We’re excited to introduce Cynthia Rodriguez, our newest Director of Client Services! Cynthia is an accomplished professional with a ton of experience in both HR and DEI. Learn more about her background, current role, and life philosophies in this interview!

Cynthia, congrats on the new role! As our newest Director of Client Services, can you provide us with an inside scoop at what exactly it is you do?

As Director of Client Services, I support the Client Manager team and help them with resources to support their clients. I leverage my background in HR, leadership development, and employee engagement to provide extra support to our clients and basically show up in whatever ways I can to assist them in building out their DEI strategies and improve the overall employee experience for their organizations.

Okay, great. We’re interested in learning more about your background. Can you tell us more about your career journey?

I've basically worked in HR for my entire career, beginning as an HR Generalist and moving to talent acquisition. I led an HR department with a focus on employee relations/performance management/coaching and leadership dev and began work in internal communications and branding during that 5-year stint as well. From there, I really began to focus on employee engagement and overall employee experience, particularly from a data perspective, as I led the employee feedback strategy and surveys for two organizations. My background is actually a perfect fit for what I do at Holistic!

Let’s switch gears. What excites you about life? What gives you hope? What keeps you up at night?

I love life! As an Enneagram 7, DiSC I/D, Myers Briggs ENFP, and a Gemini, if you're familiar with these assessments, you can probably guess how I show up. I'm a rather spirited, happy, relationship-focused person who loves to love and has a serious case of FOMO. I feel hopeful that people can be more curious and empathic, which will in turn improve our world and interactions within it. What keeps me up at night?? Thinking about how I treated people that day and hoping I did my best and didn't disappoint anyone.

Any personal or professional goals you’d like to share with us?

In 3 weeks, I'm completing a goal I set several years ago -- to obtain a graduate degree in HR! Personally, I don't regularly set goals, because I feel like I get bored easily and give up before reaching them. Instead, I choose things I really love and just sprinkle them into my life regularly in acts of self-care. In real-time, that looks like: traveling often (especially internationally when I can) and building my fluency in Spanish.

What do you do for fun?

I am a creative at heart, so performance is a passion of mine. While not involved in any productions currently, I am an actor, singer, model, and dance...well, once I have a choreo down, I appear to be a dancer, but it takes work! Another thing I LOVE is travel. I always say that travel is my love language. While I've been to many countries, my favorites include those where Spanish is the native language. Also for fun, I am working on my fluency in Spanish, which I view as a form of self-care.

What does success look like with a client?

Success looks different for each client. It's my desire for every client, not only to receive deliverables and service that exceed their expectations but that we are able to build a stable foundation and relationship of trust and respect.

What's the most interesting thing you've seen a client do in your time here?

That's a tough question. I've seen a lot of amazing things clients have done in my time here and it's difficult to choose the 'most interesting.' I would say that whenever a client is open, creative, and flexible, and make it inviting for employees to speak up and feel a sense of belonging, that's a win in my book!

Lastly, what's the most helpful piece of feedback you've ever received, and why?

Ha! I was once told to stop talking so damn much and listen! It took some time for that to truly sink in, but the less I talk, the more I am able to build curiosity, be empathic, and seek first to understand.

Thank you Cynthia for everything you do!