Woman of the Week – Wendy Larzelere

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 women who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

My Name:
Wendy Larzelere

My Current Job/Company:
Leadership Development Consultant/Claro Consulting

My Birthday:
03.25.67

My Work:
I help companies align their talent strategies with their operational strategies and goals in order to stay ahead of fast-paced and ever-changing business dynamics. I do that by working with leaders and leadership teams to identify and unravel trouble spots and cultivate and elevate existing and future leadership talent.

My Passion:
My family, my friends, natural beauty (mountains, oceans, big skies), books and my puppy.

My Family:
My wonderful parents, Charles and Carlene, my siblings, and my favorite people in the world, my nieces and nephews: Sterling (18 and a first year college student!), Logen (16), Alexander (14), Caroline (11), and Francesca (8).

My Hero or Heroes:
I have some friends who are pretty heroic, but there is one person who has been my hero my whole life, my Grandmother, Dorothy LeMaitre. She worked hard, she travelled far and she loved fiercely.

My Escape:
I am an explorer, so anywhere away from home where I can get out and walk and see new things and experience new experiences is an escape for me. Bonus points if it is somewhere beautiful, like the coast of northern California.

My Pet Peeve:
People who drive slow in the left lane on the highway and people who are judgmental.

My Indulgence:
Jeni’s ice cream. Brambleberry Crunch (which I sorely missed this summer!).

My Roots:
I had a good Midwestern upbringing, where we played outside all day, had meals together as a family every night and loaded into the station wagon every summer for some crazy adventure – mom, dad, five kids, and grandma!

My Future:
Open-ended and adventure-filled, I hope. I think of it as the book that has yet to be written, and I am excited to see how it plays out.

My Favorite Quote:
“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” I believe this to my core, so I always try to stay in close touch with who I am and what I stand for.

My Accessory:
My glasses, and my favorite aquamarine stud earrings and ring (birthstone).

My advice to Young Women:
Don’t believe you have to have it all figured out all of the time. It is okay to let things play out, to change or reverse course, and to keep options open, so when interesting and right opportunities knock, you can take advantage of them.

How I Balance it All:
I give myself the luxury of time to think and to plan, and I have learned the art of saying “no” to things when I start to feel over-extended.