Meet Siobhan Lyons-kramer

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Siobhan Lyons-kramer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Siobhan below.

Siobhan, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I remember waking up on July 3rd, 2017 and bursting into tears. I was on day 10 of working over 12-hour days, and about 5 months into my first job out of college. I was exhausted, stressed and utterly disconnected from the work I was doing. I was also over 500 miles away from my closest friend and over 2,000 miles away from my family. I was miserable.

I had taken a job in hospitality operations working with a National Park service concessions operator. I actually really loved the job outside of that extremely stressful stretch before the July 4th holiday, but I was struggling with my purpose in life and whether this job truly aligned with what I wanted. I felt as though I was pulling insane hours, often doing physically demanding tasks, without much to show for it, outside of making the CEO and upper management rich. I felt crushed beneath the corporate ladder and didn’t see the true benefit to me.

Later that year, I moved back to the city where I went to college, and took some time to consider what I wanted to do with my life while having a greater purpose. At that time, I volunteered with a local non profit, the Arizona Sustainability Alliance, focused on developing and implementing sustainability projects across the state, and I had my ah-ha moment.

They were implementing some truly incredible projects, such as urban tree planting and putting food computers in schools to teach kids about farming and how the environment impacts our ability to grow the food we rely on. I have always been concerned with the way we treat this earth and the devastation we as a species cause. I realized then that I wanted to help and that I could actually have a career in sustainability.

It was at that time that I decided to go back to school and get a masters in sustainability. I also decided I wanted to work in corporate sustainability, since the public sector is responsible for so many of the greenhouse gas emissions that are quite literally killing our earth. Since graduating, I’ve held multiple roles in corporate sustainability, from head of ESG (environmental, social and governance) reporting at a Fortune 500 semiconductor manufacturing company to my current role consulting Fortune 1000 companies on the ways in which they can connect sustainability to their core business strategy, enabling them the mitigate risk and capitalize on opportunities unique to their business model. I’ve never felt more connected to my purpose, and I feel motivated and energized to go to work every day, knowing I can make a difference in this world and for generations to come.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I work for BWD Strategic, we’re a boutique sustainability consulting firm focused on sustainability reporting and strategy. We help companies understand the dependencies they have on natural resources, human capital and other external factors to operate their business, identifying ways in which their current operations may hinder their ability to operate effectively in the future.

For example, a company that depends on freshwater, but it irresponsibly uses that water. The company’s activities could deplete local water reserves, resulting in an inability to make products and causing their revenue to decrease. We make these connections, and develop roadmaps to monitor, mitigate and adapt to potential risks they may face in a range of different scenarios.

We also help many companies align with the various regulatory reporting regulations from various jurisdictions, such as the European Unions Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) or the SEC’s climate rule.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Resourcefulness, decisiveness and relationship building.

Don’t wait to be handed all the information on a silver platter. We have SO many resources at our fingertips, whether it’s the internet, the people we know or the community we live in. If you don’t know the answer, use the resources you have handy to try and get the information needed to find the answer.

It’s important to remember that you often have 80% of the information you need to make a decision. Don’t waste time trying to find that last 20%. Use the information/resources you have, make a decision and move on. Waiting to have all the answers before you make a decision will stifle your ability to get the job done.

Your ability to build and develop relationships will impact your growth and earning potential. Don’t feel weird about asking someone for an informational interview about their job or role, whether within your company or externally. Most people are good people and are open to helping others. Be genuine in your interactions, and don’t try to take more than you give. Don’t be afraid to take risks and shoot your shot, the worst thing that happens is you get a no or no answer.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

We all get overwhelmed sometimes, and it’s important to speak up when you feel it. I’ve been in a lot of situations, like that July 3 day from my story above, where instead of reaching out for help, I buckled down and worked my way through. Unless you tell someone about being overwhelmed, they’ll assume you’re able to handle the workload that’s been given to you, even when in reality this might not be feasible. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask for help. It’s okay to say no. Protect your sanity and bandwidth, you’re less effective and innovative when you’re buried under a long to-do list.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bwdstrategic.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siobhanlyonsmsl