Tales of a Serial Intrapreneur

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I spent my recess time in elementary school making custom bracelets to sell to classmates. I made the BEST paper footballs out of recipe cards in junior high and sold them for 50 cents a piece. 

In college, I had the opportunity to start my own exterior painting business through an entrepreneurial internship program called College Works Painting. It was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life and was 6 months of hell, but I learned so much that I stayed at the company for another 3 years to help others gain that experience. 

Funnily enough, working within an entrepreneurial internship company was what made me realize I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur. Although I was successful, I hated the uncertainty and knew I needed more stability in my life (plus benefits, more consistent paychecks, etc.). I also realized that I was more passionate about working within the company to improve the experience for others than actually building my business. My manager at the time called me a “serial INTRApreneur” since I was constantly filling needs to create new roles for myself, and that title has stuck with me ever since. 

When I moved on from CWP, I didn’t know exactly what job I wanted, but I did know that I needed to find a company within which I could grow and have an impact. Although I had other full time offers and I was a bit over-qualified, I accepted a part time Office Coordinator position at Conga because I could tell it was THE company for me. My one condition was that they would support me moving to full time if I found the work. 

Within 6 months, I had found a need and was assisting two C-suite executives. I’ve now been at the company for almost 4 years and have a dream job I didn’t even know existed where I get to work closely with the leaders of the company as the EA to the CFO, manage cross-functional projects that make a real impact, and run large events for multiple departments. I wasn’t hired for this job, I created it. By seeing needs and filling them. By identifying problems and getting the right people in the room to solve them. By volunteering to take on projects first and then making sure I got paid for the work later.

This wouldn’t have been possible at just any company (particularly the getting paid for extra work part). I could see even during the interview process that Conga truly lived by the values they stated, that they were open to change, and that they valued their employees. It is even more clear to see now that Achieving Together, Championing the Customer and Embracing an Entrepreneurial Spirit are reflected in the decisions of our leadership, encouraged for our employees, and rewarded with recognition and career mobility. 

I used to think that I had to make a choice. I could take the risk and embrace my entrepreneurial spirit to start a business, or I could shove that spirit aside for the comfort and safety of a regular job and be a cog in the wheel. I could not have been more wrong. The same instincts that helped me succeed as an entrepreneur also made me a great employee. If you take ownership of the company where you work and start thinking of it as YOUR company, it's amazing the difference you can make! Being an intrapreneur has given me the opportunity to grow and build something special while having a whole company to support me in that mission.

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit but also want the stability of a career, I highly encourage you to find a company that values that attribute, get your foot in the door, and work to build your dream job and make an impact from within. In my experience, the company is just as (if not more) important than the job title when looking for the next step in your career. There are openings at so many fantastic companies right now, including Conga. This is the time to take a leap towards your future. This is the perfect time to be an INTRApreneur!