Young Catholic Professionals bond over faith, jobs

Over the past two years, the Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) Executive Speaker Series has featured a variety of business men and women who could shed light on faith in the workplace for members.

On June 10, Colin Hulin, chief information officer at Peoples Health in Metairie, demonstrated to attendees that with his Catholic faith and family, he has conquered life’s struggles – including a heart attack at 43 – and landed in good place.

Hulin, who has 40 years’ experience in information technology, called himself an “everyday guy just trying to balance a life between doing a good job for an employer, being a decent husband and father, making a contribution to the community and then not forgetting that we do all things for the glory of God.” 

  The heart attack opened his eyes to the legacy he was leaving and made him appreciate what really mattered: family, faith, friends and being philanthropic. He realized his life’s purpose was “to serve God and to serve others in any way you can, in any environment you touch.”

  Hulin gave YCP members “Colin’s 2nd Chance on Getting His Life Right” top 10 list that included lessons from his father, his “role model for living a balanced life of faith, family and career.”

™10. Live within your means – save “for that rainy day that will inevitably come”; treat everyone with respect; and his father’s mantra to do things right and pursue excellence in everything (including your faith life). 

™9. The pursuit of money is an all-consuming false god, and no amount will ever be enough. 

™8. Calm down, it will all work out.

™7. Maintain a sense of humor; you will need it. Keep a rosary in your desk, you will need that, too.

™6. Expect the unexpected.  Good and bad things happen in life, so adjust to them; understand that work will sometimes create feelings of disappointment and despair; commit to the Lord and he will establish your plans. It’s God’s plan, God’s timetable, God’s results – not yours.

™5. Treat your job like a close friend; sometimes it will require you to make sacrifices, and that’s OK. You should always try to help a friend.

™4. Actions speak louder than words. 

™3. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9). He joked about how, whenever there is a work problem, it is always IT’s fault.  “This one can be tough, and it requires you to check your ego at the door.”

™2. A different set of rules don’t apply to your work life. Don’t lie, cheat, steal, gossip or sabotage your coworker in order to promote yourself. If asked or expected by an employer to lie, cheat or steal, it’s probably time to look for a new job.

™1.  Lead with compassion.  

He told the group their early recognition of the connection between their professional life and Catholic faith made them future leaders.  He urged them to include faith in their decision-making and to be generous with their time, treasure and talent.

“Colin’s story is so powerful, and he shared it with such honesty and humility – he captivated the room,” said current president is Samantha Schott. “He told us about how he lost his job and then had a heart attack soon after that, and it made him see his life in a different way. It made all of us sit back and think, ‘Are we doing enough with our lives?’ One of our attendees told me that ‘Mr. Hulin emphasized the highs and the lows. It made me realize that even some of the most successful people have some pretty tough battles. The speech was very inspirational.’”

History of YCP

Young Catholic Professionals New Orleans launched in late 2016 to attract young adults in their 20s and 30s who seek growth professionally, spiritually and socially as they “Work in Witness for Christ.” 

The Executive Speaker Series is held monthly on the second Tuesday of the month. The next YCP event will be an executive panel discussion on “Making Time to Evangelize” with Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Gordon and Ann Stevens, Jason Angelette, Brian Cochran and others Aug. 1, 7 p.m. in St. Dominic’s Siena Room, 775 Harrison Ave., New Orleans. 

Following that will be a talk Aug. 14 from 7-9 p.m. by Johnny Blancher, executive chef and CEO of Ye Olde College Inn, who now manages the Rock ‘N Bowl in Lafayette. It will be held at the Mid-City Lanes Rock’N Bowl, 3000 South Carrollton Ave., New Orleans and includes free wine, beer and appetizers. His talk  will begin at 7:45 a.m. 

WWL-TV’s Sheba Turk is scheduled to speak at the Executive Speaker series of the YCP on Nov. 13.  YCP’s next quarterly Happy Hour is Sept. 26.  

“I think people are really finding a community in YCP, and they’re really finding something they need, both in terms of their faith and their professional lives,” Schott said. “We’ve had at least two of our attendees find jobs through connections they’ve made at YCP events.

The YCP just added a new membership component. Attendees who pay $12 a month will be paired with a mentor and a spiritual director and attend Executive Panel Series for free, whereas others pay.

For details, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ycpneworleans, call 636-8740 or email [email protected] leans.org or visit www.ycpneworleans.org.

Christine Bordelon can be reached at [email protected].