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success Liz Hawks Ambition. Commitment. Perseverance. While Liz Hawks is a woman of many virtues, her most impressive quality might be her ability to balance her high-powered career with the demands of parenthood. “If you’re thinking, ‘Should I have kids or should I go to grad school,’ it doesn’t have to be one or the other,” Liz explained. As she was on her way to becoming partner at one of Kansas City’s most prestigious agencies, FleishmanHillard, the IMC program provided the flexibility Liz needed to balance the demands of her growing family with those of her graduate education. So how did Liz make it work? “Slowly and steadily.” She began the program not yet a mother.Taking one course per semester, Liz grew her family, her career and her professional skills in the Integrated Marketing Communications program. After spending five years in the program, and adding two children to her family, Liz’s investment paid off when she earned her IMC graduate degree.Through it all, she focused on appreciating the processes she was learning and enjoying the journey. “If you enjoy it, it won’t feel so laborious,” Liz said. The courses gave Liz the big picture perspective she needed to grow as a professional marketer. “It charted a path for me … it gave me a 30,000-foot view of where the industry is going and offered a marketing mix that made me more rounded so I could be a better counselor to my peers and clients. Adding those layers to my knowledge base keeps me a step ahead of my competitors,” Liz said. One of her key achievements at FleishmanHillard was the development of the company’s Marketing-To-Moms practice. “Once I became a mom, I noticed the way I was being targeted and marketed to changed,” Liz said.This led her to draw up the marketing plan for her firm using the skills she acquired from her education. “I think going through the IMC program and studying the program’s different components created an awareness that inspired me to build the business case for Marketing-To-Moms,” Liz said. Her experience, and her new approach to identifying opportunities, continues to position her as an evolving thought leader.