Welcome back, friends! 

We hope this blog post finds you thriving and finding the best in your days. We’re thrilled to have another Pathway Spotlight for you! 

The whole world is working hard right now to navigate the daily-changing social, economic, and scientific landscapes, and, quite frankly, it’s exhausting! That makes it even more important to take moments to think about the things in life we appreciate. For us, our team is at the top of that list! 

It has been so wonderful to spend time focusing on the people who make Pathway such a dynamic, positive place to work! Today we’re highlighting someone who’s been with us for a long time, our Promotion and Publicity Manager, Abbie Castaneda

How long have you been with Pathway? 

Abbie: I have been with Pathway since the very beginning! I had just graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a minor in Management and Marketing when Claressa and Martha reached out to me. They wanted me to help them with marketing the new business they were starting, and I was instantly drawn to the passion they had for it. I wrote up the marketing plan, immediately ordered samples for business cards, and now, here we are almost three years later!

What is your favorite part of your workday?

Abbie: I love it when I first get to the office, sit down at my desk with my coffee in hand, and get to check my email and make my to-do list for the day. A close second is when we have staff meetings because I love the dynamic we have as a team.

How would you describe yourself, using 5 words? 

Abbie: Forward-thinking, creative, passionate, savvy, socially conscious

How do you think your coworkers would describe you? 

Abbie: Can I take some of my words from above? I think they would agree that I’m forward-thinking and creative; I like to make improvements to any processes that could use updates or just aren’t working, and I love making new templates, signs, and any other things that get my creative juices flowing. 

What service does Pathway provide that you find to be the most meaningful?

Abbie: I think everything we offer is invaluable and imperative to the health of businesses of all sizes! If I had to pick one thing, I think I would say MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). It’s something that you can use in your professional and personal life, and it really gives you a new appreciation for everyone’s differing personalities. I also really appreciate the classes we teach on Hiring to Fit!

What are your favorite lessons have you learned from working at Pathway? 

Abbie: One thing we really preach here is the value of everyone’s different personality types and how each of them has its own benefits. It’s been really interesting to learn why people handle certain situations the way they do. It has been extremely helpful for me when it comes to understanding others and even myself.

Tell us a little about your career history – what brought you to Pathway? 

Abbie: In high school and through my first year of college, I worked for a small business here in town, and eventually started doing some of the social media marketing and small process improvement tasks for them. This is when I really fell in love with marketing – especially for small businesses.

Then, when my husband and I got married, moved out of state, and had kids, I became a stay-at-home mom. He was an active-duty Marine and had unpredictable hours and was gone for weeks to months at a time, so it just made sense for me to stay with the kids.

Up until I started working for Pathway, I didn’t really have a professional career! I started working for Claressa and Martha from home while we lived in North Carolina, and then when we moved back to Kearney, Nebraska I started coming into the office. I’m so grateful they took a chance on me!

Is there any personal info you’d like to share? Favorite pastimes outside of work, pets, family, hobbies, volunteering? 

Abbie: Sure! I am very family-oriented. My husband and I just celebrated our 7th anniversary. Due to his service in the Marine Corps, we’ve taken our family from Nebraska to California to North Carolina and then back home again. We have three boys who are 6, 4, and 9 months. We also have two dogs, one cat, and a raccoon that likes to visit us every night; we’re animal lovers!

I’m also a plant-lover and a photographer, so outside of working for Pathway I run two of my own businesses! Needless to say, I keep myself pretty busy.

Abbie, we’re so happy to have you here!