Still Blogging, Still Hiring
I spent some time yesterday reading some of my blog posts of the past ten years regarding Graffito (and CityRetail) for inspiration and context as we think about where we are headed as a company today, which has been front of mind for me of late as we get ready to post three job openings and contemplate additional hires and partners for 2020.
What is so clear to me after going back through said posts is both how sincerely organic and deliberate our growth has been, and also how easy and gradual our hiring has been. I’ve never felt pressure to hire; nor been prescriptive about required experience. I’ve always believed that our key was simply finding curious, honest, hard-working, multi-disciplinary individuals that shared our worldview re: urbanism, localism, community economic development, etc. and the rest would work out through on-the-job training and experience. This approach has worked well to date, but as we look forward I find us in a really different position as related to hiring…
Starting earlier this year we began talking a lot about our present need to hire proven and experienced leaders that bring developed and definable skills to our practice. It’s a departure from the above detailed approach. And it’s driven by our desire to better serve our clients, say no to less work, and find people that can help us move into new space.
It’s also driven by the fact that in the last six months we’ve had to say goodbye to three member of our team. As many of you know, Sean left us earlier this year, and Erin and Shay will be leaving at the end of the month. Sean was a key player in our leasing practice, and even more so as a social anchor (and handyman) in the office. He and his wife Jodi converted a van into a camper and have been adventuring across the country for the past six months. Erin has been critical to the growth of our strategy and planning business, and has kept us honest in the office on all things related to urban design. She’s moving herself and her dog Max out to Denver to tackle new life + work adventures at the foot of the Rockies. Shay joined GSP 18 months ago and, like Sean, worked closely with Dave on retail leasing, and she has kept us well informed re: the latest trends in retail, particularly as related to fitness, fashion and most of all, ice cream. This fall Shay will embark on an exciting new path, pursuing a dual masters degree in Social Work and Theology at BU.
It’s really hard to say goodbye to these three. But at the same time it presents an amazing opportunity for Dave, Gustavo, Johanna and I to rebuild Graffito in a really deliberate and informed way. And I am really, really excited to do this. In fact, I’ve never been more excited about this business than I am today.
In sum, the Graffito of 2020 needs folks that want to help us not just grow this business, but better shape it. Be smarter. Get more done. Have more impact.
Our most immediate needs are as follows:
1) Someone to lead + advance our urban design practice
2) An experienced senior broker to help lead our retail leasing business
3) A junior level retail broker to help service our existing leasing assignments
While our hiring will be more precise now than ever, we will still prioritize individuals that are sincerely motivated by our work and aren’t intimidated by our entrepreneurial environment. So even if you don’t exactly fit into any of the above posted jobs, please still shoot us a note if the above resonates (or if you know someone that would be a good fit here). All inquires will get a response and be treated with an appropriate level of discretion and confidentiality.
Lastly, one thing I noticed when going back through my past blog posts is that I often close them out in a way related to how I start them (must have — and still does — make me feel better about all the rambling in between). So, in said spirit, here’s a link to my last post on CityRetail’s blog from 2013, which I just read and has some fun context on Graffito, especially for those that may want to join us: Blog Post – GSP Roots.
Onward and Upward.
