An Interview With Dr. Carla Marie Manly
Curiosity breeds creativity and curious people engage in relentless questioning to understand how things work. From there they start wondering how those things could be made to work better. They approach everything with an inquiring mindset which leads to innovation and progress.
Growth is an essential part of life, both personally and professionally. Every day presents an opportunity to learn, evolve, and become better versions of ourselves. But how do we seize these opportunities? How do successful writers, leaders, and influencers ensure they are constantly growing and improving? What daily habits, practices, or mindsets contribute to their continual growth? In this interview series, we are talking to authors, leaders, influencers, and anyone who is an authority about “What We Can Do To Grow Every Day”. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Paige Arnof-Fenn.
Paige is the founder & CEO of global branding and digital marketing firm Mavens & Moguls based in Cambridge, MA. Her clients include Microsoft, Virgin, venture-backed startups as well as non profit organizations. She graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Business School. She serves on several Boards, is a popular speaker and columnist who has written for Entrepreneur and Forbes.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I am a child of the 60s and 70s who grew up in the Deep South. All 4 of my grandparents were Southerners too, we all lived within a few hours drive when I was a child. I am the oldest of 3 and was always a good student and athlete growing up, responsible and hard working. My father and both grandfathers were in business so I always thought I would go that route too. From a young age I loved sports, movies, TV and travel. I went to a girls sports camp every summer for 2 months from age 9–16. I was an exchange student in France in high school and Italy in college. My family moved when I was in middle school and I am still friends with most of the people I grew up with from school and camp. As an adult I have lived and worked in NYC, LA, Bay Area, Atlanta, DC, Cincinnati, etc. but have been in Boston for the past 20+ years. I love being an entrepreneur.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do professionally, and what brought you to this specific career path?
I did not plan on starting a company. I always wanted to go work for a global business and be a Fortune 500 CEO. When I was a student I looked at leaders like Meg Whitman & Ursula Burns as my role models. I started Mavens & Moguls after beginning my career on Wall Street in the 80s and having a successful career in Corporate America at companies like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola and then working at 3 different startups as the head of marketing. All 3 startups had positive exits. I took the leap right after 9/11 when the company I worked for cut their marketing. I had nothing to lose. Running a global marketing business provides me a platform to do work I truly enjoy with and for people I respect. It has been a journey to get here but I am lucky to have found it. I love the autonomy, flexibility and the fact that I know every day the impact that I have on my business. When I worked at big companies I always felt the ball would roll with or without me, that if I got hit by a bus someone new would be in my office right away. Now my DNA is in everything we do and I can trace every decision and sale to something I did or a decision I made and that is incredibly gratifying and fulfilling. Like most entrepreneurs, I am working harder and longer than ever and I have never been happier. Working for yourself and building a business you started in incredibly rewarding and gratifying. It has been a lot of fun, I joke that I am the accidental entrepreneur.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion about Personal Growth. To make sure that we are all on the same page, let’s begin with a simple definition. What does “Personal Growth” mean to you?
For me it is about staying relevant so to keep learning and growing I try to prioritize professional development so that my skills are fresh and I can stay on top of new trends and technologies.
Why do you believe that it’s important to commit to growing every day?
In my experience learning new skills creates a growth mindset which helps successful people realize that they can predict the future by helping to create it. Growth mindset people never stop learning and experimenting, they are focused on the future and see opportunities ahead by creating a culture of learning and growth.
What are the key upsides for those who mindfully engage in a journey of personal evolution?
Curiosity breeds creativity and curious people engage in relentless questioning to understand how things work. From there they start wondering how those things could be made to work better. They approach everything with an inquiring mindset which leads to innovation and progress.
When we stop evolving in intentional ways, what do you think are the biggest downsides?
Inertia, boredom, stagnation and irrelevance
What specific practices, if any, do you have in place to ensure that you don’t become stagnant in life?
To stay fresh I try to talk with new people across generations, ask more questions, shake up my routine by reading different blogs, visiting new websites, listening to alternative music genres, eating other ethnic foods, shopping in different neighborhoods, listening to new podcasts and taking new routes home from activities. Basically you have to open your mind and be exposed to a fresh perspective so you get the synapses firing and connect the dots in new and exciting ways. Staying creative and curious requires getting out of your comfort zone and considering new possibilities.
Is there any particular area of your life where you are most committed to growth (e.g., spiritually, professionally, socially, internally, relationally)?
I am fully committed both personally and professionally. It is a core value and part of my DNA.
If you could offer five tips to readers on how to stimulate and perpetuate self-growth, what would they be?
I have always tried to work with people and organizations with a growth mindset, it is a happier and more positive and productive environment in my experience. It takes effort and a commitment to excellence for people to continually learn/grow especially now in a remote/hybrid environment. I do not think there is one silver bullet to keep your skills sharp and fresh, I recommend using a combination of reading and learning online and off, attending conferences and talks, networking, newsletters from influencers, TED talks, podcasts, finding mentors and listening to all feedback good and bad. Building confidence today starts with having a growth mindset. Being proactive helps leaders build confidence as the world moves at Internet speed.
What advice would you give to someone who feels stuck and unsure of how to start their personal growth journey?
The goal is to keep the synapses firing to stay motivated. I am naturally curious and love talking to people so when I meet interesting people it is just natural for me to ask a lot of questions and when I hear about things that they are dealing with where I can be helpful I want to roll up my sleeves and jump in. I also recommend taking breaks for exercise — go to the gym, take a walk around the block, find an empty conference room to stretch out, I do something active every day to stay healthy and break up my day. Another tip is to plan lunch meetings — try to get out of the office 3–5 days a week which is a great way to stay connected personally and professionally, shake up your routine and get going. I have no interest in growth for growth’s sake. I love helping people solve complex problems so my clients keep me motivated by bringing us in to help them get through a challenging period in their organization. I am motivated by moving the needle so love the challenge of cracking the code to see what works and analyzing the data to support it. I like learning new things and problem solving, it keeps me engaged. I would be bored just doing more of the same thing every day so growth for me needs to include a challenge of expanding my knowledge base.
As an entrepreneur there are many ups and downs but most would agree that the excitement and joy of bringing your idea to life is incredibly fulfilling and dealing with the bumps in the road is just part of the adventure. To stay motivated during the rough times I try to maintain perspective by taking good care of myself, getting exercise, seeing friends and family and reminding myself that I can always go back to work for others but when I open the file with all the notes and kudos I have gotten from customers and colleagues with praise and encouragement along with sincere thanks for helping them or making a difference through my business it is just the kick in the pants I need to keep going. Start a file with cards, notes, e-mails, etc. and dust it off when you are stuck so that you can be reminded of not just who you are and what you do but why you do it. That always works for me!
Are there any books, podcasts, or other resources that have significantly contributed to your personal growth?
I read a lot for professional development and usually prefer books by practitioners because they are more relevant and have current examples from pop culture vs. theories based on research. I also like the classics that have advice that has withstood the test of time and in this case the best book I can strongly recommend is How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie — it is evergreen with insights on manners and people/human nature. In my experience you can learn a lot from books which offer practical advice whether you are someone just starting a career in business as well as anyone managing and leading a team. It was published almost 100 years ago and the advice has held up so you cannot go wrong with this one.
One of my favorite podcasts is called Remarkable People by Guy Kawasaki. He has talked with everyone from Jane Goodall to Phil Zimbardo to Martha Stewart, Arianna Huffington, Tim Ferriss, Sal Khan and Andrew Yang. Guy is a remarkable person too so I learn something with every conversation and each one is so interesting and thoughtful. Many great lessons in each one’s path of detours on the way to success. I also love Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Wiser Than Me where she talks with amazing accomplished women older than her about their life lessons including Julie Andrews, Gloria Steinem, Sally Field and Carol Burnett. I have learned something new from every episode!
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would love to inspire a movement of kindness/generosity and find ways to incorporate the lessons of gratitude, simplicity, friendship and love into the new normal so we do not forget what we learned in the pandemic over past few years.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
www.MavensAndMoguls.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigearnoffenn
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Dr. Carla Marie Manly — clinical psychologist, author, and advocate — is based in Sonoma County, California. In addition to her clinical practice focusing on relationships and personal transformation, Dr. Manly is deeply invested in her roles as podcaster and speaker. With a refreshingly direct and honest approach — plus a dose of humor — Dr. Manly enjoys supporting others in the ever-evolving journey of life. Her novel self-development paradigm builds resilience, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem. Highlighting the importance of loving connection, her work also focuses on helping others create deeply connected and satisfying intimate and social relationships. Working from a transformative model that honors the body-mind-spirit connection, Dr. Manly offers holistic relationship and wellness seminars around the world. An award-winning author, Dr. Manly’s books, The Joy of Imperfect Love, Date Smart, Joy from Fear, and Aging Joyfully highlight her empowering approach and profound expertise. Host of the captivating podcast, Imperfect Love, Dr. Manly offers uplifting guidance on navigating the messy road of life. Her expertise is also regularly cited in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Forbes, Oprah, Newsweek, NBC, HuffPost, Reader’s Digest, Psychology Today, Parade, GQ, Women’s Health, Architectural Digest, Men’s Health, and more.
Growing Every Day: Paige Arnof-Fenn Of Mavens & Moguls On What We Can Do To Grow Every Day was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.