It’s hard to believe that my time with Gild has come to a close; it honestly feels like the end of an era. For the last year and a half, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Rachel and Kelsey, as we transitioned Gild from an ecommerce site to a consulting and professional event company. It feels like just yesterday that I interviewed for my position, and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to work for such a beautiful and inspiring company.
I remember feeling both excited and overwhelmed when I was hired on the spot that day inside a small Oxford coffee shop. Besides their high school intern, I was Gild’s first additional hire and was handed a lot of responsibility. Sure, I had some background knowledge of Google analytics and how to utilize different social media channels, but I was essentially being asked to transform, build, and grow their social presence. Not only that, but part of my job description was to create strategy and direction for their advertising and marketing efforts. Eventually, I tacked on content creation, lead generation, and other miscellaneous projects. Needless to say, I wore a lot of hats.
Despite some uncertainty, Kelsey and Rachel’s openness for trial and error gave me a new perspective on ambiguity. I realized that it’s okay to dive in and take risks and learned that sometimes this strategy actually produces better outcomes. This new found confidence not only impacted my work with Gild, but also my ability to search and interview for future jobs. I’ve acquired skills in digital marketing, content creation, and brand development -- all of which translate perfectly to the field I’ll be entering in a few short weeks.
Although I came to work for Gild as an intern, I’m leaving as a fully invested strategist. When I first started, I was all about empowering women, but over the last 19 months, my passion for gender equality has grown immensely. I would attribute this to the way Gild has expanded my awareness and knowledge of the issue, and though women have come a long way, I recognize the major strides that still need to be made. Although I will no longer be working for Gild, as a female entering the workforce, I promise to take their ideals and mission with me and do my part to press for progress.
While I realize that working remotely for a small company is a unique situation, Kelsey and Rachel have set the bar extremely high. Their level of respect, trust, and mentorship is something I will look for in future leadership. They are also super fun to hang with outside of work and are two women that I will forever admire as friends and mentors.
Now, as I pass the baton to Gild’s new intern, I close with this: Gild is a company centered around empowering female professionals to lead and live with greater confidence and working for them has enabled me to do just that.