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Women in the Arena
Women in the Arena is the celebration of everyday women living extraordinary lives in plain sight. We seek to inspire, encourage and challenge you to reach for the great heights you're made for.
Women in the Arena
Small Victories, Big Impact: How Kash Rocheleau Leads Icon Foods with Grit and Grace
Dive into this week’s episode of Women in the Arena as we sit down with Kash Rocheleau, the dynamic new CEO of Icon Foods. Kash's journey is anything but ordinary—what began as a desire to be a stay-at-home mom transformed into a trailblazing career in the corporate world.
🌟 Highlights of Kash's Journey:
- 💼 Unexpected Beginnings: Kash started at Icon Foods as an executive assistant, soon realizing her calling extended far beyond the role she was hired for. Her rapid ascent to CFO—despite lacking traditional experience—demonstrates the power of unyielding determination and strong mentorship.
- 🏗️ Building Credibility: Kash shares the importance of seizing every opportunity, no matter how small. From becoming forklift certified to embracing servant leadership, she reveals how these actions cemented her respect and credibility within the company.
- 🚀 Navigating Leadership in a Male-Dominated Industry: As a young female CEO, Kash faces unique challenges. Hear how she uses her strong voice to combat disrespect and drive an inclusive work culture, proving that small victories can have a big impact.
- 🌱 Embracing Failure & Growth: Kash opens up about the lessons learned from professional missteps, like presenting inaccurate financial data. She explains how these moments fueled her growth and strengthened her leadership.
- 💡 Networking & Mentorship: The episode concludes with Kash’s heartfelt insights on the value of networking, mentoring the next generation, and cherishing life’s chaotic phases.
Join us for an inspiring conversation that celebrates Kash Rocheleau's remarkable leadership and the optimism she brings to the future of Icon Foods.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kash-rocheleau-a0678528/
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***Last thing- This is my WISH LIST of interviews:
• Joan Jett
• Dolly Parton
• Viola Davis
• Ina Garten
Maybe you can help a girl out...***
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***One last thing...I have an interview wish list because a girl's gotta dream
- Viola Davis
- Dolly Parton
- Ina Garten
- Joan Jett
Maybe one of you can help me out!
Thank you all for supporting this show and all Women in the Arena!
Welcome in everyone and thank you so much for joining me again this week. This week. I cannot wait for you to meet this amazing woman that I was so impressed with the very first time I met her this week. My guest is Cash Rochelleau. She's a young woman that has learned to take advantage of every opportunity, even if the opportunity wasn't readily obvious right away. She is currently the newly appointed CEO of Icon Foods. She has worked her way up from starting at the very beginning and learning the organization from the ground up. She's here to discuss with us how she learned to grow and flourish in the most humble of places to the very greatest heights. It is both my pleasure and my honor to introduce to you Cash. Cash, thank you so much for being here and welcome to the show.
Kash :So thank you, the honor and pleasure is all mine.
Audra:Cash, as I said in the intro, I was extremely impressed with you the very first time that I met you, because you are a very young CEO. You are newly appointed into your role and, as I indicated in the intro, you started with your organization from. You were very young and you started from a very entry point of view, so do you mind sharing with us your beginnings with your organization and how you took advantage of the opportunities that were presented to you and how you worked extremely hard to gain knowledge and experience to get where you are in your position today?
Kash :Yeah, yeah. So I mean, my career start was a little bit of a fumble because I always wanted to be a mom from like the jump and when my husband and I met we had quite a bit of infertility, which I think just exacerbated the fact that I wanted to be a mom. And this fairy tale of staying home with my kids, or what I thought was a fairy tale, when it finally came to fruition, it just it wasn't for me and I am infinitely grateful and amazed by all parents that choose to stay at home life and for even furthering that point. My husband actually stays home with our kids now and he thrives in that position. And a very terrible, it was a very terrible time in my marriage just because I thought I wanted this, I was fortunate enough to do it, I was so unhappy, which I think also kind of came across as ungrateful, and so I finally just got to the point where I was like I just want to go back to work and my husband was grateful that I came to that decision.
Kash :But I didn't know what I wanted to do. I had a degree, but I didn't have any hard skills. I had a business degree, very general. What do you do with that. Everyone says you could do anything with a business degree, which you can, but it leaves infinite opportunities where you go to look. And so I went to job postings and there was a post for an executive assistant to a CFO and at the time I was like how hard could it be? Right, you can't mess this one up. My only trepidation was I didn't really love math and so that was all I could think about in the finance world. So I sent in a cover letter, sent in my resume, and they accepted me here at Icon Foods and I learned to love it.
Kash :I had a great mentor in the CFO spot at the time who was very good about teaching and there was no dumb questions and really brought me along the process and everything that she did. And about two months into this endeavor she needed to go back to Hawaii to care for some family members at the time and we were not set up to be remote, and so she put in her resignation and said I think Cash could do my job. And at the moment, you know, it's kind of this catch-22. Like you know, there's so many people in the world that would be grateful for this opportunity, but there's also so many people in the world that would be grateful for this opportunity, but there's also so many people in the world that are way more qualified than I am.
Kash :I said yes very reluctantly, but I think the difference between a lot of people that I've seen in these positions is I said yes but was willing to do anything it took to get to the level I needed.
Kash :I was also fortunate enough to be provided with a very supportive team who kind of was graceful with me along the way but also provided me with the tools that I needed. No one else in the business had a finance background, and so I was given contacts for people in the industry, contacts for people in the area who, again, never judged when I called and asked some very stupid questions with the title that I was holding, and I think that that just changed the trajectory of everything and from that I learned to not only love the finance world, but I started to do that in every area of the business in such detail that if they wanted me to learn how to drive the forklift or the opportunity was granted I went and got forklift certified. I went out into production and ran production with our team. When you mentioned that I took every opportunity. I truly took every opportunity, whether it pertained to finance or not. If it could better my career or better my resume, I was willing to say yes.
Audra:Well, I think, first of all, you've said a lot of things right there. The first thing that you said very bravely which not a lot of women are willing to say out loud which is you didn't thrive being a stay-at-home mom. I am also one of those women that was not a great stay-at-home mom. I did it for a year. I'm grateful that I did it for a year. I was miserable, yes, I just I tried really hard to love it. I couldn't. That is not to say that I love my children any less. A hundred percent.
Kash :But I think it's a very taboo subject. I mean we don't need to get into fertility. I mean that's a whole nother subject, conversation for a different day. But I think when we look at women specifically, there's so many tab my heartbeat from the inside and they're walking around this world as an extension of me, and so I do. I love them infinitely. But yeah, to your point, I just I felt like I didn't, it wasn't enough of a purpose for me.
Audra:Yeah, there was something more that you had to be. Yes, and I just for me. I wasn't enough of a mother for them, only being their mother. Yeah, I had to be something else, to be a fully mother for them. I don't know if that makes sense, oh it does.
Kash :And I think when you say that, the first thing that comes to mind for me is when I looked at myself at that point.
Kash :I was somebody's wife, I was somebody's mother, I was somebody's daughter, but all of these things were like identifiers for someone else and I hold my mother title and my daughter title and my wife title very near and dear to me. But when I really looked in the mirror I was like, what am I doing for myself? Where is the identity in myself? Because, sadly, one day my children are going to go live lives of their own and my parents parents, very unfortunately are not going to be here for all of my life and while my husband is kind of stuck with me, he can't be my identifier. I can't identify myself in my husband and he shouldn't have to bear that responsibility either. And so that was, that was for me. And again, I want to be very clear in that. There are people that find purpose in that and I am so grateful and I don't want to diminish that because that's great. It just wasn't for me.
Audra:Like I said in the beginning, you took advantage of everything else that was put in front of you, even if it wasn't readily obvious of where it was going to lead you, like getting fork truck certified. You would not necessarily know where that was going to lead you or what opportunity that that might present to you in the future. I mean, no one would say, hey, that's going to add to your repertoire of being a better CFO, but it did.
Kash :It did, and the funny thing is is that it didn't really add to my resume, but it added to the respect that I have with people here and it added to. I mean, I try to uphold myself to the standard of not asking people to do things that I'm not willing to do myself. I don't ever want to ask any of our warehouse team to stay after five o'clock to load a truck. That's late if I'm not willing to do it myself. And so I would say that those little things in the moment they seem so minute and I think it gets really easy to say like that's below my pay grade or why would I do that? But the relationship that I built throughout the entire company and the respect that was mutually earned, that was the value in kind of some of those littler things. And to me they may seem little, to listeners they may seem little, but they still talk to each other about it. Like our CEO has come down and spent a week getting forklift certified. Who else is doing that in the industry?
Audra:I mean, it's this credibility that you have earned with the people that work for you, and that's one of the things that we wanted to talk about, which is leading from a different point of view and being a different type of CEO and having a different perspective, because I have said many, many times on my show that corporate America, in its core, has not been built for women, but you're a different kind of leader, so you're building a different structure where everybody can thrive. Yeah, and that's one example is that you're not doing something or you're not asking something that you're not willing to do yourself, like driving a forklift, like staying late. What other examples are you doing to lead differently and build a different structure so that everybody can thrive?
Kash :Yeah, I think one of the biggest things for me is that I try to be a servant leader. I'm not always successful in that, but I definitely like that. That's what I try to do. I would say that it's really important to me to to use my words wisely and in speaking with people, and which is very hard for me because I'm a very fast moving person, just naturally in all areas of my life, and so I like to make decisions quick. I like to get things off the to-do list quick, and I've learned moving from the CFO to the CEO.
Kash :It has some big changes and some small changes. Some of those bigger changes is that you now are making decisions for the entire organization and so, although I want to make decisions quick, who am I affecting? And so I'm really slowed down in my decision making. But something that's really important to me is making sure that the team understands and knows that they don't work for me, that they work with me, and without them we don't have anything, and and I found that when they feel like they're a part of something bigger than themselves or a part of this team, you tend to get more buy-in than them thinking that they're coming and working for the man or for the woman, and I think at the end of the day they still are, but we can kind of change how that feels and so for me it's definitely making them feel like they are with me and not here for me.
Audra:You operate in an industry that is, in the industry of food and beverage, which is still a very male dominated industry as a whole, and you are a very young CEO. What challenges do you think you're going to face in the face of this industry, although you've made a very, very positive name and reputation for yourself you already have, what do you think you're going to have to overcome?
Kash :I think, just the normal things. I think that you know the first couple board meetings. I mean I've been a part of high level meetings and board meetings over the last few years, just sitting in the CFO seat, and I've been one of the youngest faces at a lot of those meetings. I hate to say, but I would say at 98% of those meetings I've been the only female. For me, I think that I'm going to have to have a stronger voice. That's something that I'm going to have to overcome.
Kash :I'm one that, when we go to these tables, I like to kind of take the back seat and kind of watch everything unfold. Like I said, be a little bit slower to decision making, a little bit slower to using your words. Very big advocate of you have two ears and one mouth. For a reason you should listen twice as much as you speak, and so I think just the normal challenges of being a woman and then being a young woman in the business world are going to be some of these challenges. I think, though, also, as I start to have successes, I'm really going to have to lean on those small wins and victories, because I think that those small little pebbles will end up creating the mountain that I want to ultimately stand on and give me the credibility that I will need to prove myself in this industry.
Kash :Fortunately for me, I have had great mentorship and people that have had my back. Our previous CEO and founder was a big and is a very big advocate for women. Otherwise I would not be sitting here today. He has been very diligent and if there is any type of misogyny or disrespect towards me in any sense of the fashion, we tend to say no to those deals, no to those businesses, no to those conversations, no to those businesses, no to those conversations. And he will still hold a board position and so I don't imagine that sense of it will change. But he's also given me the confidence to to say no when it's when it needs to be said like I don't deserve to be treated like this. I have a place at the table and it's okay to say that.
Audra:How do we, as Other women, help change that? And what I mean by that is how are we better advocates for each other? And, for instance, you and I don't work in this, in the same fields, but that doesn't mean that we can't be supportive of each other from afar. From afar, we don't sit in the same rooms, we don't. We don't work in the same states, but that doesn't mean that we can't be the same, we can't be advocates for each other.
Audra:And here's an example also subscribe to two ears, one mouth, because I would rather hear what my counterparts are saying and, more importantly, what they're not saying to me, than have just speak just for the sake of having my voice heard. However, I have other counterparts that just like to have the sound, their own voice being heard. How do we change that narrative where we can still take up space in the room and not just have to fill the room with sound and know that we are supporting each other from afar? I mean, that's what keeps me up at night. How do I let other women that are in the same seat that I am across the country know that I have their?
Kash :back For me. I'm really big in LinkedIn and really trying to support those people on LinkedIn the female entrepreneurs, the female leaders. I think that it also. You know, sometimes it's hard to go to those board meetings. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. There are meetings on my calendar this week that were all men, that it was just like I really don't want to go to this. That we're all men, that it was just like I really don't want to go to this. And you go. And to your point.
Kash :I don't think that the lack of words being said is detrimental, because I've noticed that, even though my word count may be less than some of the other people in the room, when I do speak it tends to be heard, and so I think that the quality over the quantity that phrase does matter. I also think that you know, within your own organization, outside of your organization I use the phrase with my own ladies here in the organization straighten each other's crowns without telling the world that they were crooked. There's no reason to go blast that some woman or male, but specifically woman failed. Help them privately, and then I think for the leaders at the top, it's bringing the people along, a better CFO coming along, because it meant that there was room for me to grow. I was never scared of someone else coming along, and even to this day maybe not this day, but in the near future I want to know that there's a CEO that can come along and take my spot. I'm not afraid of that, because it means that I then have room to go do something even bigger or something that will bring me even more purpose and so not being afraid of the people behind us and bringing them along, and being transparent with females my assistant controller right now, who is kind of also raising through the ranks we do an hour and a half leadership meeting every Tuesday and she asked what are you guys doing there for an hour and a half?
Kash :And it never dawned on me that the company was wondering why, you know, these six leaders go lock themselves in a room for an hour and a half every Tuesday, and I just said why don't you come and audit the meeting? And she took that opportunity and said absolutely. And so I think giving people those opportunities that were awarded to you is going to pave the way and also offer support and confidence, because I think the lack of confidence is where people kind of become reluctant to go forward, like what if I fail? What if you fail? Over the last seven years I have failed more times than I've succeeded, but I've learned from those. So I would say creating a safe place and helping build confidence and outwardly supporting female leaders that are killing it.
Audra:You've never learned your greatest lessons from the things you were great at that you succeeded at. The greatest lessons that, for me personally, that I ever learned from were the things that I crashed and burned at. Yeah, absolutely those are the things that I was like oh yeah, I learned a lot from that one. Yeah, the things that I succeeded at was like oh yeah, I learned a lot from that one. The things that I succeeded at. The reason why I succeeded is because I learned from those huge, colossal mistakes.
Kash :Yeah, yeah, and I think too, yeah, like creating that safe place like this is kind of embarrassing, but why the heck not? I remember my, my, not my first, but it was my first memorable fail within this company. I had newly been appointed to the CFO spot again, probably not, probably completely unqualified and I was on an investor meeting because we were looking to tee ourselves up for an acquisition. It was kind of the peak of COVID and M&A deals were just happening at stupid multiples and we were trying to ride those coattails and I jumped on the investor meeting and I completely presented inaccurate EBITDA numbers and we got off the call and the person called the investor had called Tom, our previous CEO and founder, and said she's completely unqualified. I don't know why you would have her on there. No deal In the moment.
Kash :His words were not great, but it was also a learning moment for me because it taught me it's okay to fail. You've got people that are going to support you. But it also taught me to double, triple, quadruple check things before you go on to a meeting, a board meeting, xyz. But the biggest lesson I learned from that was that it was okay to ask for help. I felt like I needed to prove myself in this role, that I had people that appointed me and believed in me and had given me the tools that I needed to have all of my ish together and I could have just asked for help or a second set of eyes, and I didn't. And even to this day, sitting as a CEO, I still ask for help. I sent off an email this morning and asked for a second set of eyes before it went off, and so yes to your point of failures.
Kash :I learned so many, and when I look at the same time period there, were so many successes, but I don't remember them as vividly because it was kind of like that was great and you move on. So don't be like they're rewarding in the moment.
Audra:Well, I think that your former CEO has the same philosophy that I have, not only for myself. Ceo has the same philosophy that I have, not only for myself, but for the people that have worked for me, and it came from a very long time ago, from a leader of mine, and it was during a time that I thought that perfection was the goal, and he was very kind to me and he pulled me aside and he said we don't want you to be perfect, we want you to make mistakes. And I was stunned what is he talking about? And he said if you are perfect, that means you are not growing, and if you are not growing, you are not doing what we need you to do, which is we want you to continually push outside your comfort zone. We need you to continually push outside your boundaries, which means you're growing, and if you're growing, we're growing.
Audra:And if you're growing outside your boundaries and your comfort zone, of course you're making mistakes, because you're doing things that you've never done before. We're asking you to make mistakes. We want you to make mistakes because we want you to grow. That's the only way that you help us. Yeah, and that has stuck with me. That was said to me 20 years ago. That was said to me 20 years ago and so now that's just a part of my fiber, my everyday life, that I'm constantly trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone and I'm constantly making mistakes on purpose.
Kash :Yeah, we say that actually within the company. So one of our core values is a growth mindset. But we say be uncomfortable with the uncomfortable. Because for that exact reason, if you're not uncomfortable, then you're not growing, you're not challenged. And I think it's in all areas of your life, not just the business world, like if you're comfortable in your marriage, I worry, are you good in your marriage? If you're comfortable with your parenting, are you setting up the next generation for success? I just think it can be related to all areas of your life in that uncomfortable growth phase, but 100% and I think that not only for us being okay to make mistakes. I would say to any leaders that are listening to this if that's your belief, if that's what you are conveying to your team, then you also, you got to be uncomfortable. Be okay making mistakes, it's okay to fail, and then when those mistakes happen, there's not the support that has been conveyed.
Audra:That's a big deal that you're telling that you have to be okay with them making mistakes when they make them, exactly. It can't just be lip service. You can't say we want you to make mistakes and when they make mistakes, you punish them Exactly. It can't just be lip service. You can't say we want you to make mistakes and when they make mistakes, you punish them for it. Right, yeah, like I said, you're trying to create a different culture. I would love for the culture that you're trying to create be a blueprint for other organizations, which is different, for other organizations, which is different. You're trying to create a culture that promotes people to be their best selves, to challenge themselves constantly, to encourage creativity, to encourage inclusion, to encourage people to challenge the status quo. Your assistant controller challenged the status quo by asking you what are you doing in there all day? That was a challenge.
Kash :It was a challenge, but I also think for us as leaders it's important to kind of step out of the box, because all six of us at that table, when that question was posed, I brought it to the leadership team. Like, do you realize that the organization is wondering what we're doing in this room for an hour and a half? We know what we're doing. We're talking about. We are not a meeting culture. I hate meetings actually, to be honest. So we save all of our stuff unless the building is on fire.
Kash :For that Tuesday it's an hour and a half long. Everything goes on the table. We walk out of United Front and then we wait until the following Tuesday to bring issues to the table. And so it just never occurred to us until she asked and we sent out an email to the rest of the team saying like this is what we're doing in here. You're welcome to audit. There's, of course, some confidential conversations that happen in there and there's weeks that an audit can't happen. But I think that it's so important for us as leaders to get out of our office, away from our screen, and be in conversation and community with our people.
Audra:So what if one of your employees came to you male, female doesn't matter and said I want to shadow you, I want you to be my mentor? What would your response be? Are you?
Kash :sure, are you sure, are you sure? And I say that just for the laugh, because I remember when I was offered the position and I was like, yeah, I think I just need a minute to think about it, and I came back and said yes. And my previous CEO has said he said multiple times are you sure, are you sure? And when we kind of talked within the industry a little bit, they had all times, are you sure, are you sure? And when we kind of talked within the industry a little bit, they had all like, are you sure?
Kash :I feel like the CEO position. It is so exciting and I love it because I love being able to lead people. But I think that a lot of people don't understand that most days it's putting out a million different fires. It's not really all that it's cracked up to be all days. I think that the reward of it outweighs all of the busyness. But I think, jokingly, my first response would be like are you sure? And if they're truly serious about it, my answer would always be absolutely Absolutely. I'm a very transparent person with most of our employees. It's a very small 27 employee company, so there's really nothing to hide and if they want that opportunity, sure.
Audra:All they have to do is ask. I think that why most people don't do is because they don't ask and because they think they can't. Yeah, ask. And they'd be surprised what happens when they do ask, because I have found, most of the time the answer is yes, sometimes the answer is no, but no one's ever died from no, so right, so take a chance and ask. And sometimes the response is not not yet.
Kash :Right, I'm not going to say that is like that's what I try to use. If I'm going to use a no, I usually and I'm going to give my secrets away for my team that may be listening but it's usually no, but like no, but let's put a plan together. No, but I need more data. No, but so it's not a no period, it's a no comma or a no semicolon, and so I don't ever want to close a door on something because doors weren't closed on me. Again, as leaders, it is our responsibility to know what our team wants. It's our responsibility to know where they want to go in their career. It's our responsibility to know what their aspirations are, because it's our responsibility to try to help them get there, whether it's with us in our organizations or with someone else in their organization, and so us in our organizations or with someone else in their organization. And so, yeah, there's times that you have to say no as a leader, but I would challenge all the leaders that are listening to this it's a no, but.
Audra:No, but let's put together a plan. Maybe you're not ready. What can we do to be ready? Right, maybe there's a step in between. Maybe there is a mentor class you can take, maybe there's, maybe there's something else that's, that's between this and that.
Kash :Yeah, I have never found that it is a flat out no, or maybe it's just not the right person or maybe it's just not the right person, right, I can't remember like in my in all of my, my short career, I can't remember any time that I've had a hard no. I just I can't remember any time that I've had a hard no. I think the caveat to that is I also haven't asked for anything unreasonable. Yeah, I just. I think the caveat to that is I also haven't asked for anything unreasonable. Yeah, I just. I think that there should always be a pathway. Like you want to make $300,000. I can't do that today, but here's the tools we can get you and an estimated timeline and what you will need to do to get to this and, I think, also drilling down into what is the motivation for that right, because a lot of times the goal is not necessarily the goal and when you start to pick apart the asks, you realize that what they're asking for may not truly be the words that they're conveying.
Audra:Could be something else. Yeah, and I've also found that if the response is no or the door is locked, maybe you're just trying the wrong door. I've done that, the door was locked and I'm like okay, then I'll just go try another door. Yeah for sure. Sometimes it's just a little bit of persistence, because eventually you'll find an unlocked door.
Kash :Yeah, exactly.
Audra:Exactly as a servant leader and a leader that is willing to do what your forklift drivers are doing and willing to unload the truck and all of those things that all of your employees have done, and also mentor. You also mentioned, through all of that, that you are willing to reach out to women that ask, even if we don't live and work in the same area, and you had mentioned that you're active on LinkedIn. How can you serve the women that may be brave enough to ask and reach out to you, the strangers that reach out to you on LinkedIn? If they are brave enough to reach out to you and they ask and say, cash, how can I become a CEO in my 30s?
Kash :You know, what's funny is I've sent so many LinkedIn messages to people that have gone unanswered, and one of my fatal flaws is that I know that feeling when you're reaching out for a purpose right, they may not see that purpose, and I know that feeling of rejection seems like a really strong word, but they didn't respond to you. So I guess you can use rejection and so I do not respond to any message. It may take me a little bit longer to respond to messages, especially now, but if you take the time to reach out to me, I will take the time to give you a response. So I would say, anyone listening, if you take the time and you are courageous enough to ask and there are no silly or dumb questions, I promise you that that I will take the time to meet with you or respond to you.
Audra:And I would encourage you all to do that, because she is a wealth of knowledge. Do not let her young age fool you. I told you at the beginning that I was incredibly impressed by her. I was impressed by her experience, by her being so grounded and also being very thoughtful and being wise enough to take advantage of the opportunities that have been presented to her and being knowledgeable enough to know that it wasn't easy None of this is easy but being aware enough that, in the uneasiness and the discomfort, to just go ahead and lean into it and to make sure that she reached back behind her to bring the next generation with her Male, female doesn't matter. So I encourage you all to do that.
Audra:Cash, I want to thank you for being here today, to being brave enough to share some vulnerability, to being brave enough to say yes to everything you've said yes to, because being a CEO is not for the faint of heart. It is not. Before I let you go, I want to give you an opportunity to have a intimate moment directly with the audience that you can leave them with a lasting thought that they can take. Leave them with a lasting thought that they can take with them with their day, so they can marinate on whatever, whatever moment you have with them, so they can give them something to think about. So the mic is yours um.
Kash :To the, the younger, less mature people in their career, I would say put down the phones, put down the screens, open up books and and really expand your knowledge. Reach out to people face to face and start taking on some of the responsibility of the people that have laid this path before you. Don't let the road end here To the older, more mature leaders, the higher up leaders bring these people along with us. They're the next generation and they are only going to be as strong as we bring them up to be. As we bring them up to be.
Kash :I think about you know my parents, my grandparents always making comments of. You know this generation isn't as good as our generation or isn't as strong as our generation. And that may be true. I think that my generation is pretty smart and doing pretty well for themselves, but it's also their responsibility to get us where they expect us to be. And it is now our responsibility to get the generation behind us where we expect them to be to day and miss all the good, bad ugly. Pretty that's happening. I would say take a moment to enjoy the journey.
Audra:The journey is the point it is. It's from this side of the microphone, sitting from the empty nester seat, where I know that you're in the thick of it with three young children. It goes by in a blink. It does. The days are long, but the years are short, yeah. So don't get so focused on the goal that you forget to enjoy the journey, even the hard part. Trust me, you'll look back on it and go yeah, that was really hard, but I really miss it. The days of screaming for them to turn their music down. There are moments that I miss, that I miss the noise. I know.
Kash :I can't believe. I'm saying that out loud. I'm so glad that you're saying that because I mean, to your point, I am totally in the thick of it. And there are days in my household we say I always tell them you're driving me a banana sandwich, and they just know at that moment mom is about to lose her marbles. But my parents are very much that voice of I you're gonna miss this, I miss this. And in the moment I'm like, am I like, am I going to miss this? Um, but the funny thing is I actually travel back and forth between the home office and where my primary residence is, and when I'm at the office I get a glimpse of man. You do miss it and and so, yes, it's refreshing to hear it from other voices than your parents, even at my, my old, young age even at my old young age, to know that your parents still know what they're talking about.
Audra:So, even in the middle of chaos, enjoy the chaos. Yeah, because one of these days, it's going to be very, very quiet, yeah.
Audra:So, cash, once again, thank you for being here. You are so lovely, you are so refreshing. Like I said, you are so down to earth and just. I look forward to you being the next generation of leaders, because if all leaders are like you, we are in great hands. So thank you for being here and thank you for sharing your experience, sharing your wisdom and for being the lighthouse that we have for the next generation of organizations. So thank you for being here.
Kash :Thank you for having me in your sweet words.
Audra:It has been a pleasure for me to have you here and I want to thank you all for listening, and we'll see you again next time.
