05 Dec 2024
In honor of Pride Month, we’re spotlighting a few of our Arrive employees who identify as LGBTQ+. We sat down with Terra Etienne, Business Development Success Manager on the Operations team, and also one of our leaders of “Prisms,” Arrive’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group.
How did you learn about Arrive and start working here?
I fell into Arrive. I was looking for work that could grant me larger opportunities than where I was prior. I had my first interview with Tony Hammonds and we hit it off. He asked me what I wanted to get out of working at Arrive, and I said I want a career. Arrive has absolutely been able to provide that for me which is why I’ve been here for more than four years now.
What does your daily routine look like?
I’m not an early riser, I sleep in until the last possible second. After a full day of work and problem solving, I’ll typically do something fun – I have a lot of hobbies. I rock climb competitively, do open mic with a few of my Arrive coworkers and I like to take advantage of all the nature around Austin. The greenbelt, swimming, etc.!
What does an average day in your role look like?
The majority of the day in my role on the operations team is problem solving. There are always going to be situations that arise, and it’s up to my team and I to come up with any solution possible to get those issues resolved. My role also entails a lot of coaching and mentoring to others on my team. Arrive is growing quickly, so there are a lot of new people joining my team and I’m always working to get them up to speed.
Tell us about your role in the Arrive Prisms ERG and why you’re passionate about it.
I am one of three leads in Prisms. Prisms creates a community that champions a safe and inclusive work environment within Arrive for the LGBTQ+ community. Our group currently meets once a month. Prisms fosters informative and educational discussion for queer and allied employees. I was one of the initial people to join the ERG leads. I am queer and non-binary, which is my biggest reason for creating the group. I’ve been with the company for a while now and have seen where we started and where we are now. Because our company is growing so fast and where our culture is now, it’s a great opportunity to show that Arrive is a safe space for all different types of people. We can set ourselves apart and be an example in this industry.
How has your role at Arrive evolved?
I started at Arrive in sales and quickly realized that it wasn’t the route I was passionate about. I then moved into an operations position and was one of the first Account Executives in the enterprise operations department. This gave me the ability to be more of an independent and solid decision maker at Arrive. After working in the department and being able to quickly pivot and absorb information, I moved into my current role, Business Development Success Manager.
How has Arrive grown since you first started?
I’ve seen Arrive grow and mature so much since I first started. We went from being a group of 150 people who were trial and erroring our methods, to now having solid procedures and amazing technology. Watching and being part of a company that went from figuring it out to being one of the top brokerages has been pretty great!
What keeps you at Arrive?
The people at Arrive and our culture are my favorite things about our organization. There are so many great people across the team and everyone constantly has each other’s backs.
Why do you think it’s so important to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
Promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace is important because we want to make sure all voices, backgrounds, and perspectives are represented in our ideas and perspectives in our workplace. Our ERG groups were created to give a voice to our diverse communities in this industry, and offer education and discussion for those interested in learning.
