Rita Mikhailova, 28
Senior Brand & Marketing Manager, Next Stage Design + Build, Silicon Valley, Bay Area, Calif.
After earning a degree in accounting and working in corporate real estate and financial services, Mikhailova wanted a change. She was drawn to design build and introduced to Next Stage. It felt like a great fit, but there were a couple of obstacles: They had no job openings, and Mikhailova had no experience in design build. Undeterred, she volunteered as an unpaid intern. She learned quickly and had ideas to improve business; by the end of her unofficial internship, Mikhailova proposed creating a new position for herself—she joined Next Stage as project developer, which was part of the sales team. She’s now the senior brand & marketing manager (another position she created), and recently celebrated four-years at the company.
Reviews: Google is a big resource for Next Stage, including SEO, paid campaigns, and getting reviews. “We treat reviews like a form of social media where we’ll post our blog updates as an update to our Google business profile,” Mikhailova says. “We work hard to let clients know we’d appreciate their reviews. It shows that they’re engaged and have had a great experience.”
Employee Ownership: For transition planning, the owners of Next Stage were committed to fostering a collaborative, aligned culture. By 2030, Next Stage will be 100% employee owned.
Book Recommendation: Never Split the Difference