It was a foggy day back in April 2017, literally one month after I moved to Asheville from Europe. I went to Asheville Community Yoga to volunteer and take care of kids while their mamas were doing yoga. No kids came that day, but another volunteer showed up, and not knowing we were allowed to leave after 10 minutes, we spent the whole class talking. Since everything happens for a reason, especially in Asheville, this is how I met one of my best Asheville friends who then introduced me to Casey a couple months later.

I met with Casey at Dobra Tea in downtown Asheville. We spent some time talking about our backgrounds, objectives, Asheville, and major life changes (this was pre Sadie era). She struck me as open, vulnerable and genuine. Feminine and business savvy. I worked remotely for a Swedish, male-dominated agency, so this was like a gust of fresh wind, a completely different perspective on client relationships and running a business. I really wanted to become a part of it in some shape or form. A couple of months later I jumped on our first project together, and about a year later I was offered a full time position.

The major thing that I have felt since I started has been empowerment. It never really meant much to me until I felt it and realized I had never really had it at a workplace before. I was wondering why, if this had been my fault, or if there had never been a fertile ground for it to develop because of the corporate cultures of places I worked at. Empowerment implies opportunity to grow, support in that growth, and it can only exist in a culture built on respect and trust. And this is what Casey is fostering at MLD. I feel listened to and I feel my opinion matters. I feel we can be vulnerable with each other, and this makes us stronger as a team, because how could we support each other if we couldn’t admit our faults?

The first month was also a month of me and Casey getting to know each other much better on a personal level, beyond the occasional business meetings we had before I started. I gained a much deeper perspective into how she operates, what she likes and dislikes, her value system, her dreams and her fears, what Mountain Laurel Digital is for her and where she wants it to go. I watched her nail it both as a mom and a business owner and gained even more admiration for this badass woman. I am excited to jump on board and support her in steering that ship into deeper waters.

I have also felt a lot of gratitude for the support Casey has been showing for my personal needs. I have family in Poland and this physical separation has been very difficult. She is open to me working on distance when I want to visit them. She is also ok with me extending my lunch breaks twice a week to catch a yoga practice. She trusts my commitment and treats me like a partner. This is a difficult thing to do for many - to let go and not micromanage.

On a lighter note, I got my office space that I can furnish, we went shopping and got a wide selection of teas in support of my tea addiction, and we booked tickets to go to the MOZ conference in Seattle in July. I also met a ton of awesome people and local entrepreneurs, and it has made me feel more at home in Asheville.

That’s it for now, I’ll check in Hotjar to see where you all dropped off ;) <nerdjoke>

P.S. I just wanted to throw in here that my name is spelled with a K and pronounced with a rolling “r” and a short “i” ;)

Bye for now!

Karolina

Introducing Karolina, Our First Full-Time Hire