McKenzie's One Year Anniversary!!!!

We want to say congratulations to our Assistant Manager McKenzie Comfort on her 1 year anniversary at Oryx! McKenzie took the time to write a blog reflecting on her time with our company. We are so proud of everything you have accomplished and can't wait to see you continue to grow!

"A moment for reflection:

Yesterday marked my one year working with Oryx. Wow- I can’t believe time has really gone by that quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was walking to my car from my college campus googling “professional attire for an interview” in desperate hopes of affirming that my outfit was appropriate for the first time I would ever step foot into our St. Louis office. In my mind, at the age of 20, I was already doing pretty well for myself. I had my clothing company that I managed online that was generating enough income to put me through college and allow me to live completely on my own. I had a 4.0 and was excelling in my classes. I had more than enough time for friends and family (and, of course, my puppy). But I still knew that there was something more for me out there, and that I had an obligation to myself to try and figure out what it was. I knew I wasn’t tapping into all of my potential, but I had no idea how to even start. So I went on the interview with the hope of hearing something that would make me realize “okay- that’s what I’m looking for. That’s what I’m missing”. Incredibly enough, that’s exactly how the scenario played out. As I sat down with the manager, Mike, and he explained the purpose of the management development program that we employ, I was inspired at first by the end result, but then became increasingly more intrigued by the process. I realized that, while I was grateful to have already reached a certain level of success myself, I was equally frustrated that I was incapable of helping others do the same. I didn’t know how to teach. I didn’t know how to develop. I was so incredibly limited by my own experiences and realized that I craved the opportunity to learn from others- hands on- every single day. So I went back for a second round interview (aced it), and when I got the call that night with the job offer, I already knew I was willing to sacrifice my summer that I had been planning out since January and the time with my friends that had been away for the semester so that I could focusing on becoming the person that I knew I was meant to be. So I accepted and started two days later, the first day of summer and the first day of the job that, within one year, has taught me more than my own experiences with my entrepreneurial adventures, the countless books and articles I had read, and all of the years I had spent in school combined.

My first few months with the company involved a lot of learning. I wasn’t a sales prodigy, and I didn’t truly believe I was capable of being the best at what I was doing at the time, so I faced a lot of days that ended with disappointment and frustration that I still “wasn’t good enough yet”. Despite those hindrances, in August, three months later, I made the decision to take a leap of faith and move cities with our Assistant Manager (now owner), Vianca, to help her open her new office. I knew that I was being held back by my own self-esteem and all of these pre-conceived notions in my head of where I should be and where I could go. I was excited for the chance to start over and really prove what I was capable of. So I made the move to Nashville, and I made it my goal from day 1 to be the very best version of myself possible, in every realm, and fully devote myself to my development and goals. No more excuses. No more pity parties. Just hard work and a relentless desire to grow.

The mindset reset was all that I needed. I took off. I went from being a mediocre producer to being a top producer in a single week, and I have maintained that status ever since. There were suddenly so many doors being opened for me, and I realized that it was because now I was pounding on those doors and demanding to be let in instead of staring from a distance and thinking that I wasn’t ready. When my boyfriend at the time was diagnosed with cancer a month after the move, I accepted the challenge head on of learning how to balance caring for him and his chemo treatments and his struggles while still moving forward with the company and reaching the goals I had set for myself. I was astounded by the love and support I received from the company during those trials and felt more grounded in my belief than ever before that I was exactly where I was meant to be- in a position where I was learning and growing every day, and working with people who were equally devoted to my success and happiness.

Four months after the move, in December of 2014, I reached my short-term goal of being promoted to Junior Partner. It was during that time that I learned the true importance of giving 100% at all times. I realized that there were no short cuts to this stage of development- it must be earned in every aspect and the efforts must be consistently practiced and maintained.

For the past five months, I have been dedicated to getting to know our company on a much deeper scale so that when I open my own office, I am fully prepared for the experiences I will encounter. The lessons I have learned have been ones that have taught me the importance of humility, the necessity of trial and error, the acceptance that I must always continue to invest in myself and my development if I want to continue to grow, an appreciation for those who have made sacrifices and invested their own time in me, and an understanding that true happiness comes from helping others grow and develop their own potential. I have been taught that I must constantly place myself out of my comfort zone and hold myself and those I care about to the highest standard. I’ve also learned (and still am everyday) what it truly means to be a leader, which is the role that I truly aspire to play every single day for the rest of my life. I’ve learned that it isn’t just about the results, it isn’t just about the numbers- it’s about the process and the investment you put into people along the way. I’ve learned to fall in love with the process over and over again, and seen that every time, the results follow automatically.

I feel so incredibly fortunate to work for a company where, when people ask me what I want to be doing in 10 years- or 20- or 30, my answer is still so similar to what I am doing now. I want to help individuals who are just as hungry and passionate as I was coming in and give them the opportunity to become the best version of themselves possible. I want to continue to push past my limits, to challenge the standards, to redefine the status quo, and to be a pioneer in innovation, in execution, and in performance. As I prepare to open my office, I cannot express my gratitude enough for those who have given me their time so they can teach me, and also those who have trusted me to teach them. I’ve been incredibly blessed this past year for all of the opportunity that I have been given, and I am even more excited for the years to come.