What's Coming Next (For Caroline)

Fourth of July Sunset off the coast of Norwalk, CT

Hello Everyone! I'm doing a more personal post since my life has changed significantly rather quickly. I want to keep everyone who is interested in the loop and let you know what my goals are, moving forward!

I just left my job of two years at Loeb.nyc and I am trying to re-center and re-focus. As you may know, I worked at the front desk doing everything from helping manage Loeb’s growth from 100 employees in 2017 to 400+ to assisting our Chief Revenue Officer and the rest of the C-Suite. I still love Loeb.nyc, their mission, and the people deeply, but frankly I’m burned out. Though I loved coming to the office everyday and seeing everyone, I was no longer happy in the role that I was in and knew it was time to go.

So, what’s next?

First things first, a break from it all. I visited my mom in Jackson Hole Wyoming: we went hiking, horseback riding, biking, and of course, watched a Kristen Chenoweth concert. I’ve also spent some time at home in Connecticut, going sailing, visiting friends, and planning my next steps.

I have two potential paths that I’m looking at: one that’s a bit more practical but very exciting, and another that’s pretty risky and terrifying.

The Fun but Pragmatic Approach

Sailing on Long Island Sound

Option one is getting a job in Digital or Content Marketing. I have extensive skills in creating content (writing, film, audio, photoshop, etc) and have a deep understanding of digital marketing. I also love to create! As a former comedy writer/filmmaker, I love telling stories and connecting with audiences especially about brands or causes that I care about.

I’m also incredibly interested in Entertainment/Experiential marketing. I love working in events and love to find ways to push crazy ideas to the limits. I’ve been heavily inspired by my friends like Bonin Bough whose work at Mondelez creating unique experiences with Red Bull, Oreos, and BreadBot are particularly inspiring.

Gimmie: The Risky Endeavor

Option two is very risky, which is part of what makes it so exciting, but the logistics of making it work financially are a little more complicated.

I’ve spent the last year and a half developing a company idea and we’re pretty close to actually making it happen. We just have one problem: we don’t have a prototype. Our plan is to build a personalized shopping platform that’s more reminiscent of Pinterest or Instagram than traditional online shopping.

We have had a ton of encouragement from potential consumers and from experienced entrepreneurs but the one thing we need right now is an excellent programmer with strong expertise in backend engineering to help us build an MVP. At this time, I have a small stipend that I can pay to make this happen, but we’d love to find someone who would like to stay onboard as a co-founder full time.

Filming a new episode of "Call Me Caro."

In addition to building the app, my co-founder Carrianne Dillon and I are also trying to build up web presences for ourselves and the app. We are currently redeveloping our social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, and at least one web series if not two. In addition to this we will likely be working as consultants in our specialities (myself in digital/social marketing, Carrianne in education/literature/Fantasy) and maybe even selling merchandise (so stay tuned for that)!

Although we’re confident in our company idea, how to get there, and our own abilities, we don’t have a safety net. And that’s scary! Granted, it’s not the first time I’ve leapt into the unknown (I was a freelance comedy writer after all!) but we would be incredibly grateful for any advice, ideas, or help you or someone you know could provide.

What Can You Do to Help?

So, if you see a job posting that you think I may be interested in: let me know! See any cool incubators or grants that you think we should be taking advantage of: send us a message ASAP! Know someone who we absolutely need to meet up with: let me know! We’d love an intro! Realize you know a software engineer with too much time on their hands: please pick them up, place them in the most appropriate vehicle, and bring them to us immediately. We promise to give them snacks!

I’m excited with how things are moving forward and eager for any and all opportunities. My biggest goal is to put my creative juices to work and do something big. Whether it’s launching my company in the next couple of months or working for a fantastic organization, I can’t wait to see what’s coming next!

A Small Loeb.nyc Colleagues Note!

Why did you guys get me a giant poster of my face?

Also, for any of you Loeb people reading this: my goodbye email never sent for some reason but I want to thank you so much for all of your support and kindness over the last two years. I still love Loeb.nyc and can’t thank you enough for inspiring me to dream big in the first place.