Rachael Bozsik is, and has always been, an “It Girl.” The kind of girl who hustles, emanates positive energy and strides confidently towards her goals. She’s the type of girl you meet and within five minutes, you are inspired to become the best version of yourself.
As the brilliant CEO + Founder of The Brand Girls, a personal brand consulting company, her main passion in life is to help young women network with confidence and make sure their first adult job is launching them towards the career they always dreamed of. Her Campus had a chance to speak with Bozsik in New York City and it’s safe to say that we are more than inspired.
How did you develop the idea for The Brand Girls?
Rachael Bozsik: BG all began in my swanky college dorm—I had tons of little Voluspa candles (that I would hide when the RA came by), a brilliant white directors chair—this was the space that I unwinded in after long hours at an internship. In college, I always sought out internships within the luxury design space. I worked with companies whose clients ranged from Cynthia Rowley to Saks Fifth Avenue. This was the same space that BG began. I started witnessing my girlfriends accepting jobs that didn’t align with their career dreams, it was incredibly unsettling. They wanted to be upscale event planners, luxury PR liaisons, in product development for innovative companies—they never ever wanted to sit at a 9-to-5 in a cubicle but they became desperate and were taking opportunities that did not align with their brand. This is where I stepped in. Using my instinctive networking skills and ability to inspire, I taught my girlfriends to craft their life mission, define their purpose and build confidence.
It’s crazy that you started just over a year ago! What has the first year of business been like?
RB: An absolute whirlwind! But really it was a stylish adventure of support and inspiration, not to mention a lot of 80-hour work weeks. I feel so blessed to have an incredible support system who promotes me to become my best possible self on a daily basis. They are always cheering me on and in my corner, I would not be where I am today without them. BIG SHOUTOUT TO MY LOVING PEOPLE—thank you for all that you do. The Brand Girls began exactly one year ago. Since that time, we have hired an incredible team of coaches, digital directors, event coordinators, etc. We have gone on to coach hundreds of girls across the United States to land their dream job and build an undeniable confidence while networking. In one year we have been recognized by national press as “The Stylish Girls Guide To Land Her Dream Job,” too! Our clients work at E!, Seventeen, Cosmo, DVF, Oscar de la Renta, American Eagle, Anthropologie and basically, our girls work at top tier positions that thousands apply for but few will ever be considered. We have built an incredible community of Brand Girl support where jobs are posted and contacts are shared. Sometimes I sit with a cup of tea reading through client testimonials and thank you notes where girls tell me about the life-changing transformation that came from working together and I say to myself, sometimes even crying a little bit, “WOW look what we have built, look how many lives we have changed and look at how much confidence has been built.”
A photo posted by The Brand Girls – Consulting (@thebrandgirls) on
Were you always a “connector,” so to speak?
RB: Yes! I absolutely love connecting and building relationships, always have and always will. At my first networking event in college, I walked away with 30 new business cards and felt this calling in my heart that my true purpose on earth was to teach others to network with confidence and also connect others to form meaningful partnerships and relationship for years to come. Networking can be such a tricky subject—it is confusing to navigate and many feel overwhelmed about their next right step of action. I absolutely love sharing with our girls tips and tricks to become their best possible selves. We have had many girls come through our program because they felt that an interview or public speaking made them want to faint … now, they are working in top-tier positions and networking like a total #girlboss.
What makes The Brand Girls different from other career coaching companies?
RB: For starters, we have a niche and specialized focus on assisting girls pursuing non-traditional career opportunities (girl power is SO our thing!). These fabulous opportunities come from the girls having a fierce personal brand and flawless personal pitch. We also have a strong Brand Girls community that is extremely personal (you are not a number) and offers our girls top tier networking contacts and job opportunities. Long after the girls’ workshop is over, our Brand Girls continue to be supported by our private community in our facebook group. Here, contacts are exchanged, connections are made and empowerment occurs. We have Brand Girl groups in NYC, LA, Nashville, DC, etc., that meet on a weekly basis for coffee and girls’ nights outs. In many cases, we have employers coming to us because they know the top—tier girls that come from our group.
A photo posted by The Brand Girls – Consulting (@thebrandgirls) on
What advice do you have for college women who want to start their own business or company?
RB: We help many girls go from brainstorming phrase to business launch and this is what I tell them: There is never a good time to start a business. You will forever be making excuses for yourself that you “don’t have enough funds,” “want to gain some experience first” and then you run the fatal risk that you will never take the leap. My biggest piece of advice if you want to start your own business is to start networking with industry experts within your field NOW. Start picking their brain, taking them to coffee—hearing their stories and taking notes. These mentors will serve as cheerleaders and guides to your new chapter. You are going to need a networking strategy, you are going to need to begin networking with intention.
You often talk about the Confidence Gap. Can you explain what that is and how The Brand Girls is combatting that?
RB: At The Brand Girls we are in the space of confidence building. We coach our girls on where to get it, how to grow it and how to keep it. We live in a day and age where college girls have a severe addiction to social media, spending an average of 17.8 hours a day consuming media either by scrolling through model’s feeds, Snapchats of the Grammys or yacht parties. Overall, all are a quick way to tear down confidence when you are sitting in your PJ’s petting your cat. It is a proven fact that women, on average, lack confidence professionally compared to men. As well, I read that men are four times more likely to ask for a raise than women and when women do speak up and step into their own power they are asking for 30% less than their male counterparts. Those numbers have to change.
What’s the most important thing a college woman can do when applying for her dream job?
RB: So, let’s talk about dream jobs—you need to get into that top 50 group in order to even be considered. These top-tier positions are often posted on LinkedIn and Monster.com. Many of these positions will receive anywhere from 1,000 to 4,0000 applicants and smaller boutique groups around 400 applications. FOR ONE JOB—that is a huge chunk of your student body who wants the same exact job. NO ONE wants to sort through thousands of applications—it takes time, energy and money. So, what these companies do is reach out to their immediate network and ask for referrals. They sort through the 50 referrals first and most times these come from their outside contacts. Our goal at The Brand Girls is to get our girls into that top 50 group and not only within that top 50 but to nail their interview and to feel confident about their personal brand and what they can offer that is unique vs. the other female applicants. So in short, you need to get into that top 50. We connect our girls and teach them how to network with key players who are the decision makers. They have their personal pitch down, know the types of questions to ask, are given a script, know when to re-connect with the contact etc. When it comes time for a position they are pulled into the referral group.
And finally, is there anything you wish you knew when you were in college that you know now?
RB: I wish that I knew that 70% of Americans are unhappy at work. The reason why many are unhappy is because they did not take the time to step back and uncover their core brand. I wish I knew that you need to begin your professional development NOW. The sooner the better—this is not something “that can wait until senior year.” It all begins with uncovering who you are and what makes you different than the thousands of applicants. What do you want to do with your major? You cannot just say “PR” anymore. Is it fashion PR? Lifestyle PR? Do you want to work with an agency? Do you want to work in-house? Do you want to work in pitching the media? Planning events? There are so many questions and categories that need to be uncovered, molded, polished and pitched in order for you to get to your end goal. It is our mission to help girls launch into a happy, successful and strong career so they never, EVER feel unhappy at work.
For more information on The Brand Girls and to schedule your free 15 minute consultation, email thebrandgirls@gmail.com or go to www.thebrandgirls.com!