Say hello to Heather–HoneyBook’s first Chief People Officer

Meet HoneyBook’s newest member of the leadership team–Heather McLinden, our first Chief People Officer! 💥

Keep reading to get to learn about a day in the life of a CPO at HoneyBook and what Heather’s currently binge-watching.👇

Q: What do you love about working in the “people” space?

A: The people! People have always fascinated me and since graduate school, I have dedicated much of my time to understanding how businesses can leverage the power of their people to achieve remarkable results. Rallying a group of talented, engaged people around a common mission and vision is a powerful thing and being part of the team to help make this happen is amazing.

Q: You’ve been with HoneyBook for a few months now. What’s been the biggest surprise?

A: The biggest surprise for me has been witnessing how much a small group of 100 dedicated, driven and gritty people can accomplish. Watching our teams in action — their commitment to support our members and helping one another — is awe-inspiring.

Q: What does a day in the life of a Chief People Officer look like at HoneyBook?

A: It varies! One of the most exciting parts of my work is that no two days are the same. I spend the majority of my time working alongside an amazing team focused on the People Team strategy and driving it forward. Beyond that, each day presents some new, and often unique opportunities to support our employees and members.

Q: What’s one piece of advice that’s stuck with you throughout your career?

A: Treat people with respect. I’ve found you can’t make the wrong decision if you keep this top of mind.

Q: What has been the most challenging part of onboarding in a remote world?

A: I miss the hallway conversations. I am someone who values knowing people — really knowing them. It’s challenging to do this in a remote world. I have found myself needing to dedicate more time than I would normally to make these connections while onboarding and getting to know each of our talented employees.

Q: What’s your favorite way to spend time when you’re not working?

A: I love to run. Luckily over the last few months COVID has not had a profound impact on this and I have been able to use this as a way to escape a little — even if it’s only for 45 minutes to an hour.

Q: What show are you currently binge-watching?

A: Self Made.

Q: Are you a sweet or savory person? Mountains or beaches? Hot coffee or iced coffee?

A: Savory! Beaches, however, mountains are a very close second. Hot coffee.