Today we’d like to introduce you to Abi McCartney.
Hi Abi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story, where do I even begin? I’ve always been drawn to creativity and connection, whether I was entertaining with a song, choreographing a dance, or leading a team through chaos. I’m passionate, impulsive, analytical, detail-oriented, and thoughtful. I was born a strong-willed and flexible entertainer. I changed my undergraduate degree FOUR times, yes, four, and finally landed in Hospitality Management, which perfectly fits my passion for excellent service. After working at several big-name Service Giants (Disney, Marriott, etc.), I realized I couldn’t handle the swing shifts and customer de-escalation situations. So I did what any 26-year-old would do when the dream job doesn’t quite pan out: I got a job in a call center. Ha! It may seem like a detour, but it was a turning point. This wasn’t just any call center; it was at Hallmark Cards. With my referral from a former Disney colleague (shoutout to Mickey Mouse), I beat out the competition and began a new career.
I learned about business acumen, what true leadership looks like, and how legacy companies can still persevere after 100+ years and genuinely care for their employees. Five jobs, one top-secret special project, and seven years later, I left Hallmark with a company-paid Master’s degree. No matter my role, I always found myself training new hires or documenting processes. That’s why, after much deliberation, I completed my Master’s in Education Technology, emphasizing Instructional Design and Corporate Training.
After being spoiled at Hallmark, I joined a franchise company called City Wide in Lenexa, literally down the street from my house. I planned to ride my bike to work. In three years, I did it three times. Three words: too much sweat. Here, I was thrown headfirst into instructional design and what major-league training development looked like. With a fierce leader with immense expertise and constant projects, I thrived! I loved the challenge and the fast-paced environment. Then, what happened? The pandemic. I got my first taste of working from home, and I LOVED IT. When the time came to go back into the office full-time and the added family caregiving responsibilities for grandparents aging in place, I took an incredibly scary, holy crap, what am I doing, leap of faith: I quit my full-time job and became a contractor for Learning & Development, working for myself.
Which brings us to NOW. After three years of working independently with incredible clients, I’m finally taking the next leap and formally incorporating. It’s equal parts exciting and surreal, but it feels exactly right. HALOE, where people can learn together and live inspired. It’s a lofty goal with multiple steps in place to grow. It’s a business where I’ll combine all of my talents and gifts into one place while bringing along friends and family with differing skills to make it all fit together. I don’t have a website yet, and my business plan is foundational at best, but I’ve got a logo and certifications in the works to level up my services. (Or that’s the hope, at least!) Baby steps, people. Give me a little grace.
Throughout my career, I’ve met incredible people with vast knowledge and mentors who challenged me, sometimes bringing out the best and worst. I’m supported by a village of encouragers and challengers, my amazing spouse, a loving family, fierce friends, and an expansive community! It’s my time now. Why not blow everything up and start something new, fresh, and a little crazy? Sounds like fun to me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is there such a thing as a smooth road? There have been bumps and more than a few potholes along the way. Let’s name a few: quitting multiple great jobs and being told I’m bats**t crazy. Shifting my priorities to care for family when illness struck (gear-shift: caregiver). Chasing clients, losing clients, and working on projects that felt nearly impossible. Wondering where my next paycheck would come from, and the dreadful financial discussions. Learning the ins and outs of accounting and estimated tax payments, sometimes getting it right, sometimes getting slapped with fines. Don’t even get me started on the cost of medical insurance.
Then there’s the maze of establishing a business, each step feeling like a learning curve wrapped in barbed wire and red tape. I’ve made mistakes, and I’m still learning from them. But here’s the thing: struggles are inevitable. How you work through the struggles, learn from them, and keep going — that’s what defines your success. (From a continuous learner who creates learning content, I had to throw that in. LOL.) And to be honest, I’d rather make mistakes working for myself than go back to working for “the man.” Any day.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve built a career around making ideas click. As an instructional designer and project manager, I partner with subject matter experts to turn complex content into clear, engaging learning, including interactive eLearning and videos, facilitator guides, job aids, and polished presentations.
I also love being in front of a room. I facilitate corporate training sessions (I haven’t turned down a subject yet), lead fitness classes (come join me at Jazzercise Lenexa), and deliver programs that stick because they’re human, dynamic, thoughtfully built, and fun! (We can’t forget the entertainment factor.)
Outside the learning world, I wear a few other hats: musician, voiceover artist, and creative collaborator. Whether behind a mic, on a stage, or crafting a new learning experience, my goal is the same: connect with people, bring clarity, and make it meaningful.
Coming Soon: HALOE (Heaven Above Living On Earth), a space for people who want to learn, reflect, and become. Together, we’re choosing curiosity, compassion, and the kind of living that uplifts everyone around us.
How do you think about luck?
We can call it luck, karma, or the universe sliding into my DMs with anonymous tips (that’s ‘direct messages’ for the non-social media crowd). For me, it’s been an abundance of blessings and grace woven together with many leaps of faith and more than a few fist-shaking moments. I believe God molded my career path specifically for me.
I’ve learned I am multi-faceted, good at what I put my mind to, and very quick to boredom (even before TikTok made it trendy). I have a lot of interests, many talents, and the attention span of a … well, you get the idea.
Looking back, all of my seemingly random jobs and career pivots now make perfect sense as I build HALOE. We’re still in the company’s infancy, and I honestly have no idea where it’ll go. It could positively impact a few hundred people or grow into something unbelievably incredible. I don’t know, and I won’t stress about it. Instead, I’ll pray, scream, cry, laugh, ask questions (hopefully listen to answers), and occasionally wonder, “Why am I doing this?” But in the end, it’ll all be worth it to help inspire people to keep learning, keep connecting, and keep supporting each other in this weird, often fear-fueled, greed-driven world we live in.
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