About

My name is Mary Haurilak

I'm originally a trained journalist - now working in marketing, public relations and event planning.

My true talent is writing.

I've lost count of how many jobs I have had over the years, but I always seem to find one when I need t

I've seen and heard a lot over the years, and I'm sharing what I've learned here. I hope that it helps you.

Words that take flight

Welcome 2025. I do have to say that I am glad for the arrival of a new year. There are always so many goals, hopes and dreams that can come with a new year, and that's no different this year.

But first a look back on 2024. It was a hard slog in work for the first six months, with a job at an amazing non-profit but I was only there until the end of May, filling a maternity leave. I executed the responsibilities of the job well, but found it hard to make much meaningful change there - the team was made of long-term employees, as well as the board of directors, the organization was still bouncing back from some difficult times during the pandemic and it really was a "stay the course" job I was fulfilling.

I did experience some highlights - working with two very creative, talented direct reports, and having the opportunity to run my first Annual General Meeting, something that I had not done in many, many years. This experience has since come in handy, as I am now at another non-profit and will be responsible for running this year's AGM.

Also happy to have completed an online course from Seneca College - Introduction to Organizational Behaviour. Completed the course with a "A" and found it completely fascinating. It left me wondering whether I should have pursued something in HR over my career, as I have been a keen watcher of how teams operate, and, believe me, I know how they operate after having worked in over 15 of them during my career lifetime.

If you have visited my space before, you might notice I have removed my former "ranty" blogs where I talked about the similarities I've noticed on a number of my jobs - especially, start-ups, family-owned companies and the absolutely most challenging, the husband and wife leadership team (4X for me!). Suffice it to say that these companies took a huge toll on me the last five years, and that, in a lot of ways, really took away a lot of my confidence. It is safe to say that I do not want to work of any of these kinds of companies ever again, and if you want a list of "red flags" to look out for if you find yourself on a short list for a job at a place like that, just call or email me, I have a list.

So 2024 did end on a better note, with me starting to feel more like myself career-wise. Working under a strong and experienced leader, adhering to a strategic plan with set goals, a better understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses, learning from life lessons, and being grateful that my Dad taught me resilience and hard work - this is what I am bringing into 2025.

I am still not against arguing my point of view, bringing my 20 plus years of experience forward and doing what is right - that shit never goes out of style, but I'm shedding the last five years' baggage and filing it under "G". Finally. Hopefully.