Meet Tina Pettigrew - Senior Community Manager at Ellevate Network

Tina Pettigrew – Senior Community Manager at Ellevate Network

I’m so excited to feature Tina Pettigrew, Senior Community Manager at Ellevate Network. Tina’s been such an inspiration and a support to The Corporate Sister, as well as an outstanding representative of Ellevate Network, one of my absolute favorite organizations for women in business.

I first met Tina virtually through my blog, and later met her in person at the Ellevate Network’s Summer Soiree in New York. The first thing that struck me about her is the passion, enthusiasm and creativity she puts into helping others. If there’s one thing her career trajectory clearly demonstrates is that being open, engaging and passionate about one’s mission and purpose can create incredible opportunities for ourselves and others.

So, without further ado, here’s Tina!

1. Tell us a bit about you and what you do!

I am Sr. Community Manager at Ellevate Network. What that means is that I utilize strategic partners, press, social media, creative, and more to help build our brand as a company and make sure that everyone sees us as a thought leader in the “women in business” space. I do anything from utilize our media partners as panelists at events to write thought leadership pieces for the Ellevate site, to test creative copy in marketing materials and social media posts to see how they affect our business goals. It’s fast paced, I get to be creative, and build real relationships with amazing people – so all in all, a lot of fun!

2. What led you to work for Ellevate?

How did you decide on this career path? When I was in my Masters program for Bioethics at NYU, I was working part-time (and then later full-time) at a nonprofit in NYC that focused on workforce development training. I was the Office Manager there but really spent a lot of time creating curriculum and developing my social media expertise. After I left that job, someone who was on the board there remembered me and reached out to me for the Community Manager role at Ellevate Network (which was then 85 Broads). I think I fell into this career, as many of us do, because I thought the work was interesting, but ultimately it makes sense that I’m being creative every day, as I see myself as a writer at heart. And I love to engage with people and hear their stories/ points of view, so this job is a unique way to do that.

3. Describe what a typical workday looks like for you.

First and foremost I need to check in on trending topics and the Ellevate Network social media pages (Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Google +. My colleague Johanna manages our Instagram/ Pinterest, but I like to talk strategy/ make suggestions often [which she may or may not like, haha]). I need to respond to anyone on these pages and make sure that we speak in an authentic voice while keeping our business goals in mind. Then I likely check in with my media partners/chapters/bloggers, make sure everything is good to go for any marketing campaigns we have going on (a new partnership, Sallie’s book coming out, a discount code we’re promoting, upcoming events we need to sell out, etc.), schedule social media for the following day/ check in on my best performing pieces and adjust my strategy. I chat with people on the phone about partnering, interview intern candidates (depending on the time of year), oversee a handful of customer services issues, review product projects Rebecca sends me, copyedit, scan the landscape of SEO (and make adjustments), and occasionally create graphics and write. We work very collaboratively here, so it really depends on the day/ project.

4. What do you love most about working at Ellevate?

My team! I have a seriously hard-working, bright group of people that I’ve been through the fire with, and I cannot emphasize that enough. Having people you can trust through the good and the bad, who you can bounce ideas off of, and who you can be honest with, is priceless.

5. How do the goals of a company like Ellevate affect your day-to-day job, and your career and life goals in general?

I believe in the mission of Ellevate, so the company goals are my focus every moment I work. I try to ask myself, “How does this provide benefit to our members?” every time I make a business decision. Working for a company that does well while doing good is very important to me, and I think that I will always be working somewhere that has a conscience.

6. What’s the most challenging part of your job and how do you not let yourself get burnt out?

Great question! The most challenging part of my job is juggling priorities. Because after all this is important, and so is this, and so is this. So I often need to take a deep breath and just take care of things. I have had my fair share of burnout moments, but one thing I remind myself of is: “Nothing is more important than your health. Take time out every single day (no matter how small) to clear your head. Take accountability for your own actions.”

7. What advice would you give other women who may want to follow in your footsteps and pursue a similar career?

Just jump in. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and ask smart questions. Keyword = smart. I believe that as an emerging professional, as well as young person in general, it is so important to be self-sufficient. There are so many tools at our disposal, use them! And then ask a smart question to figure something out. Also, find the people in your personal and professional life who have traits and habits that you admire, and build a relationship with them. They will be key to your success. And at work, always prove that you are useful – use your unique skills, whatever they are – and let your actions speak for you.

Bio:

Tina Pettigrew’s customer-focused and personable approach is what makes her such a dynamic Senior Community Manager at Ellevate. Prior to joining the Ellevate team, Tina worked for a number of esteemed institutions including the United Nations, the NYU/Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture, Workforce Professionals Training Institute and the YMCA, where her experience ranged from human rights advocacy and law to professional development and training, with a focus on social media marketing and customer relationship management. She earned her MA in Bioethics from New York University as well as a BA in Health Science, with a concentration in Business, from the University of Florida.

Tina engages the community in many ways: she cultivates partnerships that are mutually beneficial to the company and speak to our values and brand; she is often the face behind Ellevate’s voice, communicating with the press, in social media, and in Ellevate’s marketing campaigns (Invest in Yourself, Female Role Model); and has a hand in customer service. Tina has a reputation for honest and respectful communication, creative problem solving, and thought leadership.

In her spare time, Tina trains in MMA, chats with her 99-year old grandmother, cuddles her dog Poncho and cat Liberty, and makes a mean dark-chocolate pistachio sea salt granola.