Kathie Callahan Brady, President and CEO of FITCI
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
Saying yes to the unfinished question my boss asked: “Do you want to go to...” The rest of the question was do you want to go to Europe? Where I lived for the next 13 years.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
Helping Entrepreneurs who have a passion and dream to create a successful business.
What was a challenge you had to overcome in your life?
A long struggle with Lyme, which meant I couldn’t run anymore and then for a while not being able to get out of bed.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Every problem has a solution, we just have to look at the problem in a different way and surround yourself with brilliant people. Both have served me well.
Which career might you have pursued if not for the one you’re in?
I grew up on a 300-acre experimental farm and have always loved agriculture, which I studied for a while. Then I moved to computer science, then medicine, and finally circled back to my entrepreneurial roots.
Kelly Schulz, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
A last minute decision to run for the Maryland House of Delegates.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
Serving the community and meeting extraordinary people doing extraordinary things every day!
What was a challenge you had to overcome in your life?
The professional challenge was getting started later in life, but I will never regret my decision to stay home and raise my two boys.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
When I asked my youngest son about whether I should run for office, he said, “If not you, who? If not now, when?”
Who inspires you and why?
My two boys have always been my inspiration and as they have grown into men, I see them inspiring others as well.
Shabri Moore, Principal and Founder of Moore Wealth
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
Skied the front four at Telluride on a dare.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
Getting to know the people I have the honor to work with---clients, colleagues, and fellow professionals.
What was a challenge you had to overcome in your life?
Learning that I could raise our sons, build a successful business, and live a full life after the sudden death of my husband.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
It was in the form of a question: "What are you waiting for?"
What drives you or gets you out of bed each day?
The gift of the day----to love the people in my life, to make a difference in some way, and to continue to build a business that now includes both of my sons.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?
Be present in every moment and spend more of those moments with the people you love the most.
Who inspires you and why?
My late husband because he always believed that the right time for anything is right now---hence the question: "what are you waiting for?"
Sarah Hurwitz Robey, Co-owner of Colonial Jewelers
What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?
My sister and I booked a trip to Spain-Israel-Amsterdam with only a month or so notice.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
Working with my family, as well as being a part of such a long-standing Frederick business.
What is the best advice you've ever received?
"Double-check your math," my mom said, and I use it every single day!
What drives you or gets you out of bed each day?
My early-riser kids (kidding!) but I love to get up and get going on the day ahead.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?
Time goes so quickly, so make sure you appreciate all the time you have when you are in the present "these are the good old days!"
Linda Singh, Interim Executive Director and CEO of TEDCO
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
Marry my husband. After dating for 5 plus years one day, I said to him, “let’s make a commitment to either get married or go our separate ways,” and he said let’s get married tomorrow, so we did.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
The wide variety of work experiences that I’ve been able to be a part of over the last 38 years. Experiences that range from working for a pretzel shop, Airpax, Leeds & Northrup, Accenture, the U.S. Army National Guard, Maryland Cabinet Secretary to TEDCO as Interim Executive Director/CEO, and a Leader-in-Residence at Towson University.
What was a challenge you had to overcome in your life?
There were so many, but the most challenging was being without a home and figuring out from day-to-day where I was going to stay.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
That I needed to get over myself. If I was going to succeed in this world, I had to realize that not everything was about me.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?
First, I would tell my younger self to get over being angry at the world and secondly, I would have told myself to find someone to talk to about my situation that could have actually done something about it.
