{"id":66558,"date":"2019-10-01T17:47:14","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T21:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=66558"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:53:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:53:14","slug":"what-pinterests-meredith-guerriero-does-all-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/community-stories\/member-spotlight\/what-pinterests-meredith-guerriero-does-all-day","title":{"rendered":"What Pinterest’s Meredith Guerriero does all day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Our series<\/em> What Do People Do All Day?<\/strong><\/em><\/a> takes a look at the work life, lunch habits, and downtime of people across different industries. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name: <\/strong>Meredith Guerriero
Title\/company: <\/strong>Head of U.S. partnerships, Pinterest
Location: <\/strong>New York City
Years on the job: <\/strong>2 years, 3 months <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meredith Guerriero, mother of three, was an early adopter of Pinterest. \u201cI used it even before I had kids,\u201d she says. \u201cI pinned everything at that point: dream houses, bulldogs. It was a creative outlet.\u201d So when the company\u2019s global head of partnerships reached out about a job in 2017, Guerriero was eager to hear more. \u201cI was just such a big believer [in the product] and so passionate about what they were doing,\u201d she says.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guerriero had spent the first decade of her career focused on specific verticals\u2014at Google, she worked mostly on the company\u2019s automotive ad vertical, then at Facebook, she was director of the health, grocery, and politics verticals. What attracted her to the Pinterest opportunity\u2014aside from her personal history with the platform\u2014was that the role would allow her to take on more<\/em>. More variety. More responsibility. More leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was like, ‘What advice would I give to my children?’\u201d she says. \u201cDo I stay in the comfort of this role [at Facebook] or build this other company, really prove myself, and stretch? It was a no-brainer.\u201d Below, Guerriero shares a snapshot of a typical day at the office. \u201cIt\u2019s never a dull moment,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Pinterest is a WeWork enterprise member<\/a>.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I get up\u2026<\/strong> between 5:15 and 5:30 a.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing I do is\u2026<\/strong> walk through what I\u2019m grateful for and ensure that I have the right attitude for the day. Even if I\u2019m exhausted or stressed, I try to stay focused on everything that\u2019s positive. I also try to give myself the first hour of waking up with no work emails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I commute by\u2026 <\/strong>train, from Westchester. Typically, I do work on the way in and personal catch-up\u2014e.g., scheduling for the kids, making online orders, etc.\u2014on the way home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

My preferred email signoff is\u2026<\/strong> \u201ctake care\u201d or \u201cchat soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m at my desk by\u2026<\/strong> 7 a.m. I have so many meetings<\/a> (typically seven hours a day) that this is really my only quiet time to prepare and catch up. I organize my day and figure out if I have blocks of time to do any longer-term strategic thinking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My open tabs include…<\/strong> lots of Google docs. Because I\u2019m in so many meetings, I use them to keep me organized on what action needs to come out of those meetings. For example, do I need to review a deck to provide comments\/feedback?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thing most likely to break my focus is\u2026<\/strong> anything relating to my kids (ages eight, six, and three). If I get a call from the school, one is sick at home, or I\u2019m traveling and I can\u2019t be there to help\u2014this all weighs on me as I try to balance work and family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I travel for work<\/a>\u2026 <\/strong>almost weekly. I\u2019m one of those nuts who disinfects her entire seat on a flight. I have those wet wipes. You may laugh, but almost everyone around me is like, Can I have one?<\/em> I swear by them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I work from home…<\/strong> one day a week (usually Fridays), and I\u2019m very clear with my managers: That\u2019s nonnegotiable. I\u2019ve always proven myself. If I\u2019m needed for travel or something else, I do it, so therefore I need flexibility. My work speaks for itself. I try to help other women get confident enough to state that and know their value, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My thoughts on napping… <\/strong>I don\u2019t nap in general. I didn\u2019t even nap in college like all of my roommates, who could easily snooze for two hours. Once I\u2019m up, I\u2019m up, and I\u2019m busy for the entire day. My friends and team always say I\u2019m \u201cbopping around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a leader, I emphasize\u2026<\/strong> trust and transparency. Even though my expectations are very high for my teams\u2014I\u2019m very much known for a constant growth mindset<\/a> and never settling\u2014they also always know exactly where they stand. There\u2019s psychological safety. There\u2019s not a fear of failure. They can bring ideas half-baked, they can move fast, they don\u2019t need to be perfect. I\u2019m not going to fault them because something wasn\u2019t 100 percent yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my biggest accomplishments so far has been\u2026<\/strong> from a leadership perspective, coming in and outlining what my expectations were for the team. I was the new kid; I had to make sure these folks understood the value that I was going to bring. I really had to steer the ship, motivate the troops, and set course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I take calls\u2026<\/strong> anytime, anywhere. If I can address something quickly and keep things moving, I will. I always tell people to call me and not waste time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I eat lunch\u2026<\/strong> at my desk or in a conference room<\/a>. Once in a while, I\u2019m able to get lunch outside the office, but it\u2019s just my way of getting outside\u2014I still do work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stop responding to email\u2026<\/strong> roughly 30 minutes to an hour before I go to bed. I\u2019ll do a quick glance after getting the kids settled, and then I try not to look again. Once I\u2019m in bed, I meditate for 15 to 30 minutes. I use several different apps, but Calm<\/a> is my current favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marry, kiss, kill: Slack, email, phone\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n