“In the military we like to talk about, 'we accomplish more before 9am than the rest of the world.' If you take that thought into the civilian world, it's going to hurt you. There are really smart people out there and there is so much to be learned as you make the transition. Everyone has chosen to do something different - whether you're in the military or working for Chick-fil-a, or somewhere else. They're adding a lot of value where they are. So just keep in mind that - 'I can add value too in a unique way and I have a unique skill set to bring, but there are also a lot of people around me who are really smart and adding a lot of value too."
– Mandy Psiaki
Mandy Psiaki is a Senior Team Lead at Chick-fil-A Corporate. She started out at West Point, and served in the Army for five years as a Finance Officer. She received her MBA from Colorado State University while still on Active Duty. She started her civilian career at Proctor & Gamble, where she worked for three months as an Associate Manager, Consumer and Market Knowledge. Before she transitioned to Chick-fil-A, where she has worked for nearly five years: starting as a Franchisee Selection Consultant, a Senior Franchisee Selection Consultant, and now her current role as Senior Team Lead, Specialized Training.
In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:
- An overview of Mandy's work at Chick-fil-a
- What it was like getting an MBA while on Active Duty
- How Mandy transitioned to Proctor & Gamble
- How Mandy started working at Chick-fil-a and an overview of her first role as Franchisee Selection Consultant
- How the separation between Mandy and her husband in the corporate world differed from their separation while on Active Duty
- And much, much more…Show Notes
- 2:07 - Mandy's background
- 2:51 - An overview of Mandy's work at Chick-fil-a
- 4:15 - What her job looks like on a day-to-day basis
- 7:05 - The lifestyle component of her work
- 8:08 - The most challenging aspect of Mandy's work
- 9:25 - Mandy's decision to leave the Army
- 10:53 - How she thought about the Reserves
- 11:42 - What it was like getting an MBA while on Active Duty
- 14:46 - How Mandy transitioned to Proctor & Gamble
- 20:01 - How Mandy started working at Chick-fil-a and an overview of her first role as Franchisee Selection Consultant
- 22:20 - How the separation between Mandy and her husband in the corporate world differed from their separation while on Active Duty
- 25:53 - How Mandy's next role at Chick-fil-a compared to her first role
- 26:59 - Indications that you may like a job like Mandy's... and indications you may not enjoy it
- 29:07 - Common career paths for someone in Mandy's shoes
- 30:30 - How leadership outside of the military has differed from leadership in the military
- 32:12 - Positive habits Mandy has tried to maintain from the military... and bad habits she had to break
- 33:44 - The most surprising aspect of Mandy's transition to the civilian world
- 35:08 - How Mandy felt ahead of her civilian counterparts, and where she felt behind
- 39:40 - Final words of wisdom