goTRG is made up of more than 3,000 diverse teammates across the globe operating under one vision: to revolutionize returns. With experts in every field, from software and engineering to ecommerce and supply chain, we want to highlight the skilled teammates who elevate this company’s mission every day. Each month we’ll hand over the metaphorical mic to a new goTRG teammate so you can better understand who we are and how we continually evolve as leaders in the industry.
Over to you Yessy...
Marketing Associate
I don’t remember applying to goTRG, but the company found me at the exact moment I was ready to make a change.
It was a Friday around 6 pm when my cell phone rang. I was working from home at the time and had finally finished the day. I was exhausted and ready to zone out for the weekend. My first thought was to let the unknown caller go to voicemail, but something made me pick up. To my surprise, it was a recruiter calling on behalf of goTRG. He was super high energy and asked if I was curious about the Marketing Associate role. He explained it involved community outreach, event planning, sustainability, and branding. I thought, wow! This is everything I've done in my career and more!
At the same time, I was also skeptical about joining the corporate world again. I had left that life years ago after working for a nearly billion-dollar construction and architectural firm in the South. These companies were wildly successful, but they were good ol' boys clubs with cultures that felt stagnant. So, I left the South, and the corporate world and pursued a different path. By the time goTRG called, I was working as a freelance consultant and marketing contractor for independent fashion companies.
I thought that was the life I wanted, but after four years, I realized I wasn’t in alignment with my personality and career goals. I was at home working with very small teams and not feeling passionate about the fashion industry anymore. I wanted to work somewhere that had a purpose and allowed me to be my truest self: a nurturing, passionate, organized, approachable and persistent person. That’s why I was thrilled to work for a company that not only helps the environment but also feels passionate about taking care of its people and giving back to its local communities.
I was sold instantly and so thrilled to join our Brand Marketing and Communications team. As a new hire, I just needed to prove myself by planning a successful company-wide event. No big deal, right? Just a corporate Town Hall involving 3,000 teammates from across the globe. What could go wrong?
To set up a safe, socially-distant event at headquarters (which could not occur indoors due to lack of space) I hired a small team to put up tents on the terrace to protect us from the 85-90 degree Miami heat. To ensure the tents didn’t fly away (it’s windy out there), the events team would have to fill up gallons of water jugs to stabilize the base. Unfortunately, when it was time to wrap up for the evening, we accidentally locked ourselves out of the building with water running on the sixth floor.
I didn’t have the after-hours key fob to let us back in, but I refused to let the terrace flood along with my dreams of hosting a triumphant Town Hall. Fortunately, the nightly maintenance man drove by to check the building shortly thereafter. I flagged him down like my career depended on it. He let us in, and together we saved the sixth floor from a total disaster.
The first Town Hall went well, despite Miami’s torrential storm that day. Through it all, I walked away feeling confident and more inspired than ever. But I still had some challenges to overcome – COVID was a particular thorn in my side...
As a goTRG marketing associate, it’s my job to help keep everyone in this global organization engaged. It’s also my job to plan local events for the team at headquarters. However, with the Miami office working remotely, I needed to find creative ways to garner participation. As it turned out, Slack was not the best tool to hype people up. Plus, I didn’t know everyone’s schedules, so I was unsure of the best times to plan events. Often, I heard radio silence and wondered why.
I’m also still overcoming the challenges of navigating goTRG’s vast structure and connecting meaningfully with people so I’m more than just a megaphone. Fortunately, I’m making significant progress because teammates are so accessible, and leadership is so supportive. I’ve built close relationships in less than a year due to traveling to facilities, chatting on video calls, and walking around the Miami office now that we are back to normal operations. The IT team jokes that I’m one of the only ones who stops by to ask how they’re doing (and not for technical support 😉).
Fara has told me from day one to talk to as many people as possible and ask for their feedback about our culture and solicit ways to improve. That’s been HUGE. Steve Rop, Chief Customer Officer, has helped get the executive team involved in the events I’ve planned. He grew an impressive mustache for Movember and encouraged leadership to participate in our recent Miami Beach cleanup. Diego Medina has consistently taken the time to help me organize pallet donations to ensure we keep our promises to local humanitarian organizations. Sender Shamiss, goTRG’s CEO and co-founder, has been incredibly accessible and supportive. Sender loves that we plan community events and that we help the company get closer to its zero waste policy goals. He’s one of the busiest men I know, but he embraces the Marketing team for keeping goTRG accountable to its values. I feel very fortunate to be in this position.
Before joining goTRG, almost everything in my life was checking off the standard happiness boxes. I loved spending time with my friends and family, I traveled often, and I enjoyed my spare time. Work was the empty box that remained because it didn’t bring me joy, purpose, or room to grow using my best assets.
I don’t know the end game at goTRG yet, but I know the stars aligned for me to be here. I am right where I’m meant to be, in a company where I can harness my skills to enhance the teammate experience, give back to the community and improve our collective team experiences.
