Cyrus Maina’s Post

We were celebrating an anniversary in the office today and one of the team said I had been an inspiration over the last 12 months. I wasn't expecting that, it was lovely to get the feedback. I took this photo on holiday the other week and it got me thinking about how we inspire others, but more importantly, how do we move forward and inspire ourselves. Imagine you're standing on the shore, the place where you've always been. The sand beneath your feet represents your old self—familiar, comfortable, but limited to this small stretch of beach. The waves lap at your ankles, inviting but also uncertain. The ocean before you is vast and unknown, a symbol of potential, change, and discovery. You step into a small boat, pushing off from the shore. As the distance between you and the land grows, you leave behind all that was safe but stagnant. The shore fades into the distance, like the version of yourself you’ve outgrown. You’ve let go of the stability you once clung to, trading it for the endless horizon. Out on the open water, the journey isn't always smooth. The sea is unpredictable, like the uncertainties and fears you face in the process of transformation. There are moments of calm, where you feel the peace of aligning with something new, and moments of storm, when you doubt or struggle against the waves. But as you continue sailing, the horizon ahead becomes clearer. You begin to trust the journey, feeling the wind in your sails, carrying you toward a version of yourself that has yet to fully reveal itself. You no longer look back to the shore; the pull of the unknown future is stronger than the past you've left behind. Eventually, you see a new shore, representing the discovery of your new self— a place that holds different possibilities, growth, and deeper meaning. The person stepping out of the boat on this new land is not the same one who left the shore behind. Interesting thought to ponder, maybe it is time to find your boat!

In Honor of My 10th Year Anniversary at Holcim, Here Are the 5 key lessons I’ve picked up along the way: As I reflect on the past decade, I realize that I am becoming more confident that those attributes were key in my journey: 1- Stay true to yourself: Trying to be someone else or constantly seeking approval won’t get you far. It’s tough at times, but justice will always prevail. Don’t lose your identity trying to fit in.   2- Love what you do: Love it with all your heart. If you don’t, quit. Life is too short to spend it doing something that doesn’t ignite your passion. Always be on the quest to find your purpose. 🔥 3- Don’t be afraid to make enemies: This might sound harsh, but if everyone likes you, it could mean you’ve compromised too much. 😏 4- Master emotional intelligence: Whether you call it being creative, or strategic, emotional intelligence is key. Get the job done, but never compromise your integrity or values. 5- Have fun: Laugh, don’t take yourself too seriously, and remember—if your self-worth is tied to your title or rank, you’re in for a surprise. Work should be fun, so surround yourself with people who make you laugh, love your colleagues, and help others along the way. Here’s to another decade of fun, growth, and passion. Enjoy the ride!

We’ve got another work anniversary to celebrate this month! Kyle Geib has been with BFO for three years now, and we can’t imagine our team without his infectious energy and encouragement. Here’s what you need to know about Kyle: Q: What is one trend in digital marketing that you’ll be keeping your eye on this year? A: Watching how search is evolving. AI overviews, more and more zero-click searches, and how content and brand presence will have to navigate it is going to be critical for every brand this year. Q: What is your biggest professional or personal highlight of the last 6 months? A: For me, it was the places we've taken BFO to share our expertise. We attended and spoke at a lot of events last year, and being able to get our team's intelligence in front of so many people is absolutely a highlight for me. Q: Who is your dream client and why? A: I want to help more Chicago-based brands grow their presence. I love this city and more people need to know about all the incredible brands that call Chicago home. That... or Fender Musical Instruments Corporation because [see photo] 😂 Q: Describe yourself in two emojis A: 🎸🪴 (it's a houseplant, don't make it weird.) Visit the link below for more on Kyle! https://lnkd.in/gJuk4PEJ

19 years is a long time for a small business to survive, much less thrive, especially in tech. These elements have seen me through and kept me passionate about, and relevant in, this space: 💡 Curiosity: An almost endless curiosity about business challenges & how technology might play a role in the solutions 🥨 Flexibility: More than just adapting to change, our team thrives on change and get bored when things are static 🤝 Integrity: We're not bound to external sales goals or growth targets, and our clients know we care about their success more than we care about an extra dollar 🌐 Global impact: We've touched hundreds of millions of lives with our education, financial and health solutions, leaving things better than we found them Let's see what we accomplish in this next year! #wosb #smallbiz #femaleEntrepreneur #womenintech

Today is my 13 year anniversary at my company. It’s a bit of a tradition for people in my org to get an email of congrats for them sent out to everyone for the team to say “Hey great job”. I haven’t gotten one of these in 5 years. I casually mentioned this to my leadership a few years back and was told “Well we always thought you were above idle praise. “, and don’t get me wrong there’s a bit of a truth to that. However, as someone who has worked on both sides of the coin as a leader and as a direct report, my advice is to let that person decide that. Give them the praise and then let them tell you “Hey you don’t have to do that. “ The reason is because so many times our direct reports can feel unseen, or under appreciated. There’s a ton of times where there’s maybe something personal going on and they as people feel unseen or under appreciated. It’s not up to us as leaders to decide that for them, it’s up to us to let them make that choice and it’s up to us to understand that sometimes situations change. Praise your people when you can and where you can and let them know they’re valued for the investment they put into YOU and your company. They’re the lifeblood of what makes you look good, so if a 3 minute email is what you can do to make them feel valued, that’s a 3 minute investment worth it every single time and anything beyond that time is just better and better. That said, my favorite part of being here for 13 years has been the chance and opportunities to meet incredible people and in my learning and development role show my appreciation for the dedication and talent everyone I meet brings to the table every single day. It pushes me as an employee, a leader, a person to be my best self every single day. If I’ve interacted with you at my company, THANK YOU. Even for the smallest of time, because it reminds me of why I’m here and the fantastic company I keep. I can’t wait to do more and see where this ride takes me. Skal.

🎉 Celebrating 10 Years with some great people 🎉 This month, I’m incredibly proud to celebrate my 10th anniversary with Penna! As I reflect on this milestone, it’s impossible not to think about everything that’s contributed to this journey – the people, the challenges, and the moments of fun and celebration (including, hopefully, a lovely lunch to mark this special occasion 🥂✨). Ten years is a significant chapter in any career, and it has given me the opportunity to truly understand what keeps employees engaged and inspired to stay. For me, it’s been about: ✅ Reward and recognition moments – Feeling valued and acknowledged goes a long way, whether it’s a kind word from a colleague, achieving shared goals, celebrating milestones like this one, or having a laugh along the way. ✅ Development and stretch – I’ve been challenged, encouraged, and supported to grow and develop (even at my age!), taking on opportunities that stretched me and built my confidence. ✅ Support when it mattered most – Working through the pandemic was tough, but it showed me how much resilience and tenacity we all have. Having an organisation that stood by us during those times and quickly adjusted to the challenge made all the difference. ✅ The relationships – Over the years, colleagues, candidates and clients have become more than just professional connections; they’ve become friends, mentors, and key parts of my career and life. I’ve learned a lot over the past decade: the importance of tenacity when things don’t go as planned, the value of building strong and authentic relationships, and the significance of being part of an organisation that invests in its people. As I look back on this journey, I feel immense gratitude for the experiences, the learning, and the support that have shaped the professional (and person!) I am today. Here’s to the next chapter and all the opportunities ahead. 🌟 To those starting their journey, I’d say this: find an organisation that gives as much as it asks, surround yourself with people who lift you, and never stop pushing yourself to grow. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve! Thank you to everyone who’s been part of my time at Penna so far – here’s to more rewarding years ahead! 💼✨

🍾 🥳 4th Year Anniversary 🥳 🎉 Today marks my 4th anniversary at NFU Mutual and I honestly can’t believe how quickly the time has flown by and how much I’ve enjoyed it so far. I’ve been really lucky to have truly amazing teams that have been able to teach me so much and I think it’s that continued learning and challenge that makes me love it so much. It’s not all been plane sailing and as most of you know I think it’s important to share what I’ve learned as much as what’s gone well. So what have I learned? 1) Don’t rush in like a bull in a china shop. Building trust is so important and with one of my first teams, we’d asked the team what they wanted their roles to look like really early on and it went down like a lead balloon. They didn’t trust why we were asking and just didn’t get that they could be in charge of their own destiny at that stage. 2) No is probably the most important word. It was too easy to say yes to everyone at the start and that was a mistake. We grew our backlog a little too quickly and started to have custom solutions for teams rather than building repeatable patterns. Saying no or when priority work comes in, making sure we drop other work, protects the team from burn out. 3) Build a strong network. For the first couple of years I thought I was too busy to network and that the teams performing really well was enough. I was wrong. It’s massively important to build up that peer and senior stakeholder network early on. It makes it easier to understand what’s happening around the business / division and opportunities will present themselves. Thanks for reading all.

Today is my 5 year work anniversary! As I pause and reflect over the last 5 years, I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned at work: 1.) Never stop learning and improving yourself. Personal development is just as important as professional development. 2.) Be trustworthy. Afterall, your character is everything. 3.) Always maintain integrity and do the right thing. God will bless you for it (Luke 16:10) 4.) Honor and value your customers. Treat them with the highest respect and they will remain loyal to you. 5.) Leadership matters. It is a critical component of success. 6.) Hard work isn’t always recognized. Keep striving for greatness, one day it will pay off. 7.) Embrace challenges and speak up. Take risks and make it happen. 8.) You are replaceable at work but your kids only have one Mom or Dad. Put your family first. (I’m grateful for a company that understands my kids come first. I’ve only missed one basketball game in 5 years due to working out of town. That’s invaluable!)🤍 9.) Have fun at work, life is short! When you can, help others and give back. 10.) Most importantly, always remember “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23 Be blessed my friends 💙

As I celebrate another year today, I reflect on one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned, both personally and professionally. The path to true success is simple: love what you do and do it with people you love. This mindset not only drives satisfaction but also fuels sustained progress in everything we pursue. When we are passionate about your work, challenges become opportunities. That enthusiasm fosters a sense of purpose and resilience, which leads to greater satisfaction and fulfillment. Working alongside people you respect and enjoy being around magnifies this effect. Strong, trusted relationships create an environment where collaboration, creativity, and support thrive. As we all push towards our goals, it’s worth pausing to ask: Am I loving what I do, and am I doing it with people I love? Cheers to success, fulfillment, and lasting progress!

Next week marks my 1-year anniversary serving at Simmons Capital Group and Steward Advisors Group. Here are some of the principles and goodies I've gleaned in this past season: 💰 People > Profit. Sustainable business has been a result of relationships, integrity, and culture. 🧠 Money effects everyone differently, but it does effect us. ☀️ It is powerful to see someone's stress leave their shoulders and eyes in a moment, simply by bringing clarity their situation. Truth and honesty is POWERFUL. 📈 Most people resonate moving away from sufficiency ("Do I have enough?") and towards efficiency ("What CAN I do with the resources I have?"). ⁉️ Many people struggle with the transition from working, steady income, and saving to a work optional lifestyle and drawing income from investments. I would guess this comes from the sufficiency problem (listed above) and limited data set of understanding how things operate. 🎙️ I am BLOWN AWAY how much I love this work and how purpose-driven it is. Ministry and caring for others doesn't stop when you engage the business world. In many ways, my ability to love and serve others has amplified! Many other things to note, but this is enough for now. I am very thankful for this new adventure! Further up and further in, as they say.