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Career Insights with Danielle Cupps

March 8, 2021 | Danielle Cupps

For International Women’s Day, XA Investments would like to recognize Danielle Cupps. Dani is a mom of three children and currently serves as Director of Digital Customer Engagement Market and Team Alignment at McDonald’s Corporation. We are also proud to have her serve as an Independent Trustee for the XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust (XFLT).

Dani understands the importance of mentorship in the workplace having mentored younger colleagues over the years. We are pleased to share with you some of her valuable insights.

Advice you might offer women at the beginning of their career?
Be open to help, collecting, sharing and reflecting on lessons learned at every step. I’ve been spoiled by wonderful mentors and peers, men and women – from an early boss who, one Thanksgiving, pulled me from the analyst pool in New York to my hometown of Chicago, to the big-hearted CEO of a wire and cable company who offered to host my wedding in his distribution center, to the private equity portfolio manager who I likened to frosted mini-wheats because she was pure sugar on one side and scrappy, hard-working brilliance on the other. My list of role models is long, and full of wisdom I cherish.

At the same time, being a working mom, or any working person with serious caregiving responsibilities at home, can be tricky. Inevitably, you will feel inadequate, underprepared, exhausted, humorless, and disconnected – not once, but again and again, as you shoot for exceptional at work and home. At some point, you will get to soccer camp late, and find your 8-year-old son is the only boy in camp for 6-year-old girls. Or you will race to be with a hurt child instead of… anything. When life happens, cut yourself some slack (quoting a sharp female leader at McDonald’s), and trust others who want to help. That’s not easy when you’re wired to be the responsible one, the person others trust to get things done. But vulnerability is indeed an invitation to forge lasting connections.

Most importantly, always lean into the toughest challenges with gratitude – deep, sincere gratitude for the “complications” that make your life layered, fulfilling, and uniquely yours. It’s an extraordinary privilege to have choices and be challenged by personal and professional opportunities about which you care deeply. And when you’re struggling with this, reach out to mentor or help another woman. This will be good for you and her.

Recommendations on resources for women looking to advance their careers?
For women looking to advance in careers, the most valuable asset is your network of other women. I love the timeless wisdom of a good book, I listen with interest to daily podcasts, I adore opportunities to hear and reflect upon an insightful speaker, and I am deeply grateful for numerous male mentors and advocates in my life. However, when I need career help, the best resource is other women. Returning to work after retiring for several years to raise children, my community of female friends worked overtime with no pay on my behalf – working women opened dozens of doors and provided references for new career opportunities, fellow school moms leaned in to fill gaps for my kids, and sisters and lifelong friends shared thoughtful advice, informed by decades of love and friendship.

Today, my bold ambition is to influence the workplace to be more accommodating for our daughters and more inclusive for those who want and deserve more. Because a network of millions of women share this bold ambition, including capable female leadership at XA Investments, most notably Kimberly Ann Flynn, Managing Director, Alternative Investments, I am confident that we will succeed.

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