Oh My God, Who is She?

Massage therapist turned archaeologist turned… executive assistant to a CEO at a tech start-up… huh?

*Que imposter syndrome now*

Honestly, how I got here is kind of a mystery to me, but maybe that's just my dissociation kicking in. I had no intention of being here, as in where I am right now… ever. My original goal was forensic psychology, and my student advisor told me I’d make more money babysitting. So this is where I go on academic probation and drop out of college.

As did all parents of millennials, I was told that if I didn’t go to school, I would have to work full time and pay rent and whatever, whatever. Which led me to massage school to avoid working a dumb job I didn’t want. I’m an empath who cares about people to a fault, most of the time. This seemed like a good fit, heal people while harming my own body in the long run, while I simultaneously figuring out my life goals and get back to school? It was not. I hated every second, ask me for the story of how multiple people pooped on my massage table 🙃.

Re-enter school for anthropology and kick-ass. I mean like, deans list every semester, hang out with my advisor, attend conferences, and start and become president of a club kind of kick-ass. I was in it to win it, one thing led to another, which led to my archaeological field school, which led to a job the following year as an archaeologist, which led to a job at a museum. A DREAM. If… you ignore the abysmal pay.

*Que global pandemic and my graduation year all in one*

LOL do I even need to explain? College was completely online, all my contacts were now through a computer and I was laid off. Naturally, I moved to Austin, Texas. Because who doesn’t hear global pandemic and go move to another state after only living in your mom's house?

*Que no jobs, unemployment, and no ability to meet new people. Give it a year and life is not normal, but a workable version of not normal. I’m not working in my field, no jobs are available in my field, and I have met zero people*

Now here's the fun part.

*Que the Young Women's Alliance*

The Young Women's Alliance is an organization in Austin, Texas that serves the young women of Austin to network, volunteer, and socialize. Obviously, this is everything I need. I immediately pay my fee and join. I attend a new member meeting and meet a ton of people. We sip mimosas and sparkling water and spend time learning about all the facets of this amazing organization. They offer committee chair options to gain real-world experiences and a mentorship program (and a lot more, but this is what piqued my interest). I immediately apply for all different chair positions and get into the Community Impact Committee as the Scholarship Mentor Chair (I help previous YWA scholarship winners stay connected to the YWA and help new scholarship applicants apply). The next thing I do is apply for a mentor.

The mentorship program provides YWA members with a mentor within the Austin community. The mentors are often previous YWA members and influential women in Austin. Personally, I hit the jackpot. I was assigned, Carrie. Previous President of the YWA and CEO and founder of TG. Carrie has been a go-getter from day one and an inspiration to women throughout the city. At the time of my mentorship application, I was unsure of what to do with my career, I moved to a new city during a time when jobs were hard to come by and inflation was rising. My first in-person meeting with Carrie ended with her saying “well we may just try to recruit you” and I said, “Oh, please don’t tease”.

Hi, my name is Jessica and today I am the Executive Assistant to Carrie, founder and CEO of TG. This was a long-winded way of saying how I got here, but here I am. I am two months in, with this being my first full-time week. My mentor turned boss, has taught me more about this industry than I ever would have anticipated knowing, but this knowledge is invaluable. Now, I plan company culture events, assist the marketing manager, and make sure the sales guy has everything he needs to close sales. Check back in a couple of weeks for a new update, but this feels life-changing. And Carrie, if you’re reading this… Thank you for one of the best experiences of my life.

Cheers to this new bitch moment 🥂

Jess

(Some names may be changed for privacy)