“My dad was an intense, demanding, highly successful business executive; while my mom was a super-nurturing, stay-at-home mom, happily raising eight children,” remembers BPM Managing Partner, North Bay, Carol O’Hara. “In my San Francisco career as a partner at KPMG, I was pretty much like my dad: intense and type A. But when I took nine years off to stay home with my kids here in Sebastopol, I threw myself into the role of creating a nurturing environment for my family, including heavy involvement in school and community.
“In this phase of my career, I’m trying to bring more of the nurturing aspect of my personality to work. I’m searching for the holy grail of working families: balance for myself and my team.”
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., moved to Buffalo, N.Y. at age 2, then back to the suburbs of Pittsburg when I was 8. We lived there until I went off to college. Despite their rather negative reputations, the suburbs of Buffalo and Pittsburg were wonderful places to grow up. I had a “Leave it to Beaver” childhood. I’ve never again played in snow as deep as we got in Buffalo.
What are the best and worst things about your job?
The best: People! I love people, getting to know new people, their history, challenges and dreams. I get to spend lots of time building relationships with my team, my clients and the business community in general. The worst: Reviewing work papers and sitting in long meetings.
Do you remember your dreams?
I don’t sleep well and so I often wake up around 2 or 3 a.m., read for a bit, then go back to sleep. I usually remember my dreams from the second half of the night. Lately I’ve been dreaming about friends from my past…must be a mid-life thing.
What do you love to do outside of work?
I love spending time with my husband, Jim, and our kids, Ryan (16) and Katie (13), going to all the kids’ stuff at school and their outside activities. I also have a big garden—almost a farm, really—that keeps getting bigger and bigger. I’m really into sustainable/local food and wine. We grow Pinot Noir grapes and make our own wine. We also have olive trees, a big berry patch, a giant pumpkin patch, an orchard and a year-round annual garden. I spend Sundays harvesting and making food. I don’t have as much time as I used to, though, so it’s a bit of controlled chaos.
What was the last movie you saw?
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” It was based on a book written by a graduate of my high school, Upper St. Clair House School outside of Pittsburgh, and was filmed in and around the area, including shots of my old neighborhood, so that was fun for me. It’s an intense and very well done coming of age story that captures the struggle and joy of being a teen.
What’s the last book you read?
In the Garden of Beasts about William Dodd, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany during the Nazi rise to power. In hindsight, it’s so easy to see the evil in that regime and think, “Why didn’t we stop it earlier?” But this book highlights how regular people failed to notice—or to take seriously—the rise of evil all around them, until it was too late. Accepting small injustices over time can lead to the large tragedies.
When was the last time you pushed yourself to your physical limits?
I’m ashamed to say it was too long ago. In the 1990s, I spent a month in Peru trekking to Machu Pichu and other major peaks and then canoeing on the Amazon.
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “courage”?
My younger sister, Gina, has spent the past year winning a battle against stage three breast cancer. The positive/driven way she’s coupled self-healing with the horrible realities of Western cancer treatment was nothing short of miraculous. She’s never succumbed to self-pity.
If you had the opportunity to travel into space, would you go?
Definitely! One of my lifelong loves is adventure and travel. What could be more of an adventure?
What controversial topic do you relish debating?
Medical marijuana
