Gratitude Helps Navigate Anxiety: A One-on-One Interview with Danielle Zellman from Cedar

The first thing Danielle did when we got on our Zoom call was jump up and down and tell me she could do a handstand. We had never met before. 

Danielle’s immediate ability to make me feel comfortable and connected with her says a lot about her skills and talent as the People Experience Manager at Cedar, a company that offers financial services to healthcare providers and institutions. Danielle’s path to Cedar wasn’t linear, however, and her story to where she is now deserves to be told to anyone who may feel like they’re struggling to find purpose in their career.

I, for one, am in that constant battle with myself to find that purpose in my future career, and to find a “perfect” job right out of college. As I explained in a previous blog post, “Study What You Want in College and You Will Excel in HR, Says Zoe Grossman,” I’m feeling a type of pressure to figure it all out as soon as I can, before I have even entered the workforce or tried to find a job. This emotional labor is taxing, and sometimes makes me want to give up before I even start. Uplifting, isn’t it?

Danielle totally gets it. She went to fashion school for college, but in her own words, felt “way too empathetic to freak out over handbags” for the rest of her career. Entering the workforce in New York City, Danielle worked as an administrative assistant in different companies and banks, and felt undervalued at any place she worked; her insights weren’t being taken seriously, and did not even know that career development could be a part of a job, since her work did not provide her with job growth.

Danielle lacked a sense of purpose in her work, which she said was frustrating, disappointing, and anxiety-provoking. Danielle thought to herself, “I’m living in New York City, surrounded by people who seem to have it all together career-wise...what am I doing wrong? 

Looking back, Danielle said that her purposeless anxiety haunted her.

That’s when she found Cedar. 

Danielle entered Cedar as an Executive Assistant to the CEO of the company, but quickly started taking on other responsibilities. Danielle found Cedar to be the environment she had been looking for all along: kind, welcoming, and valuing her for her insights and ideas. Every time Danielle had an idea to grow the culture at Cedar (she was hired at 21 people), she was listened to and taken seriously.

As Danielle and the company grew, the co-founders of Cedar told Danielle that they wanted her to step up as a People Experience Manager. They saw the work she was doing- bringing the team together in community, fun, and joy - and handed her the career opportunity she had craved for ten years beforehand. 

With the Chief of People as her supervisor and mentor, Danielle began tackling larger culture-building initiatives. While before, she was planning social events for the team and providing personalized snacks and support for every team member, now she began focusing on people strategy and continuing to deliver a 5 star experience for Cedar employees while in a hyper growth stage. While before, Danielle was in charge of decorating and building the physical office space, now Cedar hired an official office manager to oversee the office changes. And while before, Danielle knew every detail about each person hired at Cedar, she now had to look at the growing team as a whole to make sure everyone felt welcome and supported in their work.

Even though the transition to a different role at Cedar is a very different challenge than her job insecurity before she landed at Cedar, it is a challenge in and of itself. Danielle is learning how to move from doing to delegating, which is difficult when she has developed her systems that work for her to build culture and community within the company. 

I asked Danielle how she handled this anxiety of growing internally in a company and handing off responsibility to the next person. She said that her main form of self-care and grounding is to take walks around her neighborhood, to clear her mind and acknowledge her gratitude in her anxieties. Anxiety at a job is normal, especially when it is rooted in purpose and excitement about the positive development of a company she loves. Danielle also admits that the transition of roles is scary, and that with internal growth in a company, her other responsibilities force her to give up job tasks that bring her joy. But, Danielle said that she can also pass along her gratitude and knowledge to the people taking over her roles, and find the same amount of joy and reward in mentoring or managing these positions.

I see Danielle’s career growth to be incredibly motivating. What was once purposeless anxiety turned into purposeful anxiety, and not in a bad way. With any job, anxieties, challenges, and uncertainties will come up, but Danielle has shown me that oftentimes, embracing the gratitude of challenge makes the challenge itself feel exciting and wonderfully right. 

Danielle still has worries about failing, but her anxieties are no longer grounded in purposelessness and aimlessness about her job. 

Danielle taught me a lot in our conversation, and hopefully her story resonates with you too. I have three big takeaways from Danielle, which I will share with you for your professional development as well:

• Never compromise your excitement, enthusiasm, or energy for anyone. Danielle definitely does not compromise hers. You are allowed to be yourself at work, and your enthusiasm will have a ripple effect on anyone you interact with. 

• Allow your overarching purpose to guide your work, even if you feel like giving up. It took Danielle ten years to find the right place for her, but then she found it. You are deserving of career development within your own company, and to feel proud of your personal and professional growth throughout your life.

• Accept the challenges at work, because challenge does not mean you are not good at your job! Challenge is what drives opportunity. Danielle has grown so much at Cedar, and not without difficulties along the way. Take her lead by not being afraid of the challenges that arise, and let these challenges help you find gratitude in the successes you achieve.

Anxiety will always be present at work, and in life. In order to navigate the transitions in our lives, we must acknowledge the positives within the hard moments, especially when these moments are rooted in fulfilling purpose. 

Finding the gratefulness in my anxiety will allow me to face my challenges head on and offer the greatest support I can to my future employees.
If you would like to connect with Danielle, you can find her on LinkedIn.