How did your education at Flagler College prepare you for your current career and professional journey?
I received so much encouragement in my creativity at Flagler from my professors and peers. Even though I didn’t go the path of filmmaking/editing as I intended to do with my Flagler degree, I flex my creative muscle to problem-solving every day.
What inspired you to move to the New York City metropolitan area (NYC), and how did your journey lead you there?
I’m originally from Mt. Kisco, NY, about 40 minutes north of NYC, and I always wanted to come back to the city after moving to Florida when I was 10. I thought I’d come back immediately after graduating high school, but I fell in love with Flagler College on a visit when I was 15 and stuck around down south a little longer. It was literally the only college I applied to!
What is your current role, and how has working for Mixlab in NYC contributed to your professional success?
I’m currently the Director of People (HR) at a start-up pharmacy for animals. When I started this role, it was my third job in HR, and I essentially built the HR department from scratch. As a start-up, I can experiment and build how I see fit instead of conforming to years of policies and practices.
It has not only allowed me to think outside the box but has also proven that non-traditional ideas work, and to me, that has been the greatest professional success.
What advice would you give to Flagler students who are considering starting their careers in NYC?
It will be a fight, but it’s worth it IF this is where you want to be. A million of you will be fighting for the same job, so you have to work twice as hard as they are. Take the jobs you might not necessarily want for the experience and the connections. Find the things you love to do for the connections, too - volunteer, join a club, play a pickup sport in the park - everyone here is someone to meet. And WANTING to be here is key - I love EVERYTHING about this City, so even when I’m discouraged, I’m still in love with where I am. The people here just for the job or the money, yet complain about NYC every day, will never be happy.
Can you describe a turning point in your career that was influenced by living and working in NYC?
After a few years of living here, I stumbled into a career in HR with no experience nor any idea that I even wanted a career in HR. I was between jobs in the entertainment industry and started taking assignments from a temp agency. There were many boring one-day gigs here and there until they called me with a 3-week gig “filing paperwork for a software company.” I thought it was SUPER boring, but 3 weeks’ pay sounded good.
The job turned out to be filing HR paperwork for Take-Two Interactive (One of the biggest video game companies in the world and the parent company of Rockstar Games and 2K Games). I took a liking to the HR work and turned out to be quite good at it, and being in the video game industry aligned with my interests in entertainment. I spent 5 years there learning everything on the job.
How has living in NYC impacted your ability to build and leverage professional networks?
There are so many events to take advantage of - Even if it’s not a professional event, the people you meet doing just about anything here present an opportunity for meaningful professional and personal connections. And being in such a hub, so many people come through here.
I often reconnect with people I’ve met traveling across the US or in other countries because who doesn’t come through NYC at some point? Of course, social media has also made it easier to stay connected, and when people remember you live in NYC, they always hit you up for a drink or a theater recommendation (and sometimes your couch) when they pass through.
What are some unexpected challenges you faced when you first moved to NYC, and how did you overcome them?
When you’re young in your career and new to NYC, there’s very much an attitude around you being a newbie. You can have the experience, but they’ll tell you you’ve never done it in NYC. It seems silly and pretentious, but after years of working here and overseeing employees in multiple states, I see a pace and a vibe amongst NYC workers that goes unmatched. In the early days, I wasn’t too keen on proving myself. I did prove myself over time, but I could have done with checking my pride at the door to at least get my foot in the door.
How do you balance work and personal life in a city as dynamic as NYC?
In the City that Never Sleeps … you don’t sleep! I have also been very adamant about setting my boundaries when it comes to work, and I draw a very clear line between my work time and my personal time.
I know I’m good at what I do, I get things done, and I will make myself available in an emergency, but in exchange, I’ve always demanded respect for my personal time.
What are your favorite aspects of living in NYC, both professionally and personally?
I’ll be over my word count if I fully answer this! Professionally, there’s so much opportunity, and the longer you live here and the more connections you make, the more opportunities can sometimes just fall in your lap. Personally - Everything! Access to the world's best theater, art, and culture, the food, the random celebrity run-ins, and the way the whole city changes every season.
You can’t be bored because every three months, there’s literally an entirely new selection of activities to participate in and clothing to wear. And on those occasions when the city does get to be too much, it’s not far to pop over to the shore for a beach day, head into the mountains for a hike, or hideout in a lakeside Airbnb.
How do you stay connected to Flagler College and its community while living in NYC?
To be honest, I’m less connected than I used to be. We used to have a big constituency in NYC from my graduating class and the class before, and after me, so we all stayed pretty close for a while. Life has taken us all in different directions, so not many of us are left in the city. Luckily, my parents moved to St. Augustine after I graduated, so I get to “go home” and stay connected with Flagler Alumni, who are also still in the area there.