AdPurp Profiles: Riley Glasson on Personal and Team Growth in a Pandemic

Let’s just say it’s never part of your plan to go into a government mandated quarantine two weeks into starting a new job, but for Riley Glasson, that was how her career at AdPurp began.

2020 has given most of us a “go with the flow” mentality, but for Riley it’s been even easier than most to adapt. She’s not one to panic when faced with adversity, and I learned quite a bit about why that is.

An absolute pleasure to speak with, Riley has grown both personally and professionally since joining the content partnerships team and has been a big part of that team’s growth, even within constraints of the pandemic.

I hope you enjoy learning about Riley as much as I did. Some real nuggets of knowledge here!

Q: Hi Riley, tell me a little bit about yourself, where you’re from, where you went to school, and how you ended up at AP? 

A: Hi! I grew up in the Bay Area, in the suburb Danville about 45 minutes inland from San Francisco. I attended the University of Colorado Boulder (sko buffs!) where I graduated with a BA in Psychology and Public Health. I’ve always had a passion for philanthropy and within that realm I found a love for Marketing. From social media management to creating partnerships I knew the marketing industry was the place for me. Fast forward to January 2020 (barely pre-COVID) I was living in Santa Monica and was introduced to Advertise Purple by my friend Taylor who is a Rockstar Analyst at AP.

Q: What were your initial impressions of the team and your boss, RJ?

A: For my first interview with RJ I was driving in from about an hour away and in an effort to help me avoid traffic, RJ made time for our interview to take place during lunch. Although that may seem like a small gesture, he has continuously shown how much he cares about his team members and has helped me grow so much during my time at Advertise Purple. On my first day I met Ginny who was at the time the only other member of the partnerships team. Not only did Ginny and I discover we worked together really well, but we have also become close friends!

Q: What was your start date? If I recall, it was only a few weeks before lockdown?

A: March 2nd 2020 was my official start date, and within a couple of weeks we were already working from home. I am extremely grateful I had a brief amount of time in person with all the wonderful people (and puppies) at the office.

Q: How has it been adapting to Work-From-Home? 

A: Luckily for me it was a pretty smooth transition working from home. Once I had my set up with a desk and my monitors, I was able to get into a routine which is what helped me the most. I’ve also always been a “treat yo self” type of person, so on particularly hard days I treat myself to a Matcha Latte or Sushi for lunch and that normally does the trick to keep me motivated and focused. 

Q: Is it exciting to be a part of a growing team (Advertise Purple as a whole but also the partnerships team)? 

A: Extremely exciting! I was the third hire on the partnership team which has now tripled in size. My favorite thing about being a part of a growing company and team, is the opportunity to be involved in the growth process (even the growing pains). I was able to interview potential candidates, help train new hires, and actively be involved in the growing of our team. I have always enjoyed taking on a leadership role, so to be able to help others adjust to a new job (especially during COVID and work-from-home) has been a special experience for me.

I feel incredibly lucky to be on a team that has tripled in size during a Pandemic, and a company that is continuously growing. I look forward to being a part of all the wonderful things ahead for Advertise Purple! 

Q: How would you say you’ve grown personally in your role?

A: During my time as a Strategic Partnerships Manager I’ve grown personally

in many ways, but to me the most valuable has been developing my skills of bringing ideas to life. With a growing company comes changes and new situations, and with encouragement from RJ and upper-management I have been able to collaborate with others and come up with innovative solutions. Then with the support of my team and company those ideas have been implemented and tweaked until perfected. After my experience at Advertise Purple I will never again sit by and think to myself “I feel like there has to be a better way to do that?”, I’ll be working with others and producing quality solutions that are made to be implemented instead of trapped in my head as “what ifs”. 

Q: What are some goals you have set for yourself going forward?

A: Professionally I am striving to have a managerial role on my team and be able to provide others with the same support RJ has given me. Additionally, I hope to continue working with my colleagues to create solutions that allow us to work as efficiently as possible and reach our highest potential. I am excited to be a part of the change and growth of our team, it is truly a growing experience for myself personally as well!

Q: How would you describe the culture at Advertise Purple?

A: Advertise Purple’s culture is one of the main things that enticed me from the start. Not only is it a fun environment with office dogs, team bonding and events, but also an incredibly supportive and encouraging environment to grow both personally and professionally. With the support and collaboration with RJ, my team, other departments, etc. I have been able to accomplish so much more than if I was entirely on my own. I am a competitive person, and to be in an environment where everyone is competing to make the company the best it can be instead of solely working towards personal gain is something very valuable to me.

Q: What advice would you give someone interested in breaking into content partnerships or affiliate marketing?

A: If you’re looking to break into content partnerships or affiliate marketing don’t be afraid to be creative! I think this sector of marketing is a perfect combination of hard work and knowledge, but also creativity and communication. Do your research, talk to others in the industry and once you get the opportunity to prove yourself work as hard as you can to do so!

Q: How much support do you feel you have from your manager? 

A: If I haven’t emphasized it enough already, I have so much support from my wonderful manager and that is what has allowed me to grow and advance in my role at Advertise Purple so comfortably and quickly. I hope to share this experience with those I manage in the future. 

Q: What do you do for fun? Pre-COVID and post-COVID.

A: Pre-COVID I loved to travel! I studied abroad in Barcelona and am itching to go back to Spain for some wine and tapas as soon as possible. Post-COVID I have been enjoying exploring Southern California and spending my weekends at the beach. Recently with outdoor work out classes opening in LA, I have been trying out some cool new things like silent disco rooftop yoga!

Q: Any words of wisdom or final thoughts for anyone reading this who may be looking for some inspiration, especially someone who would like to break into advertising or partnerships?

A: Look at every opportunity as a chance to learn and grow. Even if it seems more like a roadblock than an opportunity, work hard but also work smart and come up with a solution! Once you get in the habit of this, nothing will seem too big to conquer.

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Thanks so much for your time, Riley! I hope one day to see you again, IRL at the office. 2027? 2028? We’ll have to see.