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| McKinzey Saig |
Every woman needs someone like McKinzey Saig in her life. She’s warm, welcoming, and the most encouraging friend. She will build you up when you’re feeling down and inspire you to live your dream. Her empathy and encouragement is genuine because she’s truly walked the walk.
In her mid-20s, after several years working incredibly long hours in the fast-paced public relations industry in Austin, McKinzey took a leap of faith and stepped away from her career. The job started taking a toll on many aspects of her life, including her health. When just a teenager, McKinzey was diagnosed with colitis (which, in overly simplified language, is an inflammation of the colon) and managed it well enough throughout college, but the stress of her demanding job led to frustrating and painful flare ups.
The upbeat people-pleaser said her instincts told her things just weren’t right in her life, even though it looked wonderful on paper.
“Your whole life you have this checklist of what you’re supposed to do and just keep your nose to the grindstone and get it done and work hard and things will work out,” she said. “That was really a few years into my career in PR, which, I liked parts of it, but everything in my body—literally my body, as I was getting sick, my colitis had been really bad—I just had this feeling that I couldn’t really identify that I wasn’t really happy. I couldn’t name why because I was successful at my job, I had good friends, all these things that are markers of what your life should look like, but it wasn’t adding up.”
With the help of a therapist—something McKinzey could not recommend more—she realized she was just so burnt out that she needed a change that would fulfill her desire for a better connection to people.
“I think you just need help in your life and to step back, and a person who is objective can help you do that,” she said.
At the time, McKinzey thought there was no way PR could fit what she needed. A career in teaching was appealing to her because of her love of helping others, a self-described personality of a natural teacher, and the fact that her mom was a teacher. So she embarked on a journey to earn her teaching credentials, taking a break from her life in Austin completely, temporarily relocating to her hometown of El Paso and living with her parents.
Once she completed her credentials, McKinzey returned to Austin energized at the thought of her new direction. That is, until she hit an unforeseen roadblock.
“When I came back to Austin, it was right after the recession, and the very same week I came back to get a teaching job is when the Austin school district cut 1,000 jobs,” she said. “So not only are they not hiring, there’s 1,000 more qualified people than me in the job market.”
Instead of wallowing in this circumstance, McKinzey decided she’d try for a teaching job the following school year and work freelance PR jobs in the interim. The idea of doing PR on her own terms suddenly became alluring because she realized she could handpick her clients. She reached out to the old agency she worked for and expressed an interest in freelance.
“They had a little client project that was going to take 20 hours a week—nothing for them, but a huge chunk of income for me,” she said.
Then, randomly another contact reached out to McKinzey with another 20-hours-per-week project. Instantly she had a full load. More clients began asking for her assistance, and she had to turn down work. She started feeling amazing with the work she was doing on her own.
“It was a combination of, yes, I had some determination, but I think the universe just really lined up and the easier things seemed to feel or go, in my experience, that’s been a really good sign that you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing.
“When I was doing PR on my own terms and for things I enjoyed—I had chosen these projects—my whole mind was blown, and all those things that you read…that I read but had never experienced myself…when you’re doing something that’s closer to what you love or closer to what your natural interest is, it felt easy, I was energized, I didn’t have any of the same feelings of being worn down or the weight of the world on my shoulders just trying to get work done, it was so easy and fun.”
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| McKinzey's own homemade basil chicken larb |
Just as she was settling into this season of her life as her own boss, a former colleague put McKinzey’s name in the hat for a position at the global PR agency FleishmanHillard. She received a call out of the blue to discuss a role in which she’d work solely on clients in the food and culinary industry. This attracted McKinzey as she had just discovered the paleo diet and was immersing herself in the concept of “food as medicine” while transforming her lifestyle to align.
“This [job] was exactly what I would have crafted for myself, I just didn’t know it existed before, when I thought I had to change things by completely changing my career. “
At FleishmanHillard she worked with clients such as the National Mango Board, listening and learning during recipe development sessions, starting to understand the science behind cooking.
“I got more into recipes and learning about culinary principles versus ‘Oh, my mom did this with these ingredients and that’s enough,’” she said.
While she was having fun and feeling passionate about the work she was doing at the agency, the time she spent dedicating herself to her job started creeping out of the balance she knew she needed to be truly fulfilled. Realizing now that true satisfaction emerged when she could combine her public relations skills with clients whose products or missions were closely aligned with her interests, McKinzey began looking for opportunities at other companies, including Whole Foods whose headquarters just happened to be in Austin.
Eventually, a position opened up for McKinzey, and she spent the next five years with Whole Foods, where she got to do things on a scale she never dreamed possible including pitching to her favorite magazines like Bon Appetit and Real Simple. It really was a dream job for McKinzey who credits the amazing people and philosophies of Whole Foods as outstanding hallmarks of her time with the company.
McKinzey’s life circumstances changed once again, as she met her now-husband, Mike, and the couple decided to pursue a move to Mike’s hometown in Ohio. Coincidentally, for someone with impeccable self-awareness, McKinzey knew closing the chapter on Whole Foods wouldn’t mean the end, but only the beginning of a new twist in her journey.
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| McKinzey and her husband, Mike |
“Even if something starts out as your dream job, or you think it’s your dream job, don’t forget to keep your head up and look around because it doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way and that doesn’t mean that it’s going to continue to work for you, or your life’s going to change and it might not be what you need anymore.”
McKinzey speaks from experience and from a place of confidence. It’s no wonder she quickly found work in the PR industry in Ohio, where she and her husband are enjoying their new life together. She continues to faithfully pursue a healthy and holistic lifestyle hoping to one day fall back into a job associated with food. She knows the possibilities are limitless just as long as she stays open-minded and continues to be ever optimistic.
“Open your eyes and your brain—if you’re having a hard time with something and you’re feeling like things are a square peg in a round hole…think about it differently or open up and see what’s actually out there before you tell yourself what something isor isn’t.”
In Her Words
Advice for dream seekers:
"Do your homework. Sometimes just researching something or learning a little bit more makes a project or goal more digestible. The more I understand about something, or the more I start to learn the vocabulary, the more confident I get."
Other females who inspire you:
"Every day, I'm more and more inspired by the friends around me who are juggling careers, kids and personal passions. It's hard enough to hold onto yourself without the competing needs of little ones, spouses and demanding jobs. But I'm seeing these amazing women somehow make time to start their own business, volunteer for a meaningful cause or DIY a bathroom. All of those things bring them joy and purpose, two things that can be easy for me to push aside. I look to my amazing friends as an example of how to navigate those competing demands."
Favorite kitchen utensil/appliance:
"For years, I have been obsessed with the simplest of kitchen gear: my measuring spoons. These spoons are GENIUS. They're magnetic so they all stay together in the drawer, yet come apart easily without hassling with some annoying ring. Best of all, each spoon is two-sided it practically eliminates the need to wash and dry them in between ingredients. I've given them as gifts to so many people and feel strongly that these are the most perfect measuring spoons on the planet."
Check out the infamous spoons: https://www.crateandbarrel.
Favorite style of cooking:
"Is 'white gir' an appropriate cooking style? Probably not, so I'll call it "veggie-forward Paleo." About 7 years ago, I found I feel much better avoiding grains and dairy, but I don't need to eat tons of meat that's often associated with Paleo. I've really honed in on recipes that use a wide variety of veggies and leaner proteins like fish and chicken. From there, I'll change things up by looking to trendy spices or techniques for inspiration. Things like turmeric, za'atar and harissa or cauliflower rice, veggie noodles and the like. Since coming back from Japan in December, my husband and I are also obsessed with Japanese flavors like yuzu, ginger and sesame. In a nutshell, my dream menu is always a cross between Ina Garten and Alison Roman."
Can't live without ingredient:
"Lemon! It's bright and acidic, but also a little sweet and floral. Give me all the citrus all the time!"
Go-to recipe:
"I don't make this full dish all the time, but this represents all my favorite things that are in frequent rotation at our house. I'll call this 'New Mom Nicoise' since this is my go-to meal for all my new mom friends. It seems like a lot of components, but many don't require cooking or prep so this looks impressive and fresh, but couldn't be simpler. The best part is you can mix and match whatever is on hand in the fridge or pantry like jarred olives, artichoke hearts, hard boiled eggs or cucumber to fill it out."
NOTE: Check back soon for McKinzey's recipe!
