Diane Zigmont-Velez, Director Customer Support, CIS

In one word…Growth!   When I started at Katz in 1994 it was just a job at Rep Company to pay the bills.   I was young and had no idea what I wanted to do. I was surrounded by good people and I wasn’t afraid to ask a lot of questions.  The job evolved into a career. The rest has really been Herstory!!! I’ve had the privilege of tackling several roles and on dozens of amazing projects during my tenure.

Here are my top five pieces of advice which I recently shared with my 21 year old daughter!

1. It's great if you know exactly what aspect of a field you want to go into or have a specific job path in mind. But always be open to trying something new, especially as you start your career.  You don't want to miss an incredible opportunity simply because it isn't directly in line with your planned career path.

2. There’s never going to be a precisely right moment to speak, share an idea, or take a chance. Be confident… just take the moment—don’t let thoughts like ‘I don’t feel like I’m ready’ get in the way.

3. When you encounter a tricky situation or identify a problem, always try to propose a solution along with it.  Even if the solution you propose doesn't end up being feasible, it shows you're a problem solver.

4. If you make a mistake at work, own up to it. Everyone screws up, and taking responsibility for your mistakes and proactively coming up with a plan to rectify them and prevent them from happening again is the sign of a leader.

5. People respect and trust you more if you are open about what you don't know. There is nothing wrong with admitting you don't know something and asking for additional information. It's fine to say you don't have the information at the moment, but that you'll get an answer right away. Then follow up!

I am a “Freestyle Forever Fan”.  I grew up in The Bronx during the 80’s when this new music exploded onto the scene and I got hooked!  It blasted out of “beatbox” radios on street corners, “jams” in the parks, house parties and in clubs like Funhouse and Roseland.  I’ve seen dozens of live performances by artists such as TKA, Judy Torres, George Lamond, Noel, etc. I have every freestyle song worth owning on digital.  My two personal connections to this music are meeting my husband at a live performance by Coro and on our second date, we danced to No Reason to Cry by Judy Torres.

My husband and daughter inspire me every day.   Professionally, I’m inspired by the talented people that work with, help develop and our team’s results.

I’ve always trusted my intuition and allowed it to lead me in the right direction. And every day, I try to find the positivity within circumstances, people, and things, and it completely changes my outlook.  However, I believe my communication and interpersonal skills have driven results.