Ep 11: Interview with Allie Danziger on Innovation and Impact: Redefining Student Success

“So many managers are frustrated–’Why don’t Gen Zers understand this? How do they not get the way that the workplace works? Well, they've never been in the workplace,” explains Allie Danziger, founder and CEO of Ampersand. Acting as CEO and boss of her own company since she was 24 years old, she realized that the knowledge and practical skills she was able to learn in the in-person workplace were simply not available to the new generation entering a post-Covid, hybrid workplace. She founded Ampersand in 2020 to fill in that education to employment skills gap, giving new hires preparation for success. Businesses and staffing agencies alike have used Ampersand’s software program as an assessment and business development tool, which has allowed them to scale in turn. 

 

On today’s episode Allie and Stefan discuss the importance of being on the lookout for and entering into significant partnerships. Ampersand was recently acquired by Ascent, a like-minded and mission-driven student loan provider which offers career coaching to all of its borrowers and where Allie joins as SVP. A wife and mother of two, Allie is also in the business of building her family and she discusses her strict daily routine, including self care, splitting parenting duties and what she absolutely doesn’t have time for. Another thing she learned in her early years as CEO was the importance of celebrating wins both large and small. It’s part of preventing burnout, and sets the company tone from the top down.

 

As it turns out, learning new things and stepping out of your comfort zone is crucial at any phase of your life or career. Find out how she and everyone can benefit from Julia Cameron’s classic–if slightly woo-woo– book “The Artist’s Way.” 

 

#preparationforsuccess #missiondriven #selfcare

Quotes

• “When I started my career…I leaned over to the person next to me and asked them a question…and how actually that is the most important moment in the entire meeting.” (15:13 | Allie)
• “Many managers are frustrated–’Why don’t Gen Zers understand this, how do they not get the way that the workplace works?’ Well, they've never been in the workplace; they've never witnessed that.” (16:01 | Allie) 
• “Every manager is just so burnt out from teaching some of these skills of just workplace norms…Managers don't take the time to teach it and school doesn't either.” (16:55 | Allie) 
• “I am crazy diligent about my routines, so that I can show up in the way that I want to need to every day.” (28:43 | Allie)
• “In the onboarding phase with my new business partner, he asked me, ‘When do you plan for meetings?’ and I said, ‘On the elevator on the way to the meeting.’ He sat me down and said, ‘You are vital to this company and our success is your success. We can't have you getting burned out.” (33:38 | Allie)
• “We live in these bubbles…and you never expand your horizons, meet other people socially, professionally, just in your community, then there's no way for you to grow.” (43:43 | Allie)

 

Connect with Allie Danziger:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliedanziger/

 

Connect with Stefan:
https://whitwelladvisors.com/
​​https://www.facebook.com/ActionDaddy
https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitwell

To contact the host, you can schedule a meeting with him here: https://calendly.com/whitwell-advisors

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