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During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Phoebe Gullingsrud watched businesses struggle to stay afloat online because their owners were not “Gen-Z digital natives.”

Gullingsrud, a then-freshman at Syracuse University, said that while she never considered turning her love for social media into a career, she knew she could seize the opportunity of bringing her Generation Z perspective to marketing. So, she created POV Marketing Co. — a service that assists businesses with social media and digital management.

“If you have an idea or something you want to do, just put your mind to it and start because I think our story is a testament that anything is possible, but it’s not possible until you actually start it,” Gullingsrud said.

Since its founding in 2021, POV Marketing, now POV Brand Management, has grown to serve 12 different clients — the largest being SU’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Gullingsrud said. The POV team, comprised of seven students from SU and universities across the country, offers social media management, strategic advising and additional “à la carte” digital marketing services. Their clients include groups in medicine, travel and home design.

Over time, Gullingsrud has watched her own small, student-owned firm become more “elevated” and “refined.” Gullingsrud said the POV team and its two interns bring different skill sets and new “perspectives” to the brand.

Whitney Krayer, an SU senior studying psychology and marketing, joined POV as an intern in 2022 and is now transitioning to a full-time position as its chief operating officer. She first joined the team after Gullingsrud, whom she met through their sorority, encouraged her to apply.

“It’s super fun working with one of your friends, (getting) to do a lot of these new experiences and grow a company together,” Krayer said. “She’s also a very inspirational person to work with. Phoebe has an insane drive.”

Gullingsrud, a current senior, said she will continue to operate POV full-time after graduating this May. Some graduating members, including Krayer, also said they plan to stay with the company.

Krayer said that when she graduates and has more time to dedicate to POV, she hopes to further develop her understanding of the firm’s internal strategy, full-time operations and finances.

Laurenne Yomi Mvete, an SU junior studying accounting, began working at POV this month as an intern. While she has only been officially working there for two weeks, she has already developed hands-on skills while working for a startup company like POV, she said.

“With POV I get to really find my skills, find my strengths and tap into that, which is different from the corporate world,” Mvete said.

Mvete, who also currently holds accounting internships outside of POV, said she believes POV’s startup atmosphere has provided her with more hands-on experiences than her other employers.

As a new intern, Mvete said that part of her day-to-day work includes doing competitive analysis for brands and learning about their systems. She said she has also worked with Whitman on their content shoots and social media efforts.

“In the classroom, you learn, you take a test and then you forget everything that you learn after,” Mvete said. “I’m really big on developing skills and being a proactive learner, so POV has allowed me to work on things hands-on.”

Gullingsrud said because founding a startup in college is “untraditional,” she often has days where she wonders if all the work is worth it. Whenever she feels uncertain about the company’s future, she said she reflects on her team’s accomplishments over the past three years.

“All of the great days that we have … where we can pat ourselves on the shoulder for the work we’ve done or sign big contracts with bigger clients, those are the kinds of moments that remind me that we’re doing it,” Gullingsrud said.

Published on April 23, 2024 at 10:43 pm

Contact Claire: cksamsta@syr.edu