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Writer's pictureNadjah
Oct 1, 20174 min read

October 2017 Art Collector of the Month: Kim Elfert

Updated: Jun 18

FOR MY NEW BOOK "THE ART OF FOLLOWING YOUR HEART" ON HOW TO BECOME AN ARTIST WHILE BEING A STAY AT HOME MOM CLICK HERE!




Kim by her "La Flor #4 in her Houma, LA home

Kim shares with us about her trajectory in her current career path and how rewarding it has been for her. She also tells us about some difficult personal obstacles and how they have helped her appreciate the important things in life.

I love to get to know my art collectors a little bit more, so every month I will be sharing with you the profile of one of them.

The purpose of these interviews is to provide examples of women who have had the courage to follow their heart, some to become mothers, wives, stay at home moms or wives, professionals or entrepreneurs. They did it by overcoming fear of criticism, failure, or both. Each person measures success according to their own dreams, so it is very personal. There is no dream too big or too small. For the month of April, my art collector is: Kim Elfert.

Age: 47

Location: Houma, LA

Marital Status: Married

Kids?: One son

1. What is your correct position?

Director of Human Resources and Marketing for Louisiana Community Bancorp Bank.

2. How did you get to where you are professionally? Is it what you always wanted to do?

My background is in Mass Communications and Public Relations. Job opportunities in Houma led me to focus more on marketing and event planning and promotion early in my career. Twelve years ago a unique situation was offered to me combining the field of Human Resources and Marketing at Coastal Commerce Bank. The marketing side was an obvious fit but the HR side sparked an interest in me as an opportunity to learn an entirely new profession. The part that appealed to me most was the chance to be part of helping to build the staffing of a young organization that was anticipating significant growth. The extra perk of course was being able to personally develop in this new HR role while continuing with my passion for marketing and corporate communications. When I started this new role in 2005, Coastal Commerce had three locations and 40 employees. Today Coastal Commerce Bank is part of Louisiana Community Bancorp that includes twenty-five branch locations and 315 employees throughout Louisiana. Needless to say with this type of growth my responsibilities have changed pretty significantly. It has certainly been a challenging and rewarding experience that I would not have predicted when I started out in my career.

3. Did you ever have any doubts that you would accomplish it?

I would not say that I had doubts about getting to this place in my career. I did have to go through significant training and certification for my Human Resources role at a time when I thought I was through with schooling. There are several areas of discipline in Human Resources that impact an organization. I was learning from scratch. This process was very time consuming outside of my daily responsibilities. There were times it seemed too much but I am happy to say I persevered.

4. When you were little, did you have any dreams about who you wanted to be when you grew up? Did any come true?

When I was little I thought I would be a teacher. Life took me down a different path. I also dreamed of having a beautiful family to love and love me back. That absolutely came true.

5. Hobbies?

I like to spend my free time with the people I love. I also enjoy exercising, specifically spinning, yoga and Pilates.

6. What are you passionate about?

My passion is my family and an awesome group of long-time friends. This is my joy.

7 & 8. Give us three instances that were particularly hard in your life?

I have tremendous gratitude for a life that has not presented many hardships. I would say the most difficult time for me was facing fertility issues. The end result of that experience is our awesome son. I learned a lot about myself. It strengthened my faith to trust in God’s time. I learned, to some degree, to let go of what I can’t control. The experience also re-affirmed that I married the right guy who provided incredible strength and support when I needed it the most.

Another difficult time was the sudden loss of a beloved family member two years ago. This really hit us hard. The blessing from this has been the realization that the most significant thing in life is our relationships with people. Time with loved ones is limited and precious.

9. Mention three events that have been the happiest in your life so far?

Meeting my husband, the birth of my son, watching nieces and nephews grow into really incredible adults.

10. Have you discovered your mission in life? If so, please share.

I think my mission is to connect with people and be a positive part of their journey.

11. Provide your three top values in life? Example: honesty, passion, etc.

Loyalty, Dependability and Authenticity

12. What plans do you have for the future? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I plan to enjoy as much time with our son as possible in his last four years of high school. I plan to continue working in my position at Louisiana Community Bancorp and to contribute to the company’s success. I also plan to play more golf with my husband.

13. What advice do you have for someone that is on a path to follow their dreams and passion?

Know and trust yourself. Be open to new possibilities and commit to push yourself personally and professionally. Don’t get stuck. The willingness to take a risk can lead to even bigger dreams.

Flourish. Grow. Love.

FOR MY NEW BOOK "THE ART OF FOLLOWING YOUR HEART" ON HOW TO BECOME AN ARTIST WHILE BEING A STAY AT HOME MOM CLICK HERE!

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