In Her Own Words: Kristin Greco

With March being Women's History Month, PAR is proud to spotlight female leaders within our organization. Throughout the month, we will share inspiring stories to recognize and celebrate the remarkable women who contribute to the success of PAR. 

Each of these profiles will explore the unique experiences and perspectives of our women leaders, shedding light on their paths to success. We will explore the challenges they've overcome, the lessons they've learned, and the impact they've had on our organization. 

We share their hopes and aspirations for the next generation of women. By unveiling these stories of inspiration and resilience, we aim to not only celebrate the accomplishments of our women leaders but also to inspire and empower others within and beyond our organization. 

To kick off Women's History Month, the first In Her Own Words profile features PAR CEO Kristin Greco. 

Kristin Greco, is the Chief Executive Officer for PAR, Inc. Kristin is responsible for the development and implementation of the company's core strategic goals and objectives and ensuring the company stays true to its core values and mission. 

Inspirational Influences

Q: Who has been the most significant inspiration in your career? 

A: I have had so many—I really enjoy observing and learning from others. At the top are my parents—what they have managed to do and create is inspiring. Not only did they build a successful company, but they did so with a wonderful culture and focus on giving back to others. An amazing accomplishment while raising three children. I feel so fortunate to have them as role models. I come from a background of strong females: 

• My grandmother was in the United States Marine Corps and a working mother. 
• I have very accomplished aunts and role models. 
• While I worked for Johnson & Johnson, my leaders were a wonderful mix of driven, inspiring, supportive, and approachable leaders. 

Q: How did these people impact your leadership style and approach? 

A: Each of these role models and mentors influenced me by focusing on the importance of the person. I witnessed that accomplishments are attained through the people. Having a leader who understands and cares and connects with the people in is critical to success. In observing this in others, it has served as a powerful example to inspire me to find my own leadership style, showing me where my strengths and my opportunities to grow are. 

Professional Challenges and Resilience

Q: Share a significant challenge you faced in your career that you overcame. 

A: After living in Rome for a few years, I moved back to the United States, and it took me a while to reintegrate and find a job. I was able to gain a position in New Jersey working for a boutique advertising agency. Moving up from Florida for the role, I knew no one in the state. After a short period, I learned how toxic the work environment was and soon found myself without a job. It was a humble and scary experience. I ended up having to take unemployment benefits and fortunately soon found a role (through a temp agency) for Johnson & Johnson. It was a blessing in disguise as it led to a wonderful opportunity to work for an amazing company with strong leaders, which was quite a difference from the toxic work environment I had left. It was there that I met my husband as well. This challenging career obstacle helped to strengthen my belief in myself as in staying the course, trusting and knowing that things will work out in the end. 

Q: How has resilience played a role in your career journey? Are there moments where resilience was crucial, contributing to your personal and professional growth? 

A: They often say that you learn from the difficult times and that has certainly been the case for me. I found myself and my personal grit when I chose to move to Italy. It was important to me to have an experience in another country, and I moved there only knowing one person—an Italian physician I had met while working in Rhode Island. The experience was much harder than I had imagined—finding a place to live, learning the language, supporting myself, and making friends. It was very lonely at times—and I almost quit six months into my one-year goal. But I stayed and ended up living there close to four years. For me, it was a life-changing experience and one that I look back on when I need to find my inner strength. 

Inspirational Quotes

Q: Do you have an inspiring quote you use to remind yourself that you can get through anything? 

A: Yes, I have a few go to quotes that inspire me. 

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. —Maya Angelou 

Be the change that you wish to see in the world. —Ghandi 

It always seems impossible until it is done. —Nelson Mandela 

Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love. —Brene Brown 

The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. —Helen Keller 

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world. —Dr. Seuss

Advice for Aspiring Women Leaders

Q: What advice do you have for women aspiring to leadership roles? 

A: Know what your values are and feel confident in those. Find the people who support you and inspire you and spend time with them. Believe in yourself and the value that you provide. You will never please everyone so don't get caught up in feeling that you need to. There is always something to be learned in each part of your journey. 

Work & Life Balance

Q: How do you balance your professional and personal life? 

A: I am always in pursuit of this balance—it is an ongoing focus because the needs of work and home are always evolving and shifting. I think for me, most importantly it is removing my self-imposed (high) expectations and simply trying to do my best, asking for help when needed, and making decisions based on priorities. I give myself flexibility in my schedule when it is needed and hopefully model this for others. Along the way, I make sure I build in enough downtime, so I am at my best to give to others when needed. The hardest part for me is striking the balance between feeling like to need to get things done vs. relaxing and recharging. I know a lot of women are constantly in the same ebb and flow, so it helps me to know we are all in this balancing act together. I try to remember that there is no perfect way to do anything, and self-care is not a nice-to-have, it has to be a priority if I want to have any kind of harmony. 

Q: On this note, are there any specific strategies or practices that help you maintain a healthy work-life balance? 

A: I rely on to-do lists and I revise them on a daily basis depending on what needs my attention. I stay open to shifting priorities at work and at home. With my family, I sit down with them to talk through the week ahead. My family gives me so much joy, I prioritize quality time with them. The family connection fills me up each day and keeps me grounded. I also believe in service work. When I serve others, it always renews my energy and gives me perspective, so I make sure I build in community service time. For example, sometimes during the work week I'll disappear at lunchtime because I'm out in the community delivering Meals on Wheels. It completely renews my spirit, especially when I'm feeling out of steam, somehow it gives me more energy and perspective. 

Q: What passions or activities bring you joy and rejuvenate you outside of work? Any hobbies your colleagues do not know about? 

A: I turn to yoga, meditation, listening to music, dancing with my kids, and enjoying time in nature/walking (especially around the beach). I appreciate quiet and meaningful interactions with people that make me feel connected. I can't think of an actual hobby, but maybe I'll come up with one once the kids grow up. 

Closing Thoughts

Q: Any final words of wisdom or life advice you would give your younger self? 

A: I would offer this: Let it be ok to say No more often because it means saying Yes to yourself. And I'll end with this: Speak up and risk sharing your bold perspective and ideas because our world needs the voice of more women leaders. 

We hope you will come back each week in March to learn more from our women leaders at PAR.