Last weekend marked Dr. Teresa Peterson’s six year work anniversary with the company.
SIX YEARS!
Teresa was the first person to join the SNOWCO team whom I did not know personally. When the business was about six months old, I needed to find someone to help with admin tasks. Honestly, I’d had no idea how to build a team from scratch and was struggling through the opps side of things in survival mode. I wanted our message and our work to grow, and I needed some support.
I’d gone through the interview process with a number of other candidates, and I had a person I was ready to hire. Then, Teresa’s application came through, along with a recommendation from a friend. I said I’d be happy to interview her. Even though I already had an idea of who I was going to go with, I went into it with an open mind.
It’s a good thing I did because—though I didn’t know it then—that was one of the best decisions I’ve made for the business.
[READ MORE: The Value of Bringing the Right People on Board]
In my first conversation with Teresa, I appreciated her energy and her thought process. I also appreciated her assessment of where she was at in her life: raising littles, yet still wanting to keep busy in other ways. She accepted my offer, and we decided to give this working arrangement a try.
Sometimes, I sit there and think: Oh man, where would I be if I hadn’t gone with her? It’s fun to think that our journey together started out with her being supportive of our young company and trying to help create her role. And now? It’s no surprise that there’s so much support and still so much creation, just of an evolving nature.
Over time, I began to understand the absolute wealth of information and insight that Teresa brought to the table, including her research for her doctorate. One of my favorite moments was when she took the lead on finding the right Chief of Staff for us. It was the first time I was not the main interviewer and an opportunity for her and I to get on the same page about the goals and vision for the company. Because of Teresa, we found Amy—who has also fundamentally changed the world for our business through her talents, skills, and nature. Later, Teresa’s role changed from a behind-the-scenes one to a more public one. During the Zooms of the pandemic, we would always joke that she was the Ed McMahon my Johnny Carson.
One thing I appreciate so much about Teresa is her character. There are a million examples of this in action, but one I always come back to is that after we had to put our dog Seymour down, Teresa stepped up to the plate big time by asking how she could be most helpful as I navigated my grief. She continued lovingly pushing with her offers of help when she could sense I was tiptoeing around my real answer. Eventually I shared that I was a little overwhelmed, and she agreed to co-facilitate an upcoming presentation. At the event, I got held up at a book signing, and Teresa facilitated alone. I stood at the back of the room watching, and it was magic. She truly understands how people learn and has an effortless way of disarming people, seeing people, and creating space for them to engage with topics that might be uncomfortable or vulnerable—all with an incredible amount of heart. She is masterful when it comes to connecting our content to people’s real lives and experiences. I feel like every time I’m with Teresa, I learn something more.
On her six-year work anniversary, as I look back on these moments and so many others, I’m grateful. When I look back on the evolution of the company as a whole—how we’re expanding our impact, deepening our content, and continuing to learn along the way—I have Teresa to thank for much of that.
She’s been such a gift to me, to the team, and to our clients, and I can’t wait to see what we’ll create together next.
If you’ve worked with Teresa, what words would you use to describe what it’s like working with her? Do you have a favorite moment, Teresa-ism, or memory? Share them!
Sarah Noll Wilson is on a mission to help leaders build and rebuild teams. She aims to empower leaders to understand and honor the beautiful complexity of the humans they serve. Through her work as an Executive Coach, an in-demand Keynote Speaker, Researcher, Contributor to Harvard Business Review, and Bestselling Author of “Don’t Feed the Elephants”, Sarah helps leaders close the gap between what they intend to do and the actual impact they make. She hosts the podcast “Conversations on Conversations”, is certified in Co-Active Coaching and Conversational Intelligence, and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities. In addition to her work with organizations, Sarah is a passionate advocate for mental health.