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www.HartfordBusiness.com July 21, 2014 • Hartford Business Journal 29 40 Under Forty 2014 40 Under Forty 2014 Tracy I. McKaveney Age: 36 Title at work/what I do: I am a certified public accountant and senior manager at Mahoney, Sabol & Company LLP. I specialize in providing audit and accounting advisory services to both public and private companies in various industries including renewable energy, manufac- turing, retail, not-for-profit organizations, and employee benefit plans. I am a technical resource of the firm and sit on our audit and attest committee. In order to foster professional development for women, both within the firm and throughout our extensive business network, I co-founded the firm's Women's Initiative (WI). The WI runs four to six events annually. Actively involved in the community, I serve on the board of directors for LiveKind, an organization that addresses the need for an effective method of eliminating bullying; and Chip in for a Cure, an organization dedicated to supporting cancer research in the Greater Hartford region. In addition, I am a member of the finance council at St. Elizabeth Seton Church. I greatly enjoy my activities as a Greater Hartford Jaycee, where I served on the board for many years and as the tourna- ment chairman of the 2009 Travelers Championship. My employer continues to support the Travelers Championship, both as a sponsor and by providing volunteers. Town where I work: Glastonbury Town where I live: Rocky Hill College I attended: Bryant University My passion, hobby or special talent: I love to travel and enjoy giving back to the community. Twitter handle: @tmckaveney No. of LinkedIn connections: 425 Favorite place to network: Small meet-and- greet gatherings. I enjoy being able to truly get to know someone in a more intimate setting. Favorite drink at a networking event: A glass of red wine How do I create connections in my profes- sional life? I am actively involved in networking and community activities. Through my firm's Women's Initiative, I meet like-minded pro- fessional women within the business com- munity and attend various networking events, including small meet-and-greet events with other business leaders. For me, the smaller gatherings present opportunities to truly get to know someone. Once I have made a con- nection, I work to ensure I have consistent contact in order to develop a relationship. What's been my biggest challenge professionally? Overcoming the transition from doing the work of an accountant to being actively involved in the business community and marketing my services. When you are an accounting major in college, the curriculum does not include sales and marketing classes. The firm supports networking and commu- nity activities and provides training to allow me to overcome this challenge. What is the best advice I received? To be myself and always be genuine. Being genuine is the key to a successful relationship, whether it be personal or professional, which makes an impression about you that prospec- tive clients will notice and remember. What do I want my legacy to be? I want to be remembered for both my contribution to the profession as well as to the community. I strive to be a role model to the younger professionals at the firm to help foster their professional development. I truly enjoy helping others, both professionally and philanthropically. As Winston Churchill once said "You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give." Lindsey Mathieu Age: 33 Title at work/what I do: Owner/principal of Golden Egg Concepts. I am a small business owner and marketing consultant specializing in working with a niche group of clients – architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) firms and related organizations. I provide strategic planning, graphic design, website development, and proposal preparation services – operating as an extension of my clients' marketing departments, or in some cases, essentially serving as an outsourced marketing department. I strive to make their day-to-day operations easier, and they depend on me do deliver. I handle whatever they throw at me and every day is different. Town where I work: Norwich Town where I live: Norwich College I attended: Boston University and I gradu- ated in three years. My passion, hobby or special talent: I am pas- sionate about coonhound rescue. When I'm not working, I go horseback riding and hiking. I speak Spanish fluently. Twitter handle: @lindseysiragusa No. of LinkedIn connections: 500+ (and count- ing….) Favorite place to network: The best networking for my industry happens at OFI's annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration in Newington. It's a great event to reconnect with clients and colleagues and meet new people. Favorite drink at a networking event: Pinot Grigio – because red wine will always leave a mark! How do I create connections in my profes- sional life? Connecticut's AEC industry is a surpris- ingly close-knit community. What I do is rather unique, and word travels. Many of my current business relationships originate from the 10 years I spent in the industry prior to starting my own consulting firm. I also give and receive referrals on a regular basis. What's been my biggest challenge professionally? Prioritizing my clients because they are all equally important to me. It is hard to tell someone that his project has to take a back- seat to someone else's deadline… so I some- times over-commit myself by promising the world. Guilty as charged. What is the best advice I received? Never be too busy making a living that you forget to make a life. What do I want my legacy to be? I expect that if you were to poll any of my clients, it would be hard for them to imagine Golden Egg Concepts without the Goose. In that respect, I am not sure that the reins of the company could ever be handed over to someone else, because my business is driven by my personal passion to help other busi- nesses succeed. That said, I hope that when it comes time to hang up my hat (or tool belt), I will have: Motivated someone else to take a chance and start his own business; Provided my clients with the knowledge and tools to effectively win work; Inspired other AEC industry marketers to be respected, assertive leaders. On top of all that, I hope I will have helped find homes for hundreds of coonhounds! I want to do all of this, but most importantly, I want my family and friends to be able to look back and say, "She always made time for me." On May 29, Lindsey tweeted, "While others count sheep, I fall asleep to the melodic sounds of #coonhounds snoring #puppylove". FUN FACT Tracy follows Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Blake Shelton, and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Twitter. FUN FACT