This month, Prosper Gowork is honoring the accomplishments of the women in our ranks. For our fourth spotlight, meet Marilyn Reles!
Marilyn works out of our Bushwick office and here’s what we learned about her:
What area of work are you in? Public Relations
How do you plan to honor Women’s History Month? By continuing to exercise my freedom to achieve personal and professional goals. And by supporting other women, not just in professional environments but stay at home moms as well. I was raised by a stay at home mom and I’m grateful to have had so much time with her while I was growing up. I am also grateful that I live in a time where I can start my own business and (for the most part) make my own rules. But we have to remember that every woman is different. And more importantly, that many women on this earth still don’t have the freedoms that we exercise here in America. And even in America, prejudices against women still vary based on race, size, sexual orientation, etc. So it’s important to stay supportive of each other, no matter what our life choices or our current situation are. Because at the end of the day, women still have it harder than men when it comes to being heard.
What are some personal achievements that you’re proud of? Starting my own business! I consider my personal and professional achievements to be intertwined because my work is such a huge part of who I am. Until I launched Present PR, I had to stand my ground through job after job after job…after job. There were so many things I did not agree with that people told me I was wrong about. But I always stood my ground whenever I knew I was right. Even if it meant I had to find a new job. Now that I’ve incorporated my ideas into my current business, it’s thriving! Also, I will be the first to admit when I’m wrong about something. But when I know I’m right and that people aren’t listening to me because I’m a woman or because I was born of a different generation, I can’t back down because those are not valid enough reasons not to at least give someone else’s idea a try. I’m also proud of myself staying strong through so many ups and downs. My fiancé and I have been poor. And I mean living off of $12 a week, sleeping on the floor in 115 degree weather because we can’t afford AC kind of poor. But our ability to support one another and get through the hard times only strengthened our relationship. And now we’re both reaching a point where we finally see the destination we’ve been climbing toward. The journey has been worth it…despite all of the grey hair it gave me lol.