Rachel Kenneth - Internal Communications Manager, The Suddath Companies
Connecting with people and making a positive impact are two of Rachel’s greatest loves. Combined with her commitment to always write with clarity, simplicity and empathy, her work as Internal Communications Manager for The Suddath Companies couldn’t be more of a perfect fit. Rachel spends her days keeping her 2,000 fellow coworkers connected to their company’s corporate mission, values and business objectives—and if you ask us, that’s a pretty important role to play. She’s sharp, scrappy, and an incredible leader in the global transportation world and beyond.
The Basics:
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Current city: Jacksonville, FL
Alma mater: University of Florida
Degree: B.A., Linguistics, Master’s, Linguistics
Very first job: Administrative Assistant, Society of Wine Educators
Hustle: Internal Communications Manager, The Suddath Companies
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
My maternal grandmother was the matriarch of our family and her life story serves as a master class in grit and determination. She and her brother were orphaned when she was just three years old, so they grew up in a children’s home during the Depression. As a young adult with no parents to guide her, she built a life for herself, first working for a milliner and living in a girls’ club and then joining the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps at age 21, where she rose to the rank of Corporal. In the army, she met my grandfather and after they were married, she left the army to start their family. While raising their three children, she later worked alongside my grandfather as the bookkeeper for his local businesses, well into her 70s. She overcame obstacles so large that any one of them might have broken her spirit—not just the loss of her parents, but also the untimely death of her brother and later, a battle with breast cancer. But despite all of that, she was one of the most fun, optimistic, loving people in this world. She was adored by all who knew her. She had a song or a joke for every occasion. She worked hard for her family and loved them even harder. She was humble and wasn’t big on speeches or sentimentalities, but through her example, she showed her children and grandchildren to work hard, persevere and have some fun while you’re at it.
Go-to coffee order and/or adult beverage?
Lime White Claw. I really wanted to resist the hard seltzer trend, but man, it’s so refreshing and light.
Favorite fictional female character? Why?
Anne of Green Gables. She’s smart, creative, imaginative, compassionate and sees the beauty in everything. She strives to be extraordinary and is unapologetically herself. I think she’s a great example for young women, demonstrating that empathy and vulnerability make you strong, not weak.
What’s your best tip for leading a meeting?
Make an agenda and stick to it. Everyone is busy, so it helps keep the meeting productive if you have a plan—even a loose one. Give everyone a chance to weigh in, but keep the conversation on track and table ideas that veer off course.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
I handle internal, executive and crisis communications and corporate-level public relations for The Suddath Companies. Most people see our trucks around town or have passed our headquarters building, but many don’t know just how big we are and how much we do. We were founded as a local moving company in Jacksonville over 100 years ago, but today we are a global transportation, relocation and logistics company serving 180 countries, with offices in 30 locations across the U.S. and around the world. My job is to make sure all 2,000 of our global employees know what’s happening across our business lines, and feel engaged and connected to our corporate mission, values and business objectives. On any given day, I might be drafting internal announcements, copyediting, scriptwriting, interviewing stakeholders, handling video or photography direction, prepping executives for interviews, creating presentations, recording voiceovers, submitting for industry awards, writing press releases, updating corporate content on our website, or evaluating new processes and tools to better reach our employees. When I go home each day (these days, just a short walk from the desk in my bedroom to the kitchen downstairs), I start my second hustle as mom to Emilia, a very busy, creative, energetic and opinionated four-year-old.
What aspect of The Suddath Companies do you value most?
I absolutely love the people I work with. I’ve been lucky to find true sisterhood with the women on the marketing team at Suddath. The support and care we show for one another completely smash the tired stereotype that female coworkers are cutthroat or “catty”. We’re always willing to step in to help with work, brainstorm creative ideas or be a “second set of eyes” for proofreading. But more than that, we support one another personally and professionally by lending a willing ear, career advice and mentorship. We truly celebrate one another and lift each other up—and we make each other laugh every day, which is the best part.
What objectives do you strive for in your daily tasks? What makes them important to you?
I strive for clarity, simplicity and empathy. My goal is not to be the most profound writer, but to get messages out that are easy to understand and that resonate with employees. I put myself in their shoes and ask, “Does this make sense? Is it relevant? Have I considered their concerns? What other questions might they ask?” I try to make sure that before I hit send on anything, I have read it through the eyes of our diverse employee base.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
I learned a lot in my first role in higher education. I was only 22 when I started teaching at the University of Florida, so some of my students were only a few years younger than I. I thought I needed to establish authority by being “tough” and “serious” with my students. Over time, I learned that the best way to gain their trust and help them succeed was to lead with empathy. Today, the success of my role as a communicator hinges on my ability to empathize with my audience, so I’m glad I learned that lesson early on in my career. That experience also showed me how powerful it can be to forge real connections with people and to not take myself too seriously.
How do you balance being the “voice” of a company with your personal values?
Anyone who knows me knows I have opinions! So, putting my personal beliefs and values aside is an everyday challenge for me as a communications professional. It is a delicate balance to know when to speak up and when to hang back. Ultimately, my role is to make sure employees are informed and have all the facts they need. The message may not always be something I agree with—and that’s the nature of communications at every organization—so I focus my energy on keeping employees engaged and connected by striving for clarity, transparency and empathy in every communication.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
I have always worked in fields where you traditionally see a higher ratio of women, and for the most part, what I’ve found in that environment is camaraderie, support, mentorship and friendship. I haven’t experienced the same obstacles that women in STEM fields do, for example, and because of this I have been very lucky to grow my career without feeling stifled. One opportunity I do see to empower more women across all industries is paid parental leave. Aside from being the right thing to do, numerous studies have shown that providing paid leave helps employers retain the awesome women they recruit. Today, working mothers make up nearly one-third of the labor force in the United States, yet only 17% of American women have access to paid maternity leave through work. (Paid leave for both parents is even less common.) Working mothers will continue to make up a bigger portion of the labor force going forward, so companies that are committed to diversity and inclusion should be making paid leave a priority alongside other essential efforts, such as closing the wage gap and hiring more women who are BIPOC.
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
I am proud of my determination to keep trying new things until I found a career that really suits me. I was never someone who knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. All I knew was what I loved: writing, connecting with people and making a positive impact. I was able to find some of that in previous roles—as an adjunct professor, a technical support specialist, a proposal writer—but I really found my home in internal communications. I’ve never been afraid to say ‘yes,’ and ultimately that attitude got me exactly where I’m supposed to be. Some days it will hit me apropos of nothing—I’m actually doing my dream job! I know internal communications probably doesn’t sound like a particularly exciting or sexy profession, but I’m motivated by the idea that an organization succeeds when people are engaged—and communication is a crucial piece of employee engagement.
Are you involved with any other careers, side projects or organizations? In what ways has community involvement helped or influenced your career?
I’m currently finishing out my last year on the board of directors for The 5 & Dime Theatre Co. where I serve as Past President. It has been such a rewarding experience to be part of an organization that believes in making art accessible and relevant to all members of the community. I am now taking that spirit of community into a new side project I am just starting: Common Threads. During the pandemic, I started making woven bracelets for my friends as a way to lift their spirits and keep myself occupied during quarantine. I started out with some basic patterns I remembered from my summer camp days as a kid, then discovered there are so many more intricate patterns to learn and colors to play with. The response was so positive, and I’ve been having so much fun that I decided to start selling the bracelets and using the profits to give back to the community. The proceeds from all Common Threads bracelets go to non-profit organizations—a different one each month—whose missions make a positive impact in society or the environment. I’m starting with only small batch custom orders, but I am really excited to see where it might go.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
Internal communications professionals are generally more behind-the-scenes than out in the spotlight, but there are a few women in the media that I particularly admire for their ability to communicate and connect with audiences. One is Terry Gross, the host of NPR’s “Fresh Air.” She has a way of being friendly and endearing in her interviews, while not shying away from asking the difficult questions. I am also inspired by Brené Brown, who is an incredible researcher, writer, speaker and podcast host. Her TED Talk on the power of vulnerability fundamentally changed my ability to choose courage in both my personal and professional lives.
What does your approach to work/life balance look like? How do you unplug and unwind?
I truly believe that “The grass is greener where you water it.” It’s impossible to do all the things all the time, so I’m constantly assessing where my “water” is needed most. My family is always my priority, but there are some days when my work is demanding, and my daughter might get to watch a little more TV than I’m proud of. Other days, and especially on weekends, I focus on spending as much quality time with her as I can, playing with Legos, taking nature walks or doing sidewalk chalk. There are days when I just need to unwind, so I might let the laundry go unfolded and enjoy a few more episodes of The Great British Baking Show or The Mandalorian with my husband, Will. If I’m being honest, I am not so into the idea of “leaning in”. I think relaxing is an essential part of being a happy human being, so I’m learning more to “lean back” and give myself permission to do nothing at all. It’s pretty empowering!
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Find your voice and use it—not just for yourself, but for others who are unable to advocate for themselves. Women are taught from a young age not to rock the boat, and it can be scary to speak up, to push back, to advocate, to draw boundaries. It may feel like a risk to speak out, but there is greater risk in staying silent when you see something that is not right. It’s especially important for women like me, who are white, cisgender and straight, to use our voices to help all women. We all succeed when we lift each other up.
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