Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Christine Watchorn

My Current Job/Company:
Attorney at Ulmer & Berne LLP

My Birthday:
March 25

My Work:
I help businesses resolve their legal disputes.

My Passion:
My family, my friends, music and working to provide educational opportunities for women.

My Family:
My wonderful husband, Steve, and our crazy cat, Buford.

My Heroes:
Frankly, I always struggle with this question. Maybe I don’t really like the world “hero.” People I admire and look up to are people who stand up for what they believe in….even at great risk to themselves, and everyday people I know who have faced tough challenges with grace and strength and determination.

My Escape:
Listening to music, traveling to the mountains, and, in a best-case scenario, combining those two things.

My Pet Peeve:
When people don’t use their turn signals.

My Indulgence:
Microbrewed IPAs (India Pale Ale – a very hoppy beer)

My Roots:
I come from hard working, middle class, loyal and loving people with a lot of integrity.

My Future:
Short term: busy, fun and involved. Long term: in a rocking chair on the front porch of a mountain cabin somewhere.

My Quote on Life:
“Say ‘Yes’ and you’ll figure it out afterwards.” (Tina Fey)
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” (Abraham Lincoln)

My Accessory:
Is an iPhone an accessory?

My Advice to Young Women:
Be good to each other. There are plenty of people in the world who may try to tear you down, so don’t do it to one another.

How I Balance it All:
I don’t. Litigation can be very unpredictable. Sometimes I have to work very long hours and on weekends, and I cannot always predict it in advance, so plans get cancelled and rescheduled. I hate letting my loved ones down, but I’m lucky to have very understanding friends and family and I’m trying to learn to embrace chaos.

Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Anne Boninsegna

My Current Job/Company:
Owner/The Kitchen

My Birthdate:
08.20.73

My Work:
I create immersive dining experiences that inspire a curiosity and passion for cooking by celebrating the art of preparing, eating and sharing great food with family and friends.

My Passion:
Life in a nutshell. My family, my friends, my love of food, culture and travel and pretty much any non-profit focused on enriching lives.

My Family:
Amy (the most amazingly supportive partner a person could ask for), Phinneaus (6, my always thinking and lovely son), Harper (5, my compassionate & imaginative elf of a daughter)

My Heroes:
Anyone who on daily basis finds a way to support another person unconditionally. Big and small gestures of kindness are what make the world a better place.

My Escapes:
Cooking and Travel. Both are the greatest ways I can think of to either get away or at least feel like you have.

My Pet Peeves:
Generalizations and Boastfulness

My Indulgence:
Anything outside of my business seems like an indulgence currently! But, I would have to say the idea of a mani/pedi seems like a dream come true!

My Roots:
I was raised as an only child by young parents and while I know they did everything they could for me, they were young. We all agree I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my amazing grandparents. They were simple people who couldn’t instill in me enough the values I cherish today…be generous, be nice and eat lots of pasta.

My Future:
I can only begin to imagine what is yet to come in my life. I have so much to look forward to. With young children just starting to hit grade school all the fun is to come and with a brand new business I hope to see it take off and inspire the next food and dining concepts.

My Quote on Life:
“If you have to do something you don’t want to do, do it gracefully” (told to me by my mother as quoted from her mother)

My Accessory:
Shoes (boots & flip flops), bracelets, scarves and my necklace with my children’s initials.

My Advice to Young Women:
Don’t be paralyzed by trying to find your passion and don’t let anyone convince you that you need to know exactly what you want to do with your life. Life is evolutionary as far as I can tell and for the most part it will guide you as much as you will guide it.

How I Balance it All:
With a lot of help, and now, a very distinct willingness to change courses whenever needed to make things work out as they need to. I put a lot of pressure on myself and my family (I wish I was more calm and Zen about things, I hope that will come with age) to follow a plan but it always turns out best when we sort of fly by the seat of our pants and adjust as we go.

Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Brenda Sears

My Name:
Brenda Sears

My Current Job/Company:
Project Director/IJUS, LLC

My Birthdate:
08.16.79

My Work:
I set-up and manage new clients while maintaining relationships with existing clients. I assist in acquiring new clients and projects. My background in engineering gives me opportunities to set up the engineering specifications required for projects and engage on a detailed level. Guiding and training future managers and leaders is an added bonus in my daily routine.

My Passion:
Family, friends, work, and The Buckeyes.

My Family:
My husband, Clint (so thankful that he found me), and our fur-baby, Leia.

My Heroes:
Barb (my mom – amazing role model). Colleen (my sister – pure strength). Meagan (my friend – no fear).

My Escape:
Anywhere where I feel “unplugged”.

My Pet Peeve:
Bad drivers and people who go in the “Out” door.

My Indulgence:
Any sort of pampering – massage, mani, pedi, facial.

My Roots:
Middle-class, suburban. Eventful! Always feel welcomed by my friends and family.

My Future:
Exciting! Expanding our family.

My Quote on Life:
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller

My Accessory:
I’m a purse girl.

My Advice to Young Women:
Don’t be afraid or ashamed of being smart.

How I Balance it All:
I get a lot of satisfaction from accomplishing tasks. So I make many to-do lists and feel good about crossing things off. I try to prioritize whatever I can and make sure there is always time for those that positively impact my well-being, including myself.

Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Dina Tantra

My Current Job/Company:
Today I wear multiple hats, President/Trustee of Advisers Investment Trust, General Counsel of Beacon Hill Fund Services, Chief Compliance Officer of BHIL Distributors…I also pick up the mail, water the plants and take out the recycling. We’re a full service organization!

My Birthdate:
10/19/69

My Work:
Aligning with strategic partners, we manage and grow our clients’ mutual fund business so that they can focus their time and attention on what they do best – picking stocks and finding shareholders.

My Passion:
Strategic planning – a mixed blessing and a curse (ask my husband) as I’m always trying to think five steps ahead.

My Family:
My husband, Brian. In 1997 when I moved back to Columbus from Kansas City my girlfriend said, “You have to meet Brian Kolda, he’s the NICEST guy.” She was right. Next year we are celebrating our 10th anniversary.

My Hero:
My grandfather, who passed away in 1989. He told me to enjoy life to the fullest, but practice moderation.

My Escape:
Traveling with my husband, either exploring or simply going for a long bike ride.

My Pet Peeve:
People who are oblivious to any perspective except their own.

My Indulgence:
Travel with my family, because we have enough “stuff” and I would rather invest in experiences and memories which last a lifetime.

My Roots:
Having a trusted safety net which has afforded me to luxury of being able to take calculated risks along my life roadmap.

My Future:
This saying is framed on my wall, “She wasn’t where she had been. She wasn’t where she was going…..but she was on her way.”

My Quote on Life:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost

My Accessory:
My pedometer. Every morning I wake up with an opportunity to hit my goal for the day and I wake up the next morning, hit the reset button, and start again with a clean slate.

My Advice to Young Women:
Identify your “genius” – the quadrant where high skill and high energy intersect, and spend your time in your area of genius. Know yourself well enough to know that if you are not there, be willing to take a risk to make a change.

How I Balance it All:
I view my life as a piechart and for every wedge that gets larger, the others get squeezed into smaller slices. Every once in awhile, step away, re-evaluate and make sure you make time for yourself. Continuous improvement requires investment in your soul.

Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Jess Sparks

My Current Job/Company:
School and Clinical Counselor at Kae Avenue Elementary School
Council Director of Girls on the Run of Franklin County

My Birthdate:
7.30.79

My Work:
I provide short term mental health counseling and linkage to community resources to students and families of Kae Avenue Elementary to eliminate non-academic barriers to educational success. I also serve and lead the volunteers, girls/families, and supporters of Girls on the Run of Franklin County in fulfilling our mission of inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experienced-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

My Passion:
Serving others: my family, my community, humanity.

My Family:
Chris, my soulmate. Our “family” also includes 4 siblings, “inlaws” or as we like to call them “outlaws,” and 8 nieces and nephews.

My Heroes:
All of the amazing women and men who have mentored me (parents, relatives, teachers, coaches, and formal mentors). They have always guided me and challenged me to go in the direction that allowed me to learn from my mistakes and take pride in my hard work.

My Escape:
Water, mountains, trees, where I can run, hike, kayak, scramble, or just be. Favorite quote by Rachel Carson,”Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”

My Pet Peeve:
Plastic grocery bags and inauthentic people.

My Indulgence:
Dark Chocolate and OYO cocktails.

My Roots:
Modest servant to those around me, especially the most vulnerable; children. Raised on hard work and high expectations. Mischievous shenanigans perpetuating happiness to friends and family.

My Future:
Wide open to possibilities not even imagined yet.

My Love:
The shared dedication based in our love for each other that I have with my husband to improve the lives of children, by making the time they spend with us as leaders/teachers, aunt and uncle, and people in the community the best time they have in a day.

My Quote on Life:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
-Marianne Williamsen

My Accessory:
Pearl studs every day, everywhere.

My Advice to Young Women:
Write advice letters to yourself and follow your own path! Take time and space away from relationships that cause you to make unhealthy choices for yourself. Do whatever you can to expand on your self awareness, i.e. meditation, yoga, counseling, which will allow you to fulfill your potential.

How I Balance it All:
A deep and profound love of organization and technology. Work smarter not harder so that you can accomplish the really important stuff!