Kendra Stearns Drozd Reflects on Why Listening Matters Across Work and Life
BLUFFTON, SC / ACCESS Newswire / September 23, 2026 /Kendra Stearns Drozd, a former consumer marketing and executive recruiting professional now active in community service, is reflecting on how one skill has followed her through very different stages of her life: listening.
Drozd 's career has included advertising, brand management at Kraft Foods, and executive recruiting focused on consumer packaged goods marketing. Although the roles required different skills, she says some of the most useful lessons came from learning to pay closer attention to what people did, said, and sometimes left unsaid.
While working as a Senior Associate Brand Manager at Kraft Foods, Drozd took part in in-home consumer research. Rather than relying only on surveys or formal interviews, she observed families as they went through their everyday meal routines.
The experience showed her that useful information often comes from watching real behaviour rather than assuming people will always be able to explain exactly what they need.
"You can learn a lot when you stop trying to provide the answer and really pay attention to the person in front of you, " Drozd said. "Sometimes what people do tells you just as much as what they say. "
That lesson followed her when she moved into executive recruiting at Bloom, Gross & Associates, a boutique firm focused on consumer packaged goods marketing. There, listening took on a different purpose.
Recruiting required understanding not only a candidate 's experience, but also what they wanted from their next role, how they worked with others, and whether an opportunity genuinely matched their goals. For Drozd, knowing the industry was important, but so was understanding the individual.
"Good recruiting is not simply about matching a résumé to a job description, " she said. "You have to understand what motivates somebody and what kind of environment will allow that person to succeed. "
Years later, listening became even more important in a very different setting.
Drozd was commissioned as a Stephen Minister in 2012. Stephen Ministry trains laypeople to provide confidential, one-to-one emotional and spiritual support to people facing grief, illness, divorce, loneliness and other difficult life circumstances.
In that role, Drozd has learned that supporting someone does not always mean solving a problem.
"People often need somebody willing to sit with them, listen carefully and let them be honest about what they are going through, " she said. "You don 't have to have all the answers to be useful to someone. "
One of her Stephen Ministry caring relationships lasted approximately five years. She describes it as one of the most meaningful relationships of her life because of the trust and openness that developed over time.
Drozd believes the lesson applies beyond formal ministry. In workplaces, families and communities, she says people can become so focused on responding, fixing or moving quickly that they fail to fully understand what another person is communicating.
Her own path has changed considerably over the years. She moved from advertising to brand management, from marketing to recruiting and eventually away from full-time corporate work while raising four daughters and becoming more involved in community service.
The settings changed, but the value of careful attention did not.
"Whether you 're trying to understand a consumer, help someone make a career decision or support a person going through something painful, you have to start by listening, " Drozd said. "That sounds simple, but doing it well takes patience and intention. "
Today, Drozd lives in Bluffton, South Carolina, where she remains involved in Stephen Ministry and community service. Looking back across her professional and personal experiences, she sees listening not as a passive skill, but as a practical form of leadership.
About Kendra Stearns Drozd
Kendra Stearns Drozd is a former advertising, consumer marketing and executive recruiting professional based in Bluffton, South Carolina. She previously worked as a Senior Associate Brand Manager at Kraft Foods and as an Executive Recruiter at Bloom, Gross & Associates. A graduate of Williams College, she also earned an MBA from Northwestern University 's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Drozd has been a commissioned Stephen Minister since 2012 and remains active in community service.
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SOURCE: Kendra Stearns Drozd
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