Boating Industry

March/April 2021

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www.BoatingIndustry.com 18 March/April 2021 What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is not about a position or title. Any- one can be a great leader if they have influence. Regarding leading people, my goal is to create the great environment for the best ideas to be gener- ated. I focus on creating and keeping a functional team while providing clarity. This allows everyone the opportunity to leverage his or her talents to the fullest. To be a little more specific, I see leadership as two parts, above the waterline (skills) and below the waterline (character). Above the waterline: It is critical that leaders have a vision for future. It is tough to motivate and create clarity if you do not know where you are headed. Focus on developing people. Have a constant focus on change and know how to manage it. Value people and performance. You need both to be successful. Embrace and live out the values of the company. Below the waterline is the most important. If you don't demonstrate leadership character, your skills and results will be dismissed. Leaders must be learners and not knowers. This is something we talk about a lot here at Correct Craft. You must expect the best out of others and yourself. Take ownership. There is a great book written by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin that speaks to this topic. Have the courage to deal with difficult situations. Put others first. As a young professional, what are the biggest chal- lenges you've faced in the marine industry and how did you overcome them? Very early in my career I was able to serve as a sales rep. At that time, reps were typically more mature in age and as someone in my mid-20s at that time, I had to learn how to overcome the bias that existed. I learned to always begin a potential relationship over the phone. This way I was judged based on my communication. Once I did meet them in person, my age was always a surprise, but I would go out of my way to be very responsive, always get them an answer and focus on ways to help them achieve their goals through the product we provided. Who was your hero as a child? My Father is my hero. He is an incredible father, coach, mentor, man of faith and friend. He not only invested in me but countless others throughout his life. I clearly remember the letters and notes my Dad would receive from so many people thanking him for his investment in making them a better person. He is not only my hero, but also my superhero. Why should young professionals choose a career in the marine industry? I can't think of a better career choice. How many other careers provide you with a chance to have a positive impact on peoples' physical and mental health while bringing families and friends together. Anyone who has spent time on the water knows the positive impact of the "blue mind" effect. Lauren Beckstedt CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, BOAT GROUP, BUSINESS ACCELERATION, BRUNSWICK CORPORATION What first drew you to the marine industry? Coming from an agency background, I've had the pleasure of experience across a wide range of in- dustries, and one thing I learned early was never work in a business that you aren't proud to tell people about. In marine, not only am I proud to describe what I do, but I feel a touch of guilt, be- cause I've never met a single person that isn't en- amored with boating, even if they aren't a boater themselves. Marine is iconic, nostalgic and adrena- line pumping all in one. What was your first job? I started in journalism—I wrote for the local paper in college, The Daily Iowan, and after that worked in the communications department at NPR in Washington D.C. I remember when I was at NPR, I started to look for my next job to get back to Chicago and I was flipping through the yellow pages for public relations agencies. I was calling straight down the list and after about 10 calls I reached a gentleman who was self-em- ployed working out of his home and he chuckled at my approach, then he told me the top five firms to call. I took an internship with one of them. Brunswick was one of my first accounts and I've basically worked with the company ever since, whether externally or internally. What accomplishment are you most proud of? As a leader, nothing is more rewarding than the teams that I've helped to build and what we've accomplished together. I've had some awesome business moments, especially when you get to launch cutting-edge products as the leader in an industry, but those achievements are most ex- hilarating when the people standing next to you are celebrating together. Every once in awhile you find yourself on a team that's just clicking— everyone is in sync and thriving doing their part. I've been able to help build high performance teams like that a few times and when I reflect, that's always the accomplishment that comes to mind first. Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career? Many. I still work with some of them today, so I'll share that what has been the most important in my career was having mentors with a strong sense of integrity and commitment to authenticity. I have worked with many mentors who have helped to develop me as a leader, but the most im- pactful are those that have been active in their sup- port of my career—brought me to the table, made sure my voice was heard, and respected my point of view in a way that is visible to others. Those individuals have shaped my career trajectory. I'll never be able to pay it back, so I'm committed to doing the same for others. What boat did you learn to boat on? I had the pleasure of learning on the job, so I learned to boat on a Sea Ray SLX 310 and shortly after a Sea Ray SLX 400 (yes, I had the advantage of Mercury Joystick Piloting!) So, when we bought our first boat, I was very comfortable going big! I've never captained anything smaller. Doug Bird VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES, GETMYBOAT What first drew you to the marine industry? Sailing. I started sailing and racing boats at a young age. I worked at a sail maker as my first job and quickly decided I wanted to be a naval architect.

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