Called to the Workforce Newsletter
Called to the Workforce
EP 7: Carly Porter: Navigating the Unexpected Life | Building Professional Relationships | Neurodiversity in the Workplace
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EP 7: Carly Porter: Navigating the Unexpected Life | Building Professional Relationships | Neurodiversity in the Workplace

"The unexpected life led me to a better thing for me." - Carly

What happens when a dramatic experience causes you to rethink your career path? How would you navigate that new path and build new relationships? And what can we learn about neurodiversity in the workplace?

For about 15 years, Carly Porter has worked in HR at well-known companies such as Honeywell and Citibank. During that time, she gained broad experience in general HR before specializing in leadership and learning development. While at Citibank, she piloted a bespoke career development platform customized for female middle management. She recently joined CAPCO as Associate Director Head of Learning and Development of North America.

In our conversation, we discuss:

  • How a major car accident gave time for Carly to reflect on what direction she was headed in life

  • A fundamental guiding principle for Carly’s leadership is to think about the two great commandments - love God and love thy neighbor as thyself.

  • Setting boundaries - which includes protecting time with family when possible - is been an important part of building good business relationships

  • Recognizing others’ humanity can help conversations go better

  • Navigating work and leadership with neurodiversity

(As always, look to the end of the newsletter if you want to find the start time for a particular conversation point.)

Some takeaways:

  1. Carly has incorporated prayer and counsel with her husband to make employment decisions, and it’s allowed her to support her children in unexpected ways.

  2. Setting boundaries with work is essential. AND, doing so goes better when you keep your word and deliver the quality you’ve promised.

  3. Managing our mental and spiritual health allows us to support others better. When we don’t care for ourselves, our ability to care for others diminishes.

  4. Whenever you’re having a tough conversation with someone, give them the opportunity to save face and come out of the conversation feeling on equal footing. Nobody wins when someone walks away feeling “less than” you.

  5. Carly initially saw ADHD as limiting. However, she’s come to discover that neurodiversity also brings some really wonderful positives. She’s discovered that she has a lot to offer by learning to focus on her strengths.

  6. Accept that you will make mistakes, miss deadlines, drop the ball at some point. As soon as you recognize this, lean into others for help and let your manager know. They can often offer support.

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Resources and Topics Mentioned In the Podcast


In this episode, we cover:

  • [00:01:46] Life's unexpected turns.

  • [00:07:05] Unexpected joy.

  • [00:08:41] Balancing work and family.

  • [00:13:23] Different principles of life.

  • [00:17:01] Professional relationships and empathy.

  • [00:22:27] Giving others opportunity to save face.

  • [00:25:50] Managing expectations and boundaries.

  • [00:28:21] Overcoming self-doubt and ADHD.

  • [00:33:22] A hidden disability.

  • [00:34:54] Menopause symptoms mimic ADHD.

  • [00:39:27] Managing deadlines and expectations.

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