Navigating Executive Career Transitions w/Jessica McClain

Download file | Play in new window | August 31, 2022

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How do you rise to the occasion in a new leadership role within a new organization? Succeeding in a new and bigger leadership role as a woman requires overcoming barriers and having a support system to help you make your impact.

In this episode of the She Leads Now Podcast, we have Jessica McClain, the Chief Financial Officer for Girl Scouts Nation's Capital. Before transitioning to the not-for-profit sector, Jessica spent 11 years in public accounting performing and overseeing financial and information technology audits.

Jessica E. McClain is the Chief Financial Officer for Girl Scouts Nation's Capital. Before this role Jessica spent 11 years in public accounting. Ms. McClain is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), a Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) and serves on various volunteer committees with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and is a Trustee for the AICPA Foundation.

She is actively involved with the accounting profession at her alma mater Towson University and is Board Member of the Maryland Association of CPAs Foundation and the Greater Washington Society of CPAs. Ms. McClain holds a Bachelor of Science from Towson University and a Masters of Accountancy from George Washington University.


Listen in to learn the importance of holding your team accountable as a leader and having someone within your team to hold you as the leader accountable. You will also learn the importance of being intentional and strategic when building and nurturing relationships within your professional network.

Listen to this episode to learn more.

Key Takeaways:
  • Stop telling yourself NO and instead do the best you can to get where you want to go.
  • The importance of taking time to rejuvenate and take care of yourself so you can perform better.
  • How to listen and ask questions as a new leader to build great relationships.
  • How to be intentional and strategic when building networks and maintaining the connection.

The short survey identifies core behavioral drives that provide a clear picture of how you work and how you can collaborate best with others.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:
  • [2:24] Jessica’s career journey and the path that led her to become a nonprofit CFO.
  • [5:40] Her initial hesitation when applying for the CFO role and what pushed her to do it anyway.
  • [8:18] How support from her network has helped her settle and grow in her role as CFO.
  • [10:15] How she takes time to take care of herself so she can perform better in all her roles.
  • [11:53] Jessica on why it’s important to teach young girls about leadership and impact.
  • [15:04] The kind of impact and legacy she personally and organizationally wants to leave at Girl Scouts.
  • [16:14] Why her leadership philosophy is about employee empowerment.
  • [17:38] The top leadership skills she developed to build great relationships in a new organization.
  • [21:52] How she intentionally and strategically builds and maintains networks.
  • [24:08] She explains the importance of taking time to relax and take care of yourself.
  • [25:56] Jessica’s book recommendation, contact information, and additional resources.
Books Mentioned:

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Additional Resources

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