Names: Kim Sherburne (K) and Cassie Braun (C)

Age you feel (and actually are!):

K: I feel 30.... I'm actually 34

C: 31

Cultural Background:

Kim and Cassie: Caucasian (We don't feel like we have strong cultural ties back to any particular heritage.... other than maybe our midwest roots)

Your Off-Resume Title (blend personal with professional):

C: Finance Manager and NICU baby cuddler (pre-covid, I volunteered as a NICU cuddler to give babies love and help them learn that not all human contact is poking and prodding)

K: CPA and The Social Committee CEO

Tell us about your upbringing. Where did you grow up? Who raised you? What was your home life like? How would you describe yourself as a kid?:

K: I grew up in the San Francisco East Bay. I had a "traditional" upbringing, with a dad that worked a 9-5 office job and a mom that stayed home with us. Looking back we had a very stable and loving home, even if it was conservative and conventional. As a kid I was (and still am) a social being. I wanted to be around other friends; I didn't like having to entertain myself or being alone.

C: I grew up in Livermore, California in a house with my mom, dad, and sister. My dad worked as a physicist, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom who also taught music lessons. My parents were very strict growing up, but very supportive. We would have dinner every night as a family at 6:30, and my dad would help with our homework (especially in high school when we got into calculus, yuck). As a kid, I was very shy, and very eager to please adults. I was always my teachers’ favorite because I was smart, well-behaved, and always worked hard. Church was a huge part of my life growing up – my parents were very active in the church, and we were there every Sunday for multiple services.

Is there a story or moment from your youth that you go back to as an adult? How does who you were as a kid translate to who you are now?:

K: I spent years in elementary school and middle school trying to fit in with different groups of girls and really trying to be friends with the "cool" girls in class. In 8th grade we had a bit of a falling out where the other girls in the group gave me an ultimatum about who I could / could not be (what I could / could not wear, how I was supposed to do my hair / not style my hair, etc.). I remember being devastated by the rejection initially, and then shortly after turning that around and saying "you know what, this is nonsense and I don't need this, I don't want to be around people who treat others like this" and from that day forward I found a new group of friends (many of whom I am still close with to this day) and didn't look back. I think I still look back on that point in situations that are new, foreign, tough or scary and think to myself "I can do this. I don't need to feel stuck, I can be my own person and forge my own path"

C: As a young kid, I remember being up in the front of church for a children’s moment, and the pastor asked a question I knew the answer to. He had been doing a sermon series, and the question was along the lines of his series theme, so I answered his question with one of the titles of his sermons. He turned to the congregation and said “Dave, Jean, you’re good.” (Those are my parents’ names). Everyone laughed and I knew I had made my parents proud. As a kid and now as an adult, my default is still to please people, and try to make everyone like me. Sometimes, this can be to my detriment (like when I say yes to everything and overwhelm myself), so it is an instinct I am working on balancing.

We're endlessly inspired by the process of personal evolution – are there significant moments that have defined who you are and what you do? If so, how many times have you recognized a significant shift in your identity? What has been the hardest part of these personal shifts? What has been the most gratifying?

C: A shift that stands out happened in my first year of college. Being the people person I am, I had been trying to mold myself to my suitemates, just to have the relationship blow up. While it was devastating at first, I was able to move past it. For the first time ever, I stopped trying to desperately gain back favor of people who didn’t value me. I could accept that not

K: For better or worse, when I look back most of my evolution and growth have been borne out of painful mistakes. The are the result of quiet reflection after taking a fall when I look around and think "this is not the person I want to be / this is inconsistent with how I view myself / this is not what I want my life to look like" and then making shifts to be a better friend, a better partner, or a better caretaker for my personal and mental health. The hardest part of this shift has been letting go of the parts of myself that were associated with that person; the carefree, irresponsible, young spirit and focusing more on building the confident, secure foundation for myself to grow from.

As a career-driven woman, what does your support system look like? Is there specific advice or a mantra that was passed on to you that has helped you get to where you are today?

K: I have a core group of 7 girlfriends that I have known for over a decade. They all inspire me for different reasons, and they are the people that I look to when I need advice or need someone to lean on. They constantly remind and encourage me to listen to and trust my instincts, and to prioritize myself and my self-care, to fuel my tank so that I can fuel others' in turn. I have also been endlessly inspired and supported by my mentor and counselor at work. She always reminds me that "we can do hard things" whether that thing is at work or in my personal life.

C: I have been blessed with support from friends, family, and mentors in my professional life. A previous boss/mentor gave me the amazing advice to purposefully have my own “brand”. This is how I present myself to my peers and what I am known for, such as being a strong communicator, being reliable with timelines, etc. While I am constantly working on my own “brand”, it is so important to dig into how I come across to others, and how I want to be perceived, so that I can put my best self forward.

How has your profession affected your style and the way you dress over the years? How important do you think style is to achieve success? Is there a double standard for men?

K: I definitely think my profession influences the way that I dress, particularly over time as I have become more senior and have started feeling pressure to be more "executive" in my appearance. I do think that style is still an important element for success -- I think people are still quick to make judgements or draw conclusions and first impressions are hard to shake. I do think that there is a double standard for fashion (and a lot of things) for women that doesn't exist for men; but I also think women have the ability to incorporate much more personality and expression within their own style as compared to men. Even in a very traditional corporate environment, women can opt for dresses, skirts, pants, we can incorporate color, texture and accessories in a way that men are not able to. I think it allows us more outlets for our personality than men are afforded, even if ultimately we are held to a more narrow set of standards.

C: I work in tech, so I can wear mostly casual clothes in my professional life, which I love. While I don’t think having all the latest styles is important for success, I do feel that dressing appropriately and in a way that is fitting to your personality helps drive success. When I feel comfortable and confident in my clothes, that confidence translates to my work life. I do think there are many double standards for men in the workforce, and style is one of them. Especially in my early 20s, finding work clothing was tricky because I wanted to look and feel my best, but I also got very inappropriate attention from older men on the team, and I did not want to do anything to exacerbate that.

If you could write a one-sentence note to yourself 10 years ago and 10 years ahead. What would you say?

C: To me ten years ago – enjoy college, it is truly a unique experience to learn and live so close to your best friends. To me ten years ahead – remember to be humble, kind, and always look for joy in things.

K: 10 years ago: You are not invincible; take care of yourself and protect your health. 10 years from now: Don't get lost focusing on work and day-to-day stressors. Notice and enjoy the present.