We often hear about bad bosses, but we think it’s important to talk about the good ones because we hope that by giving folks examples of how to be a good boss we can inspire future bosses to be better, to do better for their employees and all stakeholders.
Zoe Lowe
The best boss I ever had never called himself my boss, but there’s no doubt that superlative belongs to Wes Figueroa of CTC Studios. I wasn’t new to audio work when I moved to Orlando from Hong Kong, but it felt like starting from zero. Wes was in the process of expanding his one-man/one-studio operation when he happened to get a cold email from me. He was the first person to give me a shot here and he’s been teaching me lessons from the moment we met. Read more>>
Massiel Valenzuela-Castaneda
One of the best bosses I’ve ever had is Trish Blackwell, the confidence coach. I stumbled upon Trish during a pretty dark phase in my life. She had this podcast that lifted people up, and I was hooked. Trish was straightforward yet super encouraging. She gave me the guts to tackle some tough decisions, like dealing with workers’ comp for an injury. Read more>>
Yesenia Sevilla
Very early in my career, I had a unique boss nicknamed “Bud.” He believed that the customer was always right, and that if we could create a unique experience for them – then we could create raving fans forever. He pushed us to perfect our deliverables down to the eleventh hour – literally having us change collaterals the night before an event. Sourcing unique flowers if he knew a guest or keynote had favorites, and the list would go on. Read more>>
Graziela Ferrarese Montes
Years ago I went through a really rough time emotionally and financially and found my way to Gulf Shores, AL. My good friend Renata and her family took me in and help me get back up on my feet. She introduced me to Dr. G, a local podiatrist in town and I was hired as her front desk assistant. I remember felt good to work again in a fast pace office environment, it was a practice with all female professionals, and such a safe space to work at, where everyone got along well. Women in that office made such a positive impression on me. Read more>>
Britt Dorazio
The best boss I’ve ever had is at one of the spaces that I currently work in. Her name is Stephanie Romero with Awaken Pittsburgh. Awaken Pittsburgh is a meditation, mindfulness, mental health, and community resource non-profit. I develop curricula and deliver programs all across the Pittsburgh area. Working in the non-profit sector can be a really challenging experience. Read more>>
Giulia Livi
The best boss I ever had was Shira Walinsky at Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program. Shira is the co-founder and lead artist of Southeast by Southeast, a community arts and educational space dedicated to supporting and celebrating refugee and immigrant communities in South Philadelphia in partnership with the Mural Arts Program. As Shira’s assistant I learned every step of the mural process in detail, working both in the studio and on site. I was totally inspired by the scale and impact of her projects. Read more>>