In this episode of What’s Up at Work?, host Sam Clyde Schroeder sits down with Micki Byrnes, Chief Communications Officer and Senior Advisor at Adcom, and former President and General Manager of WKYC, to talk leadership, reinvention, and the surprising career lessons learned from decades in the media.
From her early dreams of being a forest ranger to leading one of Cleveland’s most visible organizations, Micki shares how she navigated career pivots, built a resilient workplace culture, and found new purpose after retirement (for exactly two weeks).
You’ll hear her take on self-advocacy, the transition from creative to executive leadership, and why she still brings her lunch every day.
Episode Highlights & Timestamps:
- 00:55 Micki’s surprising original career path and how she found her way into broadcasting
- 04:15 A winding road to Cleveland (and why it grew on her)
- 07:00 How creative instincts translated to company leadership
- 10:10 The moment she was named President of WKYC and what she wishes she’d done differently
- 12:00 What the “Garage Test” says about your company’s culture
- 14:30 Supporting employees who are struggling with burnout or misalignment
- 15:50 How WKYC approached its responsibility as a public service
- 19:00 Untangling identity from work and navigating post-retirement transitions
- 23:15 What to ask yourself during any major career shift
- 25:00 The challenges (and urgency) of legacy media reinventing itself
- 27:15 Transferable skills and why companies need “an adult in the room”
- 30:00 Staying relevant when the world (and your feed) is changing fast
- 31:30 Why Micki joined Adcom and what she hopes to bring to the agency
- 35:00 Encouragement for anyone who feels stuck but isn’t sure what’s next
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