
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And so I started in their real estate organization.
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It was environmental compliance at that time.
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So that's where the degree took me, which was fine and great, but I knew I didn't want to do that long term.
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So and you had no experience in real estate.
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No, no, that's just where it sits.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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But it was just the compliance of policy correctly.
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Correct.
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Okay.
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So how long were you there?
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Almost seven years.
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Oh wow.
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That's been my longest job, actually.
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Still the first one out of college.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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All right.
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So did you like it?
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I did like it, but I didn't want to clean up anymore.
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I mean, I was raised with, you know, big business is bad, big business is bad, right?
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Like in the whole environmental movement of the 70s.
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And then to come to a company and they're building, they're manufacturing chips.
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And yes, they're not necessarily dumping into soil, but they're just doing less harm, right?
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So how do you get ahead of that?
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So I found myself when I was in the environmental compliance space cleaning up the messes.
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You know, there the pollution is happening and then you filter it on the tail end.
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Or, you know, you're generating hazardous waste and then it goes to an off-site facility, but the waste is still being generated.
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And that's what was frustrating me.
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I didn't want to be on the cleanup side.
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I wanted to be on the front end side to design that waste and that pollution out to begin with.
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Okay.
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Yeah.
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So you start looking for something else.
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So I picked up a side project at IBM doing lead certification for one of our facilities in San Jose.
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And it's called EBOM, Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance.
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And that was the certification project.
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And I just kind of did it on the side and got really excited about it.
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And then I saw a job opening at an architectural firm for somebody with EBOM experience.
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I applied and I got it, which was completely unexpected because I was going from environmental compliance at a manufacturing plant, basically, to an architecture firm.
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Very pivotal time, I would say, right?
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Like that was I did not expect to get that position.
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And I did.
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So it was cool.
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So all right.
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So now what are you doing in that job?
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Oh, at in the architecture.
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Yeah, I was a sustainable design manager.
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So I led the building group that did the energy modeling for them and did the lead certifications for them.
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Yeah.
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It was it was a great dream job.
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Yeah.
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How long did you do that?
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Four years.
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Why did you leave?
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We moved to Philly for my husband's job opportunity.
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So we moved back east.
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So I had to leave it.
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We can't go job by job.
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It'll go forever.
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No, no, but I think it's important.
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Okay, so now you're in a new city, no connections.
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New city, no connections.
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And I tried to navigate that same path.
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I tried to do the architectural arena.
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I tried to do there are amazing architecture firms in Philly and environmental consulting firms.
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And I wasn't able to get a job in there.
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So I ended up at GBCI, the Green Building Certification Institute, doing lead certifications.
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Okay.
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Which I didn't mind, but I found myself pigeonholed because now you're just doing buildings.
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You're not doing large-scale developments.
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You're not doing sustainability more broadly.
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You're just focusing on this lead certification checklist for these incoming projects.
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So I knew the system, I grew the system, it was, it was fine, it was great.
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It was remote.
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So that was that was excellent.
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And then we got the opportunity to come back to the West Coast.
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And so I changed jobs again.
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All right.
00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:30.960
So you come now what?
00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:33.600
Now, now I go to engineering companies.
00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:37.840
So I had a connection at an engineering company called Integral Group.
00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:44.240
And she brought me on as a lead consultant because I had worked with her previously at HMC Architects.
00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:47.200
So that connection absolutely paid off.
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I was out of my element.
00:10:48.799 --> 00:11:00.480
And I would say that each of these job moves, I was out of my element by at least probably 10 to 15%, you know, like you know you can do the job up to a certain point, but then you always push a little bit.
00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:06.720
And so from going from the nonprofit of GBCI to an engineering firm was very different.
00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:12.399
And so I liked the diversity of projects as now I'm seeing all the projects come in.
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I'm working with many of them.
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And then we're doing big scale projects, so net zero developments and trying to do zero energy or zero waste or zero water for the Levi's facility, you know, up in the Bay Area or something like that.
00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:29.600
So that really broadened my horizons and and pushed me technically for sure.
00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:29.919
Yeah.
00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:41.200
So what do you think it was about you that, you know, because we've I've had this conversation with other women on the podcast, how men will apply for jobs that they don't have any experience for sometimes.
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They just, yeah, I'm gonna apply.
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And women have to check off all the boxes.
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Yeah.
00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:47.679
But you really you you just jumped in.
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I did.
00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:55.279
And I I this the scariest one I would say was probably going to the architecture firm because these are degreed architects.
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I mean, these are people that have been doing architecture for 20 years.
00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:02.960
And who am I to come in and say, hey, you know, you need to do a reflective roof?
00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:07.519
And oh, by the way, you need more insulation in this wall so that it's a better performing building.
00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:12.639
You know, like who am I to come in and change design standards when I'm not an architect?
00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:24.320
And so I feel like I have always pushed to do that, to try to push myself and push the role to do what I want to do and make it work for me and just just go for it, really.
00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:25.919
Did you have people helping you?
00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:27.600
Did you have mentors?
00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:28.720
Yeah, support.
00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:33.039
I always felt that people wanted me to be successful, very fortunate with that.
00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:42.320
Every manager I have had has really been helpful and navigating upward for me and very much guiding me, you know.
00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:44.639
And so I think that's been very instrumental.
00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:46.799
I I have not knocked on wood.
00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:49.360
I've been very fortunate with the leadership I've had.
00:12:49.519 --> 00:12:49.679
Yeah.
00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:51.759
Okay, so you're in this engineering firm.
00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:52.799
In the engineering firm.
00:12:53.120 --> 00:13:00.879
Go to a small consulting firm next, and then saw another what I felt was dream job open up.
00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:03.039
And that was Southern California Edison.
00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:06.399
And I am third generation Southern California Edison.
00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.360
So my father worked there, my grandfather worked there.
00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:17.919
There's a lot of history in our family, a lot of pride in, you know, providing the electricity distribution network of Southern California.
00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:21.200
And, you know, there's placards, and I've been to the dinners and all of that.
00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:24.960
And so they had a sustainability role open here in Rosemead.
00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:29.440
And so I tried, I applied for it and I got it, and it was, it was great.
00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:30.559
It was awesome.
00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:31.919
But there wasn't support.
00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:35.360
There wasn't support for the role in how I wanted to do it.
00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:39.840
So I found myself there for four years, but I had the same project plan.
00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:41.279
It wasn't moving forward.
00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:50.159
And I needed resources, I need a I needed budget, I need people that were sincerely wanting to move this path forward with me to be successful.
00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:52.799
So then I applied for another job.
00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:53.759
Yeah.
00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:59.039
So you talked about earlier you mentioned writing your own job descriptions.
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:01.759
Did that happen in all of these jobs?
00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:05.279
I would say, yeah, I mean, a half of them at least.
00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:05.679
Okay.
00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:06.320
Yeah.
00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:10.159
So just kind of creating that role again because it's such a new field.
00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:10.799
Yes.
00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.519
So you stayed Edison a few years.
00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:18.000
And um, and then, oh, and COVID hit, right?
00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:21.519
And so then it was, okay, everybody, everybody go home.
00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:23.519
And so we were working from home.
00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:25.919
And again, just some self-reflection.
00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:30.639
Like I could I could take this job into retirement, but would I be fulfilled?
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:32.799
And I realized I had more to give.
00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:36.799
So although the company didn't need me to give more, I wanted to give more.
00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:38.399
And so it was time to move on.
00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:43.279
And so I applied for this position at Zoom and fell in love with it.
00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:45.679
And so I have amazing leadership.
00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:47.360
I've got amazing autonomy.
00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:53.360
I get to drive the program and build the case for it and then continue to execute on it.
00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.000
So I love the balance of strategic thinking.
00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:04.159
So, you know, every year you're looking at the plan, you're understanding what the needs are, what the customers want, and then actually doing the due diligence and the work to get it done.
00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:10.960
Again, probably again, speaking with you, going back to, I guess I do like the technical and the strategic at the same time.
00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:11.440
Okay.
00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:12.399
Yeah, that's fun.
00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:15.440
Do you think your degrees prepared you for all these jobs?
00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:17.279
I don't think the content was there yet.
00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:17.679
Yeah.
00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.799
My the work I do now was not in a classroom.
00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:22.480
It was not available in a classroom.
00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.240
Could could we build a pro, you know, a curriculum that speaks to the job now?
00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:26.960
Absolutely.
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.960
But it wasn't built at that point.
00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:33.120
I mean, the environmental compliance, maybe, but I wasn't going into policy and law.
00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:41.759
So I feel like the the backbone and the job that helped me the most was actually IBM because it gave me the ISO compliance.
00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:50.000
It gave me an understanding of the regulations and those environmental regulations I can always point to in all of the positions I've had as that as that experience.
00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:50.559
Yeah.
00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:55.600
So I don't think a lot of people relate sustainability to Zoom.
00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:56.879
Oh, yeah, that's true.
00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:01.120
So what does it mean, like sustainability and Zoom?
00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:01.840
Yeah.
00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:05.679
So Zoom does have buildings and operations.
00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:11.919
So even though we are a SaaS company, we have, I want to say 22 operations around the world.
00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:15.440
So sustainability at Zoom has kind of three pillars.
00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:17.919
Number one is customer engagement.
00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:20.480
So what do our customers ask of us?
00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:23.120
Are they asking us to set a net zero target?
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:26.159
Do they want to know our carbon footprint per call?
00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:28.879
Like what do our what does our customer base look like?
00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:30.639
What are our investors asking about?
00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:35.519
So engaging with customers, having those conversations, educating them about what we do do.
00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:36.960
That that's one pillar.
00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.679
The second one is reporting and disclosure.
00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:45.519
So looking at all of our data and our metrics, making sure it's accurate, making sure it's ready to be audited.
00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:47.039
That's another pillar.
00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:54.480
We are evaluating regulations globally to understand what that looks like as a global multi-billion dollar company.
00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:55.840
So that's always changing.
00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.720
And then the last pillar is operations and execution.
00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:11.039
So reducing waste in our own offices, choosing to do compost, all of our data tracking from our own facilities, collecting our energy, water, waste bills, making sure all of our site coordinators are doing that.
00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:15.519
If we have any on-site events, minimizing waste for that, choosing recycled materials.
00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:18.960
So it's not it, there is a global footprint.
00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:23.279
It is smaller than one might think, but yes, there is a global footprint.
00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:24.240
Yeah.
00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:25.599
So you love your job.
00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:26.000
Yes.
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.400
Are you, is this it for a while?
00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:30.480
Is it what's on the horizon for you?
00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.440
It's gonna be really big or it's gonna be really small.
00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:38.240
So I bid at every size company, and there's pros and cons to all of it, right?
00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:40.400
It's nice to have the formality of a big company.
00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:43.839
It's also challenging to work in a bureaucracy.
00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:45.680
And a startup is similar, right?
00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:48.880
Like you have to do so much in a startup, you have to be the jack of all trades.
00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:51.119
I think next is two options.
00:17:51.279 --> 00:18:02.240
I feel like it's going even bigger to like a Roche or a Genentech or, you know, a very massive company that has a large team related to sustainability.
00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:04.880
And they have a fully built-out program.
00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:07.839
And, you know, it's so it's a well-oiled machine.
00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:19.839
The other idea is to go to a nonprofit like the Nature Conservancy or NRDC and and be a support person there and use my use my skills to help them maybe even quantify their own impact.
00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:22.240
That's what I'm toying with, but not for a while.
00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:22.720
Not for a while.
00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:23.119
You're good.
00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:23.599
Not for a while.
00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:24.240
I'm so good.
00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:24.799
I'm so good.
00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:25.440
Yeah.
00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:29.279
So you knew very early on what you wanted to do.
00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:40.640
And you found, you know, you kind of designed this thing in college and grad school and really carried that through through all these different workspaces, which I think is unusual.
00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:44.079
I mean, I think people don't necessarily find that.
00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:50.960
Is it just because you kind of figured it out early and you think, yeah, this is it, and no question about it?
00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:55.119
Do you think you just didn't think to go somewhere else or do something else?
00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:56.000
Like, what was that?
00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:00.400
Because I think I feel like the backbone theme has always been there, right?
00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:02.319
Like using business for good, right?
00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:05.279
Like that that backbone theme has carried me through.
00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:17.200
But when you talk about the sectors, they're so different, you know, the building sector, the nonprofit sector, you know, architecture, compliance, that they're all business doing good.
00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:17.599
Right.
00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.079
And it's that theme that I've been able to do it in so many different veins.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:23.200
That's what's been fun.
00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:24.319
Like it's always different.
00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:26.319
It's all the conversation is always different.
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:29.279
The customer base is always different, the client's always different.
00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:31.200
So that keeps me motivated.
00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:33.599
It's the same theme, it's a different conversation, right?
00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:34.160
Yeah.
00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:46.079
So what do you you have two young boys in high school and what are you telling them as they're trying to figure out the path they want to take and colleges and careers?
00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:48.720
Again, going back to finding your passion.
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:54.079
And so I feel like my job as a parent is to help them find what they are passionate about.
00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:55.920
And it doesn't have to be a full stop.
00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:57.759
It doesn't have to be it's just one thing.
00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:08.079
But I feel like people are successful if they're living their dream, if they're, you know, if they are actually doing the work that makes them care and love and brings them joy.
00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:12.640
And so if they can find that, then I feel like I've been successful.
00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:14.400
That and that's also my fear, right?
00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:15.279
If they don't find it.
00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.920
Because I have several friends and they they say the same thing.
00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.839
They're like, I never found that, Holly.
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:21.440
I never, I never found that job.
00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:24.319
I never found that passion of what I want to do.
00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:28.559
And so I hope I can expose them to enough things that they can they can find that.
00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:29.599
And again, they're young.
00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:31.680
I mean, they might not find it till they're 30 and 40.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:32.160
Right.
00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:36.880
You know, but and I think one of the concerns and something that keeps coming up is AI.
00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:41.680
Are you concerned about AI in your career?
00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:44.559
I'm concerned about the perception of AI.
00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:49.920
So I've been using AI and it is straight up incorrect.
00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:58.880
What I've been curating, the prompts I've been giving it, and the information I'm receiving are completely wrong with what is truly happening.
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:10.480
And that's what makes me nervous, is because if people take that information without a human with expertise and experience reviewing it, then all of that false information gets disseminated.
00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:22.160
So it takes that level of human intervention and not just any intervention, you know, an actual keen eye with very knowledgeable experience to then, you know, interpret the AI results.
00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:27.200
So what worries me is that everybody's saying, yeah, just use AI, just use AI, just use AI.
00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:34.079
And I'm like, you can't just use AI, you know, like I am getting incorrect dates on regulatory filings from AI.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:35.599
I mean, black and white.
00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:38.720
You know, carb is telling me one thing and AI is telling me something different.
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:41.359
So I don't worry about it for my job.
00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:46.079
I worry about it for societal, societal, you know, impacts more so.
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:55.920
For my job, as long as I can have that layer of exposure to it before it becomes public or whatever we're doing with it, then I'm comfortable with it.
00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.839
But if I don't get to see it before it's going out the door, then yes, there might be some concerns.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.400
concerns.
00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:00.799
Yeah.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:05.759
You've also worked in nonprofit, you worked in corporate, you said all these different sizes.
00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:08.640
Are there pros and cons to those?
00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:09.279
Yeah.
00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:17.200
So again, the big, you know, the big bohemoths, they give structure, they've given give formality, there's rules, there's policies and everything.
00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:23.839
I will say the one company where I felt you knew where the ship was heading, everybody was on board.
00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:33.440
385,000 people worldwide was actually IBM, where you had clear understanding of the goals and the priorities of the company.
00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:38.640
Granted this was 20 years ago, but it actually felt very cohesive for its size.
00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:50.799
I've also been at an 18 person engineering company where it's very disparate and there is no formality to the HR policies or who's taking vacation or who's managing what projects.
00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:57.279
So I think there is something to be said for the large corporations and how they've learned to manage and evolve over time.
00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.599
And then the newbies coming up, right?
00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.559
Like everybody wants to be an entrepreneur on a startup.
00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:15.599
Well, there's a growing pain after you're a startup, you have to go through the teenage years and you do have to build out things that employees can rely upon or reduction emission reduction plans or whatever you know that nuance is.
00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:18.720
But you're going to have to come to that point if you want to continue to grow.
00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:22.400
And then once you get to those growing pains, hopefully you're successful again.
00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:33.119
So there's there's evolutions and there's ebbs and flows into when companies are successful in different times in their maturity and you jump in to to what feels right for you, you know?
00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:33.839
So yeah.
00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:36.880
And you also said your goal is to make business better.
00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:38.640
Do you think business can be better?
00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:39.680
Have you achieved that?
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:41.440
No, no, you've never achieved it.
00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:43.839
I don't feel like and that that's another driver, right?
00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:47.200
Like you could I can do more, you know, I want to do more.
00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:49.359
I want to expose leadership to more ideas.
00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:59.680
And there's people willing, you know, I mean we've got site coordinators in the Netherlands that are doing amazing work and they're going out of their way to make sure everything gets composted or something, you know.
00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:02.000
So there's no, we can always do better.
00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:02.640
Absolutely.
00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:03.039
Yeah.
00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:06.240
Sustainability, the term has become very political.
00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:08.000
Has that affected you?
00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.880
Job options, your kind of your role?
00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:12.079
Directly, no.
00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:15.279
Our business is driven by customers and what the customers want.
00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:18.000
Luckily our customer base is international.
00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:28.079
So we still get tons of pressure to set a science-based target, to reduce our emissions, you know, to evaluate water for our data center use and everything like that.
00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:33.359
So there's a lot of pressure still for us to to be responsible citizens.
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:41.200
So it has not affected me directly, but I do have very close sustainability colleagues who have been let go in other companies.
00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:50.640
So it's happening, you know, and people are feeling it but we are in in a certain spot where where we are still carrying ourselves accountable and holding ourselves accountable.
00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:52.240
Pinchelin will swing again.
00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:52.799
Exactly.
00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:53.279
Right.
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:53.680
Right.
00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:54.160
Yes.
00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:54.720
Yes.
00:24:55.039 --> 00:25:15.680
So what advice would you give just a college student right now who is kind of trying to figure out college and majors and what to do during that time and then graduating and how to find a job because I think you know you told me the story about you posted a job and got something like 800 applications in one day.
00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:18.559
In 72 hours we had 834 applications.
00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:18.960
Yeah.
00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:22.079
Overqualified overqualified like yeah insane.
00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:28.079
And I think you know they're getting frustrated they graduate and they apply and yeah who knows where those land.
00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:28.559
Yeah.
00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:33.440
What advice do you have as for those those young people coming out of college?
00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:39.039
So on the on the front end your earlier question, just finding what you're interested in.
00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:43.200
I because I think that will drive you longer than the job, right?
00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:47.279
So the jobs will come and go and bosses will come and go.
00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:51.599
But as long as you find what interests you'll continue to thrive.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:26:06.640
On the second piece the jobs what I have seen is just the networking the networking has to pay off because it's just the connections and the networking and who you know even all of us now in our 40s we are talking to each other about jobs.
00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:11.039
Those that have laid off they're reaching out to like you know we're reaching out to each other.
00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:15.359
It's not an open an open job on LinkedIn or anything like that.
00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:22.559
I've been lucky that I have gotten jobs via the traditional path and and you know LinkedIn openings and stuff like that.
00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:24.720
But I think that is becoming increasingly rare.
00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:33.839
But even networking, you know, because I tell I tell them that also but yeah you know it's really hard to connect to people I mean nobody responds to emails.
00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:36.400
Give a little bit more like how do you network?
00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:47.119
Yeah so when I came back from Philly I found the local organization in Los Angeles the US Green Building Council and they have many many programs.
00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:58.319
But I would say finding a local organization a local organization that you're interested in and it might not become your career network, but at least you have a friend base that's going through the same thing.
00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:02.640
And and that becomes harder and harder as you graduate from college, you know?
00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:07.759
And also yeah I would say it's getting out there and going to events and activities.
00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:08.319
Yeah.
00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:10.319
And you know the different programs we have.
00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:10.720
Yeah.
00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:11.359
It's hard.
00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:12.880
It's it's so hard.
00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:17.759
I mean I do not and I don't want to minimize that that is absolutely hard work.
00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:22.480
And again, experienced professionals, it is a full-time job to find another job.
00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:25.759
So it is very challenging for new grads as well, you know.
00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:33.599
I still think the big four want to take up you know the young ambitious graduates, you know, the PwCs and the EYs and stuff like that.
00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:37.839
And that's a great starting point because then you can figure out too what you want to hone in on.
00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:44.480
So going back, you know, when you were in college and maybe there's maybe you have no advice for yourself because you did it right.
00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:50.640
But what would you knowing what you know now, what would you go back and tell your your 21 year old self?
00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:59.279
I would probably say good job staying a fifth year because I loved college and I loved the campus and I loved the central coast of California.
00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:01.039
And so I was like why would I leave?
00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:04.240
Like yes I'm graduating but why the heck would I leave?
00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:08.640
So I I stayed and just finished the master's in a single year.
00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:12.799
And that was awesome and great and you know I was getting older.
00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:15.200
So I would say kudos to that.
00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:30.880
I would also say I wish I had taken more classes on fundamental environmental work and even even law probably not that I wanted to go into it but just more environmental classes just for interest you know yeah Holly thank you so much.
00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:39.920
I really appreciated this conversation because you know you have been a great mentor and really helped build our students network.
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So we appreciate that.
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Absolutely yeah it's a pleasure thank you and thank you for making business better.
00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:51.519
Thanks Monica Thank you so much for listening to Pathfound.
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If anything we talked about today connected with you or gave you a new perspective we'd love it if you subscribed left a review or shared the episode with someone you care about.
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You can also find us on Instagram at PathfoundPodcast.
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To explore more stories, resources and ways to get involved visit Keystoneetwork.org.
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This podcast is just one part of the journey at Keystone Network where helping young people and anyone figuring it out as they go build meaningful futures one step at a time.
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A huge thank you to my podcast editor David Strutt you can find him on LinkedIn for helping bring these stories to life and to Elizabeth Minor at Silvermine Creative for the beautiful artwork and web design.
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And if you're on your own path navigating the unknown making a pivot or simply figuring it out as you go just know you're not alone.
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The route may not be linear but there's always a way forward.
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I'm Monica Argandonia and I'll see you next time on Pathfound
