Today we’d like to introduce you to Teal Garth.
Hi Teal, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I decided to move to Austin in August of 2019 after months of searching for a job from my parent’s house in Florida. I had recently graduated from the University of Florida with Masters in Public Relations following my Bachelors in Journalism and I still wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be in Austin. I used a friend’s local address on my resume because I knew entry-level roles wouldn’t be as interested if I had to relocate. I had flown out for a few in-person interviews, but nothing panned out, and it was getting too stressful to pretend like I could come in for an interview at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, I had some family friends in Austin that needed a house sitter for a few months, so I decided to just make the move — job offer or not.
Shortly after I made that decision, I was connected with Mia Johns, Dress for Success Austin Executive Director, who offered me an unpaid internship role at the nonprofit. I thought it would be great experience to add to my resume while I looked for a full-time job, so I started at the office a few days after I moved here. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the work they were doing. It’s not often that we get fortunate enough to witness the immediate impact of our work, but working with DFSA, I got to see women leave our office with a renewed sense of confidence every single day. Volunteers help women with professional attire for interviews or new jobs, but it’s much more than that. We also have six career development programs that give women the tools they need to have a successful and fulfilling career, including a career center that’s open almost every day for one-on-one coaching time with trained volunteers.
As I said, I was enamored with the way they were able to help women in the Austin community and knew after about a week I wanted to work there full-time. After a few months of unpaid intern work, waiting tables on the side, and continuing my job search just in case, DFSA was able to offer me a full-time paid position. This was a pretty rare transition in the nonprofit world, especially in an organization with such a small team — we only have four full-time staff. I was ecstatic to join this team of badass women making a real difference. My internship focus had been social media, so a natural next step was communications, but DFSA’s Program Manager had just stepped down, so I started my first “big girl job” managing both overall communications and our seven programs as a one-person team. I was in this role for almost a year before we were able to hire a part-time Program Manager, then in January of 2021, I went full-time Communications, and she went full-time Programs.
I love where I am now with DFSA. I’ve been here almost two years, and I’ve been able to get an insane amount of experience doing so many things I never thought I’d do. When I was managing programs, I got to figure out how to move all our services to a virtual model just a few months after I started, which was extremely challenging but so so rewarding because it gave me the opportunity to really connect with our clients on a more personal level even though we couldn’t be together physically. I also led the charge in ideating, creating curriculum for, and launching two new programs, which have been able to draw in a new demographic of clients and provide us with impact data that’s helped us secure some of our largest grants to date. I got a ton of experience in data management, which is just not at all what I thought I’d ever be doing with my two communications degrees.
As the now full-time Communications Manager, I’m currently working on building out the role because that’s something the organization hasn’t really had long-term before. I enjoy working on the external communications strategy through email marketing, social media, PR efforts, ect., but I’ve also really become interested in the internal side of things, like different communication styles of team members, running efficient meetings, and upgrading our task management system and organizational practices. My latest projects have been getting my coworkers to switch from Post-It note to-do lists to Asana for task management, building out a corporate sponsorship packet, complete with a paid volunteer experience list, and revamping our website. As a newfound vintage fashion lover, I’m also working with our Inventory Manager to launch an online vintage store using donations that don’t meet our professional clothing requirements for clients. All proceeds will go back to DFSA, and we plan to launch summer 2021 under the name Impact Vintage, so be on the lookout!
When I’m not working, I’m getting to know the city as a new Austinite, running the town lake trail, snuggling with my pup, Bonbon, tasting all the beers, searching for the best breakfast taco in town (Pueblo Viejo is currently the front runner), and spending as much time outdoors as possible. I know my journey in Austin is just beginning, and I can’t wait to see what the next few years bring!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m fortunate in that I haven’t faced many major adversities in my life. I’m a cis, white woman who grew up in an upper/middle-class home, so take my “struggles” with a grain of salt.
This past year has been rough for everyone, and it was definitely a difficult time for Dress for Success Austin. I was managing our programs at the time, so that meant I handled all our client services and outreach. Not only did we have to change our entire service model, but we also had to step up our client outreach in a big way. Most of the women we serve were dealing with so many scary, uncertain situations due to the pandemic, and I was the one connecting with them and trying to get them the resources they needed. Of course, I was lucky to keep my job through the pandemic, but hearing from women who weren’t as lucky was very emotionally taxing.
Another thing I really struggled with was finding a job right out of college. Nothing crushes your post-grad confidence like spending five years getting two degrees only to get rejected or ghosted by the first 100 jobs you apply to. I was in job search mode for almost six months before I got the internship with Dress for Success Austin. I’ve struggled with anxiety all my life, and it was especially bad during that time. Staying positive and maintaining confidence in yourself is really hard during a job search, which is one reason I love what I do now. DFSA provides a network of support to women going through that crazy transition period when they need it most. I’ve really gotten to come full circle through my work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I don’t think I’ve written more than two sentences so far without mentioning Dress for Success Austin, so I’m sure it’s clear how important my work is to me. I love what I do because I get to go to work every day knowing that I’m making a positive impact in the lives of those around me, as cheesy as that sounds. It’s so important for women to support, empower, and lift each other up, and I feel beyond lucky that I get paid to do exactly that.
Most people know DFSA for the professional clothing aspect, which is great, but we do a lot more than that. A professional outfit can give a woman the confidence she needs to nail an interview, but our six additional workforce development programs give women the tools and skills they need to continue growing in their professional lives well past that first job offer. When you use our services, you have a network of support for life. Another common misconception about DFSA is that we only serve women who live below the poverty line, women who are coming out of a difficult situation, like incarceration or homelessness, or women from traditionally “underserved” communities. We do serve all those women, but we also have no income requirement and no referral requirement. This means that if you woman+ (including nonbinary and gender nonconforming folx) and you’re looking for a job or a better job, you’re qualified to receive our services. That’s something I really want people to know because I could have benefitted so much from the programs we have when I was going through my job search. Job searching is difficult and stressful for everyone, and we exist solely to help you navigate it.
My current role at Dress for Success is Communications Manager. After my first year working full-time for the organization, I was promoted from Programs and Communications Coordinator. We hired a Program Manager, so I get to focus totally on communications now, and I’ve been having a blast shaping this new role for myself and the organization. I’ve gotten to take on projects like building us a new website (in progress), analyzing our social media presence, rebranding our style, reshaping the public’s perception of us with the help of an awesome local PR firm, creating our 2020 Annual Report, rolling out new marketing collateral, running the AV for two of our annual fundraising events, and building and executing some really fun social and email campaigns. I’ve taken on some side projects, too, like the vintage store I mentioned. I’m also leading the charge on launching our new networking/fundraising group, Circle of Impact. I’ve gained so much experience and confidence in myself as a leader and communicator over the last year and a half with Dress, and I’m learning something new every day. Working for an organization whose mission is to empower women has, unsurprisingly, really empowered me.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’m fortunate enough to have found multiple mentors in my coworkers at Dress for Success Austin. We’re such a close-knit team, and they’re all so supportive of me as the youngest person on staff. As far as finding a mentor or networking, my advice is just to say yes to everything. Go to that event, meet that person for coffee, join a club, start volunteering. There is literally always something going on. Even if you don’t know if it will help you or it doesn’t necessarily align with your interests, do it anyway. If you keep an open mind, you can meet someone or discover something that could totally change your trajectory for the better. I got connected to DFSA through a friend of a friend who I met while taking a break from my job search to visit my parents. That opportunity came when I least expected it. Even if you don’t meet that life-changing person, the more connections you have, the better. Especially after the year we’ve had, don’t take the chance to meet new people for granted!
Pricing:
- All DFSA services are completely free of charge for anyone who identifies as a woman!
Contact Info:
- Email: austin@dressforsuccess.org
- Website: https://austin.dressforsuccess.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dressforsuccessatx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DFSAustin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8M4G3CQQrSQd-XS94hnHUA
- Other: Personal LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/teal-garth
Image Credits
Laura Alexandra Photo
