Olivia Rogine, Building Community & Connection in an Increasingly Lonely World

March 30, 2020

With the current "stay-at-home" mandate, we couldn't think to feature a more fitting community trailblazer - Olivia Rogine, Director of Member Experience at Girls Night In (GNI), a self-care community and newsletter whose mission is to help women relax, recharge, and cultivate more meaningful community in an increasingly lonely and stressful world (our entire team is obsessed with their newsletter - highly recommend)

In this feature, Olivia shares with us how her studies in International Development and Social Change influenced her career trajectory, how she rose the ranks at GNI, and how she continues to build community and connection in her role. Read along to soak up her incredible career advice for ambitious women, such as yourself.

Early Career

You received a BA and Masters in International Development and Social Change from Clark University. Why did you pursue multiple degrees in this field and how has it influenced your career trajectory?

Honestly, I still ask myself this question! I’ve always loved connecting with others and a huge part of interpersonal connection is learning about what makes someone who they are. When I entered college, I was interested in the world and everything about it. I wanted to consume all that there was to learn about what factors influence all of our lives - the complexities of society, politics, culture, location, gender, language, socio-economic status, the list goes on! Luckily, there was a major for that. My studies in International Development and Social Change applied anthropology, sociology, community organizing, and service learning to make a difference.

I was fortunate enough to excel in my BA program which led to an opportunity to obtain my MA at the same university (for free)! This 5 year BA/MA program was an incredible way to develop my own beliefs and personal views on the world we live in. While I loved learning about International Development and Social Change, I soon realized that applying my degree(s) in the real world wasn’t a good fit as my skill sets were best spent elsewhere.

I firmly believe that my path, rooted in the ID field, while not entirely linear, has made me who I am, and ultimately, led me to a career in community building - a huge part of what had interested me in the field to begin with!

Prior to joining Girls Night In Club, you’ve held various positions related to community development, partnerships, and brand activations. What skillsets did you realize you needed to be successful in this type of position?

Believe it or not, my soft skills are what has led to my success in each of these different positions. Anyone can learn organization, project management, and processes but if you can do your job AND build relationships along the way, your colleagues and clients will remember you. I’ve always been one to raise my hand for opportunities or help out with a task that might not be within my role and responsibilities, but it’s those small acts that make an impact. Beyond anything though, high emotional intelligence and empathy is what has enabled me to excel in all of these collaborative roles. By actively practicing empathy I can find common ground and shared meaning with just about anyone, which is exactly what relationship and community building requires.

Girls Night In (GNI)

You first joined GNI as a contributor and steadily rose the ranks to become Community and Experiences Lead, and now Director of Member Experience. How has your role changed since you joined, and what did you do to advocate for a promotion?

I love a good trip down memory lane! The past few years with GNI have been a whirlwind but in many ways, my full-time role today is so closely connected to my very first part-time role as a GNI Reads book club host. Back in 2017, I was gathering about 30 or so members of our local community each month to discuss a book and now, I have a hand in selecting those books and strategizing what all of our many IRL gatherings look like. My role at GNI evolved when I implicitly advocated for myself through the work I produced rather than explicitly requesting a promotion. Of course, hard work doesn’t always pay off in the workplace but it does if you’re fortunate enough to find yourself in a healthy and supportive professional environment.

What does being the Director of Member Experience of GNI entail? And what’s your favorite part about the role?

From recruiting and onboard hosts to lead our small monthly gatherings, to dreaming up sponsored events, and yes, answering a lot of customer service emails, my role is multifaceted and broad reaching. But without a doubt, the best part about my job at GNI is getting to know our community in person. As a company that originated online, it’s rare to have the opportunity to consistently gather offline and form such special connections through work!

Self-care is becoming more of a priority for women in demanding careers. How do you see Girls’ Night In shaping the future of self-care for young women?

At GNI, we believe that taking care of yourself and others is a valuable part of wellness for all. Some of my most dire professional moments were due to pressure in a workplace that I felt so committed to, I forgot to take much time for myself and my personal relationships. Luckily, the GNI newsletter consistently reminded me that I shouldn’t feel guilty for taking time off to tend to my mental health and that it was okay to not feel okay. Upon joining GNI full-time, I reflected a bit and wrote this piece on how I manage my own anxiety at work. It’s so refreshing to feel open and honest about my own mental health in the workplace and beyond. I hope that Girls’ Night In content continues to be a reminder to all of our readers and community members that self-care isn’t selfish - at work or elsewhere. That being said, as much as it’s important for women in demanding careers to practice self-care, it’s important to recognize that we all deserve to seek out whatever might help us unwind and take care, regardless of our employment status, relationship status, and so on!

Girls Night In secured a successful $500,000 funding round last year (congrats btw!). What about GNI’s future are you most excited about?

Girls’ Night In is known for our weekly newsletter and meaningful content. As a part of our Community and Experiences team, I’m most looking forward to bringing the magic of GNI to life through more in person experiences that spark meaningful connections within our community. We’re currently hard at work on a special membership project called The Lounge so stay tuned!

Advice

Advice for young women interested in pursuing a career in community building and programming?

Get out there! Experiential programming and community building is all about forming connections and understanding those people enough to create experiences that speak to them. If you’re not exposing yourself to different types of events and communities, how can you create something unique and memorable?

What do you wish you knew when you were first starting your career?

So many things! While I still have so much to learn, I wish I knew my worth sooner rather than later. One of my first full-time positions was at a non-profit, after which I landed a role in the political media space. Needless to say, I became conditioned to being overworked and underpaid so I had to unlearn a lot of what I was told early on - “not now but soon,” “be grateful,” and “don’t complain because it could be worse.” Now, I negotiate whenever I can. There’s never harm in showing others that I know how valuable I am.