Interview with Denise Nash, Aquent
We had the opportunity to catch-up with Denise Nash, Columbia Business School class of 1990 and ask her how she balances life and career. Here's her story.
Denise Nash, Columbia Business School class of 1990 has always forged her own path balancing work and motherhood. She encourages women to embrace their professional talent while pursuing their personal goals. To this mother of four children – ages 15, 13, 11, and 7 – the ability to have a flexible schedule has always been crucially important. “I chose, out of business school, to be at home for a lot of the time, and have moved in and out of the workforce depending on where I’ve been in my life,” Denise says.
Shortly after graduation, Denise and her husband moved to Chicago, where she worked for Peat Marwick and the Civic Committee for the City of Chicago. “Working as an independent consultant has always fit in with how we live our life,” she remarks. After a four-year stint in London, Denise returned to Chicago and the Civic Committee before joining Aquent Marketing four years ago, working part-time on a project basis.
As the Director of Work-Life Initiatives at Aquent Marketing, Denise works with the company to help them draw top managers, many of whom are women returning to the workforce seeking flexible work opportunities. “Aquent provides marketing expertise to companies on a project basis. One of the thoughts was that women returning to, or moving in and out of, the workforce would be a good fit for Aquent,” she says. “As ’one of those Moms,’ I was able to help Aquent’s president get to the other moms so the company could have a pool of talented managers who could pop in and out of the workforce. We think this group of women is a real asset to Aquent, and a recurring source of talent. My job is to get our name out there and attract top talent.”
Denise’s goal is for her company to become a thought leader in the area of work-life balance. In 2002, when the concept was relatively new, Denise coordinated a study about women’s attitudes toward work, which was published in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune. Last year, Aquent co-coordinated a study, “Changing the Career Ladder: Paving Flexible Pathways for Today’s Talent,” in conjunction with Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth and a company called Work+Life Fit, Inc. The study concluded that more people – both men and women – are seeking flexible schedules, and that companies need to continue to hone their programs in order to attract top young talent and draw people who seek to return to the workforce.
Denise is glad that the topic of work-life balance has become a growing priority for both individuals and organizations. “When I was at Columbia,” she notes, “I asked around to see if there was a class or event that could help me figure this stuff out, since I was getting married and knew I would have to deal with work-life challenges. It wasn’t even something that was talked about. Back then, it was an all-or-nothing issue, and there was no concept of balance. A lot of MBA women in my era dropped out of the workforce completely and never returned. Now there are more flexible options and companies like Aquent to help you manage your flexibility.”
When Denise was at school, CWIB was not formally organized. Nonetheless, she is a huge supporter of the program and has secured Aquent’s sponsorship for February’s CWIB conference. “CWIB is amazing,” Denise says. “I am so happy that the organization exists now. I’ve been to the annual conference the last two years, and I think it’s amazing to see alumnae and students get together. I like that there is an alumni connection. It’s an invaluable resource for women trying to get into business and having to think through both their business issues and their personal issues.”
Denise encourages female students to take advantages of the myriad opportunities to learn and grow while at CBS. Her advice for current students? “Take the class that scares you the most, because you’ll never have that chance again.” Almost two decades later, she says that she still draws on the training she had in school: “It never leaves you.”