Zanna Schumacher, BarkGood Manager, Bark & Co.
Zanna is the Manager for BarkGood, the corporate social responsibility arm of Bark & Co., the creators of BarkBox, BarkPost and BarkBuddy. Her team is at the cross section of cause marketing, technology and animals: they help homeless dogs across the country to find caring households by developing apps and other technologies. Through BarkGood’s work, adopters are able to find and rescue dogs more easily, and shelters can pair dogs with comfortable homes more efficiently. Rescue groups and shelters also come to Zanna for help with event sponsorships and to partner with BarkGood to learn how to fundraise effectively.
Prior to Bark & Co., Zanna worked as a freelance digital marketing and social media consultant. She graduated from NYU, where her writing and business classes helped her develop a strong voice and communication skills. Zanna now lives in NYC with two dogs and her fiancé. Follow Zanna on Twitter @Zannatown and read more from her interview:
On internships:
I actually worked as an intern in a law office for a while in school. I learned a lot about what it’s like to work in an office, have a boss and work deadlines. I researched and wrote a lot of articles for the publication on the firm’s website, which was cool. My boss would edit them and then they’d go up. That definitely helped me a bit in my career, especially when I became a freelance digital marketing/social media consultant.
On tools and resources:
I use social media a lot, Photoshop a bit and project management software. Skill-wise, writing has always been one of my strengths. Being able to communicate my ideas in writing, whether that’s in an email to a colleague or in a pitch deck, is invaluable.
Advice:
I would tell my college self to stop worrying. I did a lot of stressing about what my career path would be and I have tried a lot of things! Ultimately I found my way into my dream job; it just took some time in corporate America, as a freelancer and just getting experience working to figure it all out.
For a professional looking to build his/her network, I’d recommend just going to a lot of events that surround your passion. Especially with the job market today, there is no replacement for knowing someone at a company you want to work for. Meet people, be nice, don’t be annoying but also don’t be afraid to pitch yourself and a role in the company you aspire to work for.
On canine sommeliers:
The best thing about Bark & Co. is that everyone is dog crazy. We have at least seven dogs in the office every single day and it’s the best thing ever. We’ve had so many cool things happen in the office including a wine tasting where a Shiba Sommelier came with her (human) parents and taught us about wine. We also get to meet a lot of celebrity pups like Tuna, Marnie and Neville Jacobs. Find their Instagrams immediately!
Prior to Bark & Co., Zanna worked as a freelance digital marketing and social media consultant. She graduated from NYU, where her writing and business classes helped her develop a strong voice and communication skills. Zanna now lives in NYC with two dogs and her fiancé. Follow Zanna on Twitter @Zannatown and read more from her interview:
On internships:
I actually worked as an intern in a law office for a while in school. I learned a lot about what it’s like to work in an office, have a boss and work deadlines. I researched and wrote a lot of articles for the publication on the firm’s website, which was cool. My boss would edit them and then they’d go up. That definitely helped me a bit in my career, especially when I became a freelance digital marketing/social media consultant.
On tools and resources:
I use social media a lot, Photoshop a bit and project management software. Skill-wise, writing has always been one of my strengths. Being able to communicate my ideas in writing, whether that’s in an email to a colleague or in a pitch deck, is invaluable.
Advice:
I would tell my college self to stop worrying. I did a lot of stressing about what my career path would be and I have tried a lot of things! Ultimately I found my way into my dream job; it just took some time in corporate America, as a freelancer and just getting experience working to figure it all out.
For a professional looking to build his/her network, I’d recommend just going to a lot of events that surround your passion. Especially with the job market today, there is no replacement for knowing someone at a company you want to work for. Meet people, be nice, don’t be annoying but also don’t be afraid to pitch yourself and a role in the company you aspire to work for.
On canine sommeliers:
The best thing about Bark & Co. is that everyone is dog crazy. We have at least seven dogs in the office every single day and it’s the best thing ever. We’ve had so many cool things happen in the office including a wine tasting where a Shiba Sommelier came with her (human) parents and taught us about wine. We also get to meet a lot of celebrity pups like Tuna, Marnie and Neville Jacobs. Find their Instagrams immediately!