I met Esther at a hike meet-up several years ago, and she is such a genuine, sweet soul! After working for some of the most popular fashion brands, she is now at a company called Lionize, which is a software as a service (SaaS) tech company that uses AI to help brands connect with influencers, and then activates and manages the influencer marketing campaigns. If you have any questions or need any recs for your getaway to Carmel, definitely reach out to her directly with the contact info at the bottom of the post!
Name: Esther Gonzalez
Age: 28
City: Boston, MA
Company: Lionize
Title: Account Manager
Time at Company: 1.5 years
How did you hear about the position and what was the interview process like?
I heard about the position from a friend of mine who was working at the company at the time. I wasn’t looking for a new job but figured I would chat with the team, network, and see what they were about. It wasn’t necessarily a traditional interview but just a relaxed conversation and they seemed to like me and the experience I had. After the second chat, they offered me the position and although I wasn’t looking, the company and job seemed interesting so I decided to go for it and try something different.
What past experience do you think helped you land your current role?
I think coming from a social media marketing and influencer relations background definitely helped me. I knew how to negotiate/deal with influencers and also most of my career I was working for brands, so I understood what they wanted content-wise and who they would want to target. Instead of helping one brand grow, I now manage multiple and run their campaigns for them.
What tasks does your job entail?
My job as an account manager is to oversee all our clients and manage their accounts. The first thing I do when we land a new client is to onboard them, show them the platform, and walk them through how our software works. Next, I strategize with them the type of campaign they want to run and who they’re interested in, what content they’re looking for, how much they want to pay, etc. After they fill out the campaign application, it’s then my job to tweak our software so we can target the right audience for them. I work on an outreach message and the contract the influencer will see. Once a campaign is live, I have to monitor to make sure influencers are applying, answer any of their questions, negotiate rates and make sure they’re getting product and completing the content.
I’m basically the middleman between the brand and the influencer. It’s also my responsibility to keep the client happy and make sure we’re able to keep them on. I currently have between 20 to 30 brands I’m working with and sometimes each brand might run 3 or more campaigns at the same time, so it’s my job to manage it all. We’re still a startup, so we have a small team of 20 people, but there’s only 4 of us that manage clients, while the rest are in engineering to make sure everything runs smoothly or sales. We definitely use Slack a lot to communicate with each other, but also we have so many emails and Google meetings we have to attend, either with clients or internally between us.
What are the skills needed to be successful at your job?
I think the most important thing about my job is that you have to be really good at multitasking. There are so many clients and campaigns that if you’re not on top of it, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed. Since we’re also the ones speaking directly to clients, you need to be very personable and charismatic because there are some big names we deal with and it’s my responsibility to keep them happy at all times. Being tech-savvy is also crucial, since we are a tech company you need to know how to code and cross-platform. I handle the basic stuff, but our engineers do the majority of it. Be familiar with Hubspot, and understand how to do a breakdown of analytics when it comes to social media. It’s my job to make sure SEO and ROI are on target for every client.
Who do you directly report to and does anyone report to you?
I report directly to our CEO and I do have other people reporting to me, like the other account managers and our coordinators who help us out with the grunt work.
Do you work from home, office, or hybrid?
I work from home, which is one of the perks that made me take the job. We do have an office in New York, which a few people work from, while the rest of us are spread out in different cities and work remotely. Every week is different for me, I don’t have a traditional 9 to 5, as anyone working in a startup can relate to. Some weeks I do 45 to 50 hours, others more just really depend on what we have going on.
How many vacation days do you get per year?
We have unlimited vacation days. Another perk of working for a startup is that there’s more flexibility. We do work a lot, but you also are able to take time off if you need it.
What do you do to help your work/life balance?
I really try to go on daily walks during the week to get me away from my computer for a little bit. I also make sure to prioritize relaxation and fun over the weekend. I try to do things around the city, get out of the house and hang out with friends. I also don’t check my email over the weekend which is huge for me. Also if I ever just need a mental health day, I make sure to take it. Life can get overwhelming sometimes and I just try to do small things for myself, even if that’s just going to the park to read.
Have you been promoted at your current company and what do you think factored into your promotion?
At our company, we don’t make a huge emphasis on titles, since we’re all doing so much that’s outside of your normal role. I’ve only been at the company for over a year, but I think the only promotion is taking on more responsibilities. Of course, that comes with a pay increase, but the title stays about the same.
What is your favorite part of your job?
There are a lot of things I like about my job, but my favorite probably has to be that everyone on the team is around the same age. For instance, our CEO is 28, which is my age. We’re all young and get along great. We’re not very traditional, so we joke around a lot with each other and when we’re together we generally do spend a lot of time with one another. It’s really great to have a team that’s super understanding and funny. We also don’t micromanage each other, which is refreshing, and we’re always willing to help the other out. We try to make a huge emphasis on being equal and I like that.
What has been your proudest moment at your job?
My proudest moment probably has to be when we raised $3 million in seed funding. We all work so hard to make this company a success and it’s great to know that others believe in us as well. Since that major funding, we’ve had other investors more interested is a really good thing as we continue to grow.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ll take away?
My biggest lesson from this job has probably been that you don’t need to stay in one career for the rest of your life and you can try out others. You can use the skills you’ve learned and transfer them to something else. You don’t have to settle in a career that doesn’t make you happy. Find what you’re passionate about and pursue that.
Any advice for people who want to work at your company or in your general field?
Be open to learning new things. Also, you don’t need to have worked in tech to get a job in it, rather if you have the right skillset, build/ maintain long-lasting relationships, know about CRM software, and are eager to learn you can do it. My entire career up to this point was in fashion. I worked for brands such as Forever21, Cloth & Stone, Rails, and Revolve. I’ve done social media marketing, influencer relations, e-commerce and wholesale buying. Although I loved working in fashion it’s cool getting to work in tech now and surround myself with a different group of people/environment and see my career pivot.
If people want to connect with you and learn more, how can they reach you?
People can connect with me on LinkedIn or more easily through Instagram my handle is @esther_gonzz.
Last Fast 5 with Esther Gonzalez
- Last tv show/movie: Black Bird on Apple tv, it was amazing
- Last book: Currently reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
- Last concert: It was a festival last summer in LA but Primavera
- Last restaurant: Felipe’s, it’s a Mexican restaurant in Harvard Square with a cool rooftop bar
- Last vacation: In January, my family did a little road trip to SF for my mom’s birthday. I love Northern California so it was a nice little break.
Thank you for sharing, Esther!
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