Celebrating Authenticity and Pride: An Interview with Emotive’s Jason Hill

Business mogul Richard Branson reportedly said, “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers.” But that isn’t just some business mantra: in fact, several research studies have found that employee engagement is highly linked with both customer satisfaction and business success. 

This makes sense to us. When we like our company and our colleagues, we’re jacked to show up every day and do our best. And when we care about our work and feel accountable to our colleagues and our customers, we’re more likely to work hard to please them. So to celebrate Pride Month, we asked Account Executive Jason Hill to walk us through what that looks like here at Emotive. 

Jason, tell us briefly who you are and what you do at Emotive.

Jason: I'm an account executive here and I’ve been with Emotive since January of 2021, which is crazy. Right now, I’m working with PLG which is our product-led growth initiative. And essentially, what we're trying to do is have the free trial sell the product itself — without the assistance of onboarding and account executives.

Do you remember what initially attracted you to Emotive?

Jason: (Laughing) I didn’t 100-percent understand what Emotive was, but I thought it was cool. I think that’s important, because I'm not, like, the typical tech bro, right? So, it had to be a really cool company for me to be into it. The people are just really laid back and understanding. 

How do you feel like the company has changed since you've been here?

Jason: Well, you know, we’ve brought in new people, but even though it's gotten bigger, I don't think the quality of the people has changed. They're humble, just so down to earth and willing to just be vulnerable. That doesn't typically happen — usually when you get more people it becomes super corporate and then,, you never get to talk to the CEO or anyone who has a heart, and we're the opposite of that.

How do you think companies build an inclusive culture?

Jason: I think it's the people for sure: that's going to be the key factor anywhere because at the end of the day, regardless of what the company does, it's people that bring the mission forward.

They have to live those values. You can just feel it in your bones when someone is completely dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment and making sure that everyone feels respected and honored.

How would you say that you bring your identity — including your LGBTQ identity — to work?

Jason: Honestly, I'm just super open, you know, and I'm not saying that everyone has to do that because I don't think everyone should have to. Yes, I'm trans, but there are so many other things that I am. I know that by being open about who I am, just existing and being honest, I can change perceptions.

When I interviewed I was asked what I was looking for in a company. And one of the things I said was, a company where it's okay for me to be trans. I don't want to work anywhere where people are weird about it. When I'm talking to leads and customers, I'm just trying to connect with them, just human to human. And that's really what I focus on more than anything, you know, because I think trust is the most important aspect of any kind of sale. 

What does it mean to you to recognize Pride Month?

Jason: I love that our approach to it isn't the typical corporate, “Hey, you know, look at our rainbow logo for June,” right? When I was younger, I grew up in New York and pride was just like partying for a month. But looking back at it now I realize that it was just an opportunity to really be in a space with other people who are like me. Literally, you can just walk around without being afraid and it feels like the whole world is cheering you on. It's magical. 

As I've gotten older, I realize that the most important thing is just making sure that I am me, whoever that is. It's really about authenticity. Every trans person isn't the same. Like I'm thinking that I had to check certain boxes and think certain things, but we're not all the same and it's okay. 

Our CSM team put together a whole Broadcast Guide that includes content for our customers to talk about Pride Month. How do you feel about that?

Jason: It's great. We do try to encourage our customers to be really authentic with their messaging. I always say that to people: Look, this is a template that our copywriters made, but the copy has to be yours. It's gotta feel like your brand.

Do you see a connection between how we treat our customers and how we treat our employees?

Jason: Yeah, without a doubt. Working with the onboarding team has been awesome because I've been able to see how we go above and beyond. We make sure that our customers are doing well. And when I had COVID, my teammates just took over for me and emailed customers. And that's just how Emotive is — we're like, yeah, how can I help?

Thanks, Jason! Seems like working for a company where people can thrive as their authentic selves is actually good for ALL of us. 

If you’re looking for ideas to celebrate Pride Month, check out the free image and text suggestions in our SMS template library, or join us in donating to the Trevor Project.