Continuing our Team Bio series, we’ll talk to Molly Earle, Gartrell Group’s President & CEO, this week.

I already told everyone your title, so maybe we can jump into what you do at Gartrell. I have a rack of hats that I switch on and off my head with great (ir)regularity. These hats include Business Strategy, Finance, Account Management, Human Resources, Vendor Management, Culture-Building, and Happy-People-Making.

So many hats! Which is your favorite? My favorite thing about my job is working with people - encouraging connections; fostering growth (individually, intra-team, and overall business); and making sure that the people who work for Gartrell feel seen, heard, and well-appreciated. You know that overused phrase, "Teamwork makes the dream work?” There’s a reason why it’s “overused.” My favorite and best work is all about the team - without them, there's no achieving the dream! I see it as my responsibility to nurture and maintain a company culture where people can innovate and collaborate to do truly excellent work (and enjoy the process, too!).

What brought you to Gartrell? My brother, Bryce, started the company back in late 2003. At the time I was teaching middle school science in Florida. I came to Portland in the summer of 2004 to help Bryce with a project. I planned to find a new teaching position here in Oregon in the fall, but Bryce and I had so much fun working together that I decided to stay at The Gartrell Group. Bryce was great at doing all the operational things that made The Gartrell Group work, but he needed some help with the administrative side of things, and that’s where I came in. It took us a few years to figure out which tasks should fall to each of us, but we worked it out. In common entrepreneurial parlance, a solid business needs a “Visionary,” who sees the big picture, including lofty future goals, and an “Integrator,” who keeps track of the details to make the big picture possible - Bryce and I have complementary skill sets that help us fill these roles to a T!

You came to Oregon via teaching gigs in Florida and the Bahamas. You must like to travel. Do you have any good travel stories? I LOVE to travel! One of my favorite travel stories is from my first cross-country drive, from New Hampshire to Oregon, with Bryce. He was 19, and I was 16 (what were our parents thinking?!). We listened to the Rolling Stones and did Billy Idol impressions all the way across the country. We rolled into Sturgis, SD, never having heard of the Sturgis bike rally. We found ourselves surrounded by motorcycles and leather-clad, scary-looking people who all turned out to be super friendly and helpful. At their urging, we rushed from a funny buffet lunch and got the last spot in a campground out near the Badlands. As we unloaded the car (bringing with us a huge Maglite and a hammer, in case any of those “scary” people tried to bother us in the night), a guy who was sleeping on the ground next to his motorcycle in the parking lot said, "Don't run me over when you leave in the morning, okay?" Um, okay!! I've had some pretty good adventures in other countries, too - Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, the Bahamas (where I lived for a year), and Panama (where my in-laws live) - but I haven't even begun to see as much of the world as I hope to. I’m dreaming up several “next adventures,” but I’m unsure when they might happen.

So, you grew up in New Hampshire? Yes! I grew up in the small town of Warner. I haven’t spent much time there in the past decade or so, but I’m pretty sure Warner is still a relatively quiet little town that maintains a certain New England charm. The annual Fall Foliage Festival is always a fun time there, and Warner has great access to hiking and skiing, which are two things I love doing but don’t do often enough.

That brings me to my next question, what do you like to do outside of work stuff? I love to sing. I was in the Smiffenpoofs during my years at Smith College. (The “Poofs,” as they are affectionately called, are a singing group - the oldest women’s collegiate a cappella group in the U.S.) I miss having a regular, organized opportunity to sing with people (I can definitely be found singing at the top of my lungs when I drive, though!). Other things I like to do outside work include watching/playing soccer with my kids, watching them play, gardening, reading & talking about books, watching live music, traveling, cooking, and eating delicious food! I even like doing laundry, if you can believe it, and it’s a good thing I do because…(see below!)

Tell us more about your family. I have a husband and three kids - all boys! - ages 21, 11, and 7. It's pretty amazing to have such a spread in ages because I feel like I've always got a foot in every developmental stage. We've finally left behind the toddler/preschool stage, but I've got elementary school, middle school, and college going on at once right now. No pets, much to my chagrin - I’m not sure I need another “being” in my life that requires lots of love and attention, but when I’m ready, I’d love to add a “doodle” of some sort to our family!

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Molly!