Five years ago, Bridget Gibbons, founder and CEO of Gibbons Digital, a social-media consultancy in Bronxville, grew tired of corporate America—20 years in human-resources consulting had been enough. Armed with a certificate in social media from NYU, she said goodbye to her corporate digs and set out on her own.
Her three employees are glad she started Gibbons Digital, which now serves clients like SoundWorks, the New York Hospitality Group, and the “Build the Bridge Now” campaign for the Tappan Zee. After all, had she not formed the company, her team wouldn’t be enjoying the commitment she’s made to tirelessly polish and enhance their skills.
“We train each other,” says Gibbons, who takes turns with her employees giving presentations and tutorials on the latest digital media tricks and tools. That might sound unusual to some, but if you consider the frantic pace at which social media evolves, it helps to have everyone heavily invested in staying current. But it also helps to get to know your employees one-on-one, and tailor your growth strategy to each.
“It’s about getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of each of the people that work for you, and working with each individual to help them do the best they can,” says Gibbons. “Working in the corporate world was a pressure cooker, everyone was covering their backs. When I started my company, I wanted it to be very open, lots of opportunity, very supportive, whatever direction my employees want to go in, I’m there 100 percent.”
“Bridget has enabled each employee to become well versed in [client matters] and better communicators overall,” says Leah Breyette, social media manager. “She is incredibly patient and a wonderful teacher.”
