By Karin Olson Held, CP APMP
Like many people in our industry, I didn’t set out to be a proposal professional. In hindsight though, it has always made perfect sense. I’ve always loved writing, and my family teases me about the file cabinet I requested for my childhood bedroom. One could say I rather enjoyed organizing things.
Oscar Wilde wrote that “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life,” and that has been debated ever since. My (personal) life imitates my (work) art, but it goes both ways.
My first job after college included proposal writing and proposal coordination long before I knew those could be specialized areas of expertise. A couple companies and a handful of proposal management roles later, and I can see how mentors have helped me shape a career path I’m proud of and still excited about. I am thankful for those nudges out of my comfort zone when maybe editing a file or creating a production plan quietly in the background might have been more comfortable. Now, one of my interest areas is internal process documentation. Who knew that was a thing to be excited about?! But it all makes sense. I no longer reach for a physical file cabinet to organize my work, but I love an easy-to-navigate document repository of templates formatted according to company brand standards.
When life feels full and starts to approach overwhelming, both my family and I notice that I slip into proposal manager mode. Planning a road trip vacation? You know I have checklists for my checklists! And let’s not forget a detailed schedule with weekly and daily tasks, though my family may not appreciate the reminders of their assignment due dates… It’s the way my brain works to organize chaos. And when I feel like I have a plan, I can more easily enjoy the fun ahead.
Over the past few years, I’ve appreciated in a new way how important it is to be able to show up in all parts of my life as a whole person. I delighted in seeing and hearing coworkers’ four-legged coworkers during the early days of the pandemic when many of us found ourselves working from home in improvised work areas. We brought our personal lives into our work lives in a whole new way.
I found myself having conversations about work-life integration, rather than work-life balance. I’m a mom who loves to share child and pet stories with coworkers, and I’m a proposal manager who plans the meals and packs the random kitchen tools to bring to the vacation rental. We talk about the good AND the hard. And my life is richer for it.
Now excuse me while I set up a Gantt chart for the holiday season…
Karin Olson Held, CP APMP
Director of Proposal and Capture Management
Karin is the director of proposal and capture management with WPS Health Solutions. With 18 years of experience in federal, state, and nonprofit proposals, she currently works in the health care industry. Her experience includes proposal management, writing and editing, and internal process development. An active member of APMP, Karin has attained APMP Foundation and Practitioner Certifications and has served as the GMC Mentorship Program Chair (2022-2023) and Book Club Chair (2020-2021). Outside of work, Karin loves to read, knit, and camp with her family throughout Minnesota.
