Want an adventure? Step away from everything you know and live in curiosity.
As a long-time retailer, I had seen many different types of businesses and roles within the four walls of companies. I joined Enjoy as a part-time Expert in April 2015, just before we opened to the public. I left traditional retail to pursue a career change, thinking my retail days were over.
This was a new and exciting way to think about something I was already familiar with. As for joining a startup, I could have never expected what was to come.
This was an opportunity to build from scratch. I was one of the first 100 people in the company, hired to bring a technology experience to life through delivery and setup in a 1:1 setting. Before we opened, I learned over 3 dozen products, from operating systems, to tips and tricks on how these items can enhance the user’s experience.
I quickly became a Coach (regional level leadership) since we knew we would need to be ready for growth. At the time, we were only two markets: San Francisco and New York City. Myself, and two other colleagues split the workload between the two markets. The time I spent during those early days was crucial for me in learning how to assert myself differently than I had in the past. I was able to guide conversations and create processes because my background was different than my coworkers. In the past, I was a different type of collaborator – a plan was set, and I was more of an executor with adjustments based on local needs. Here, there was no blueprint. We needed to build it step by step.
My first two years at Enjoy gave me access to considerable growth opportunities in the Coach role. Moving across the country and the support of our Headquarters (HQ) office allowed me to create partnerships beyond my teams, peers, and direct supervisor group. I learned about our partnerships and agreements with other brands, how to run pilot programs (SO. MANY. PILOTS!), and how to lead teams and develop individuals at levels that were deeper than anything a retail environment could allow.
Last year, Enjoy went through an impressive expansion, adding 35 markets to our family. I took on a role that allowed me to use everything I learned in retail from hiring & training, to setting up a back of house environment, to launching a market. My ability to be “boots on the ground” provided our HQ teams with insight to what was needed. My work during expansion created a new role for me, supporting our field teams and bridging relationships with our HQ team. My ability to speak confidently to all levels of our leaders opened up another area of opportunity.
Sharing what is true to me has shown me that it can open up possibilities for new successes and allows growth where I least expect it.
As we near our 5 year anniversary as a company, I remain just as enthusiastic about the work we are taking on as I did during our first year. The biggest lesson I learned is to trust my voice and always share it. I treat every day as if it’s my first, approaching everything with curiosity. I can’t wait to see where the journey takes us!