From the Golden Gate City, Benecomms Account Executive Jaycie Weathers has channeled her passion for sustainability into an impactful career in sustainable marketing.
Intelligent, organized and enthusiastic, Jaycie recently sat down to take us through her previous brand management experiences and illustrate her role at Benecomms.
Q: Why are you passionate about the climate, and what led you to a career in defending it?
My passion for the climate started in high school. I was trying to decide what I wanted to do: I knew that I wanted to help other people, but I also knew that a career in a field like medicine wasn’t for me and that I needed to find a different path.
My generation feels a greater sense of urgency toward climate action than others because climate change is something that we’ve always been aware of. It’s a really pressing issue, and going into environmental work was a natural choice for me.
Q: What are some experiences that got you started in sustainability?
During my Master’s program, I got involved with Loyola University’s Quinlan School of Business, and I worked to support the Baumhart Scholars, a cohort of MBA students specializing in corporate social responsibility. Having a background in policy gave me a unique perspective of the way private and public sectors will have to work together to achieve the large-scale changes needed to move forward.
That’s how I ended up at Morton Salt, which is based in Chicago. My team in community engagement was part of the marketing department and I coordinated employee volunteer events and nonprofit partnerships and sat on the sustainability employee resource group. It was fascinating to work with such a recognizable brand!
Before starting at Benecomms, I worked at an early-stage climate tech startup based in San Francisco where I helped develop the brand’s position in climate action, coordinated partnerships with organizations like the United Nations, National Resources Defense Council, and United States Environmental Protection Agency, and even produced a podcast.
I learned and grew with every experience I had, and that’s led me to where I am now!
Q: Have you always had an inclination for marketing and social media? How did you discover that they were passions of yours?
I’ve always been interested in marketing, storytelling and branding, and especially the visual aspects of this work. I was the design editor for my high school newspaper and that planted a seed that has grown ever since! The sustainability sector needs people who will craft stories that communicate important ideas to investors, consumers, and business leaders.
I’ve worked in a lot of social media, marketing and communications roles at different nonprofits. For example, I worked in the sustainability department for the City of Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, as a communications intern during undergrad. I really enjoy coming up with a vision, making it happen, and getting good ideas the publicity they deserve!
Q: What led you to the role you now hold as an Account Executive at Benecomms?
Prior to joining the team at Benecomms, I worked with Therma, a San Francisco-based company that makes refrigeration monitoring technology. It was an awesome opportunity to make an impact at a quickly growing climate tech startup. Refrigerants have an immense warming potential, and we targeted that issue by gathering data on the cold chain, the refrigerated supply chain that gets food from the farm to table safely.
In that time, I worked on marketing and business development through community engagement and I started a podcast for the company! I was able to take on a lot early on, which I love about startups.
I connected with Benecomms through Women in Climate Tech, which I joined as a member. After talking to Helen and Julianne, it seemed like my passions, skills, and Benecomms’s growth aligned in perfect timing! The rest is history and I’ve loved my journey with Benecomms since.
Q: What do you like most about working at Benecomms?
I really enjoy the room for excellence here. I have a lot of freedom to solve problems and do amazing work for clients. Our team is super collaborative so I always know where to turn when I need feedback on a project. Everyone at Benecomms brings something different to the table, but we all work together and recognize each other’s strengths.
I’m kind of an overachiever – I’ve always been that way – and I love that the work at Benecomms is challenging and that I can grow from every project that I’m working on while going above and beyond for our clients.
Q: What would you say are the three most difficult parts of your job?
Q: Finally, what do you like to do in your free time?
I’ve really gotten back into reading! I’m a Kindle person, which I think is a bit of a hot take, but I love how portable it is! I like to take my Kindle to coffee shops, parks, and the beach – all of which we have a lot of in San Francisco. I also love exploring nearby hiking spots, practicing hot yoga and trying new restaurants.
Q: OK, one last one - If you could visit one fictional place, where would you go?
I would visit Stars Hollow, the town in which Gilmore Girls is set! The townspeople there seem friendly, and I would have to have a cup of coffee at Luke’s Diner and visit one of the fun fairs that are always going on..
Benecomms has found a skilled, keen-minded and dedicated Account Executive in Jaycie Weathers. We’re so grateful to have her with us.