Sophie Vershbow
Courtesy of Sophie
Age || 29
Job Title || social Media Strategist and Writer
Company Start Date || October 2015
Years living in New York || All my Life
Social handles || @svershbow
Company website || Sophie Vershbow
What did you want to be as a child?
I wanted to be everything. An actress on Monday. A chemist on Tuesday. A ballerina on Wednesday.
What’s the best piece of advice you were given when you were starting out?
If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
How do you define success?
Being able to support myself while actually caring about the work that I do. There are many opportunities in my job function at higher pay rates, but I don’t feel successful if I’m not personally invested in my company’s work.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting out?
Anything can turn into an opportunity. So much in the business world starts with a friend of a friend. Always have your card with you and get comfortable giving it out. It will pay off!
How did you first learn about social media consulting?
I got my first consulting job through a good friend who knew someone at a start-up who was looking to bring a person to run social part-time. Before that I never thought I could juggle a full-time job and consulting work, but they agreed to a non-workday schedule to make it possible. Not all clients are that flexible, but thankfully they gave me a great entry into having a professional side hustle beyond babysitting on the weekends.
Which women inspire you?
Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton. I could go on and on and on.
What is your workspace like?
At home I work while sitting on the couch. Usually with the TV, usually with a snack, always in loungewear. After sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day [working at Random House] I see no reason not to be comfortable in my “off-hours.”
How do you overcome moments of self-doubt?
I’m a firm believe that most people are just faking it until they make it. It’s about having the courage to try in the first place.
What is the hardest part about being your own boss?
The hardest part of being my own boss is that I don’t have anyone to troubleshoot situations with. One of the reasons I love working at Random House is because I’m surrounded by smart, creative, wonderful people who help me when I’m stuck. My boss there is a resource to me every single day, and it’s less collaborative when I’m the boss and worker bee all in one.
How do you handle situations where you feel overwhelmed?
As a Type-A organizational obsessive, I attack overwhelm by creating intensely detailed itemized to-do lists. Because I run so many different social media accounts, I’m constantly plagued by “OMG I FORGOT TO POST THAT” moments. Without intense structure things get out of control fast. Reining in that chaos with lists and calendars calms the freak outs.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.