Empower Work Volunteer Spotlight: Emily Cunningham

This post is part of our peer counselor Q&A series, which shares perspectives of our dedicated and talented volunteers about why they joined Empower Work.

Emily Cunningham is a people leader and audit professional that has volunteered with Empower Work for 5 years and almost 400 conversations on the line. Her superpower is adding structure to the unstructured through project management, cross-collaboration, and communicating with transparency. She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two adorable cats, Pika & Zuka.

What inspired you to volunteer at Empower Work? 

I had just had what I viewed as an epic failure as a short-lived first-time manager, where I ended up requesting to take a step back into an individual contributor role to save my sanity. I’d been promoted because I was such a high performer who “handled it all”, but I was wholly unprepared to be a manager responsible for the well-being of others. I decided to volunteer for Empower Work as an opportunity to develop the human skills I lacked as a manager without having the pressure of holding the job.

What’s a moment that deeply moved you on the text line?

The conversations that hit the hardest were where there was no easy solution. The times are tough, the chips can feel very stacked against you, and the stakes are high - bills are due and sometimes the money isn’t there. Listening to those texters and just being there to virtually “sit with them” in those hard moments always felt important. My hope has always been to leave them feeling like they are already very strong for battling to be where they are, and that they are strong enough to fill up their tank and keep going.  (Ideally with some fresh resources pointing them in a positive direction!)

Have you ever logged off a shift and thought about a conversation for days? What stayed with you?

Even after the specifics of an individual conversation fades away, the feeling of gratitude from working the line is very powerful. Every workplace has challenges and day-to-day gripes. But hearing from texters that felt stuck in awful work conditions, with bosses that only saw the negatives in them and never stood up for them, with little pay and even less empowerment or appreciation - that really put my own challenges into a more realistic perspective.  

What skills have you developed from volunteering that you didn’t expect?

An unexpected skill from working on the text line was the value of silence or holding space.  Patience is not one of my biggest virtues, so I am typically jumping to the next topic or responding right away. While this urgency is really valuable for project-work, it is not the right skill for people-work. So when a 1-on-1 team member conversation is challenging, it’s helpful to pause.  Hold the space for them to share and get out their thoughts at their pace, while actively listening.  

How has your volunteer experience at Empower Work changed your perspective on the world of work? 

I heard from a lot of texters coping with rounds of layoffs or difficulties finding a stable position. The constant narrative I would hear is “I was a great employee - I did a really good job. I never thought this would happen to me.” This was a pretty sobering perspective for me - someone who also thinks of herself as a high performer and wears this as a badge of honor. These conversations shifted my focus to “do a good job, but be a good person.” I’m hoping that people I engage with at work will remember that I took pride in what I was doing and that they enjoyed working with me. 

What is your favorite aspect about being a volunteer at Empower Work?

Oddly enough, the peer support network that sits behind the curtain of the text line. I really enjoyed soliciting a real-time brainstorm for how to engage through a difficult conversation, and bouncing ideas off my peer counselors and Empower Work staff members. That support was a fantastic way to gain confidence and valuable feedback on what was working (and what wasn’t) from another’s perspective.  

Have you dealt with difficult situations at work yourself?

I eventually built up enough confidence to be selected for another management position, and I felt much more capable of handling the day-to-day dynamics with my team and my bosses. I’m the most proud of difficult situations I’ve navigated with my team members - advocating fiercely on their behalf for promotional opportunities, supporting them when the unexpected real life losses and challenges come up, or providing transparent ongoing performance expectations.