Why I’m here & how it came to be
I come from a really large family, and I mean REALLY large. My mom is the oldest of seven, her mom is one of nine (not counting their 3 foster siblings), my dad is the oldest of four, and I have three brothers. The number of cousins I have (including second and third cousins because we all know each other) is well over a hundred. I was fortunate enough to have not only my grandparents in my life, but also my great-grandparents and their siblings. As you can imagine, our family gatherings, even the ones with just our "immediate family," typically include over 30 people. And that's just family. I was lucky to be part of a community that was there for both the good times and the bad. You know the saying "it takes a village to raise a child"? Well, that was an understatement in my community. Maybe someday I'll write in more detail about the impact that has had on my life, but I have a feeling it will be a multi-part post if I do.
This upbringing made it easy for me to be around people. I saw how they were different from each other and also similar in some ways. They shared their stories and showed me how those experiences shaped them in their own unique ways. These experiences taught me that not everyone enjoys being around others, even if they come from big families. Some people want to be part of a community but don't naturally have one - they have to create it themselves. I also figured out that we can count on each other's strengths and it's totally fine if I'm not as good at some things as others. At times it is tough to accept this, especially when I saw my brothers killing it at things that I couldn't do. I really treasure the moments they acknowledge the strengths that I have that they may not have, and it made me realize how much others might be craving that kind of recognition too. As I've looked back on my life, that has been the easiest thing to pinpoint when I made the decision to get into events and eventually human resources.
Events for me are all about getting people together and having a good time, appreciating their unique qualities and what we have in common. Whether it's a personal celebration or being back stage at The Gorge Amphitheatre, I really wanted to be part of the crew making it all possible. I only just realized that being able to create these experiences for people is a unique skill that not everyone has. And sometimes, I am amazed at myself for making it happen.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of late nights, early mornings, and traveling around the US to make these events happen, I realized that I also yearned for stability and rest. While looking for my next dream job, I found the opportunity to plan networking events for HR executives at The PEER 150. The company creates meaningful connections through peer-driven content, unique experiences, and a commitment to community. It was my job to talk to our members about what was top-of-mind for them, encourage them to host the group at their company headquarters, and keep our vendors happy.
To be able to hang out in a room full of talented, motivated folks who were all about creating better opportunities for everyone around them was mind-blowing. Hearing about the kind of changes their companies wanted to make, or the obstacles their teams were tackling to make those changes happen, opened my eyes to the awesomeness of Human Resources. I mean, I always knew I wanted to get into HR, but it wasn't until I heard from these folks that I realized just how much of a difference they could make. It was at that moment when I realized that the skills I was developing as an event planner could be utilized to assist individuals in ways beyond just organizing parties.
One of the members of the executive group found out that I was ready to enhance my HR skills. They offered me the opportunity to move to San Francisco, CA and take on the role of Netlify's Office and Events Manager. In this position, I would have the chance to learn from them, as they were Netlify’s Director of People. Right off the bat, I was given the chance to flex my event planning skills by gathering 70 team members from around the world and bring them to the Bay Area for an epic week-long company retreat. Not only did we have an amazing time, but I also had the chance to get to know each person, their team, and how I can provide the best support from within the People Team. This is not always feasible for a remote company, and rarely is an opportunity during someone’s first month on the job. I believe this experience provided a foundation and gave me the opportunity to make an impact on Netlifolks journeys.
Working together with the rest of the People Team, we enhanced the foundation by improving our onboarding process, strengthening our internal documentation, and scaling our systems and tools to accommodate the addition of more than 130 new employees within 18 months. This was achieved despite the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic. Shout out to the amazing team members, managers and founders over at Netlify who helped make it all happen!
With the experiences I gained at Netlify as their Office and Events Specialist, and eventually their Employee & Workplace Experience Specialist, I knew I wanted to continue learning in different types of companies too. I was given the opportunity to join Wildbit, a company that had been established for 20 years, offering five products, and had a team of less than 40 members. Not only did the different team size and growth provide a unique experience, but so did our work methods. At Wildbit, we embraced four-day work weeks, prioritized Deep Work, and emphasized effective communication. I joined to expand the systems and tools within the people department, as well as facilitating the recruitment of additional team members to support the growth of our products. The People team consisted of me, the Director of People (yup, the very same!) and our Office Manager - we were a small team but efficient and effective. Shortly after implementing three new tools, our company had two of our five products acquired by ActiveCampaign, combining our 36 members to their team of over a thousand within a few hours.
What an exciting journey and opportunity this acquisition provided. The initial months of an acquisition present unique challenges and opportunities for growth, unlike any other business change, and I was at the frontlines as the dedicated Project Manager for our team and tools. It was a great chance for me to enhance my project management skills, gain a better understanding of the business needs from both sides of the acquisition and from different teams, and continue supporting the team members during these transitions. It was truly an amazing experience that made me realize once again the importance of effective communication, detailed documentation, and the significant impact that leadership can have on the final outcomes.
The experiences I have gained, both personally and professionally, have played a significant role in shaping me as a person and as the Founder of MadsWorks. It is also undeniable that the support I have received from my community at home and through networking groups like The PEER 150, OrgOrg, StartUp Experts, HR Transform, and Resources for Humans, has contributed to my growth as a leader. MadsWorks not only represents my individual work but also reflects the innovative ideas and effective solutions that I am committed to bringing to global companies.
