CURRENT: Puma Marketing Manager, Training Activations & Partnerships; Co-Founder Of Trailblazhers Run Co

PRIOR: Heartbreak Staffer & Coach 

IN HER OWN WORDS: I didn't catch the running bug until later in life. Even though I live about 20ish minutes from the city, I never realized how impactful the Boston running scene was until 2017. By then, I had already graduated from college and was fully immersed in my career as an application analyst working for Mass General Brigham. Since my first group run in 2017, I somehow found myself taking on a leadership role in the running community over the next several years. It started with helping Co-Lead a running group, working part-time at the Heartbreak stores, coaching studio classes/signature speed workouts, and organizing running events to Co-Founding Trailblazhers Run Co.

When I think back on the years leading up to switching careers, the person who helped me build my confidence and acted as a mentor was the Co-Founder of Heartbreak, Dan Fitzgerald. Even though I was fortunate enough to hold a good job, I quickly realized that working in healthcare was not where I wanted to be. Working at Heartbreak was a pivotal moment; it gave me a lot of insight into what I wanted to do with my life, it helped me find my voice, and having access to the very busy Coach Dan, was a bonus! both Dan and JB have always been supportive of my endeavors and would give me solid advice on how to maneuver the industry.

Heartbreak does impressive work, has a fantastic community, and puts together incredible/creative activations. To say I learned a lot from them would be an understatement!

CURRENT: Footwear Researcher At Nike Sport Research Lab

PRIOR: Heartbreak Staffer

IN HER OWN WORDS: I joined the Heartbreak team to connect back in with the Boston running community after returning to the city. I landed my first position in the footwear industry a year later in part because I knew shoe models across many different brands and had an understanding of what runners were looking for. One thing led to another and now I'm learning about all types of athletes with the team that created the Vaporfly.

CURRENT: Nike Performance Running Ekin

PRIOR: Heartbreak Staffer And Coach

IN HIS OWN WORDS: It was always a goal of mine to work within athletic retail. Heartbreak made that goal a reality. I began working in the shop when I was in college and had a blast from the start. Talking to runners about shoes, training, nutrition, and life became, well… my life! 

After only a few weeks with the company, they gave me the opportunity to test my skills in photography and coaching. That's one of the beauties of working in a fast-paced, optimistic environment that Heartbreak provides. If you want more responsibility, it's yours for the taking. It was evident that my work was valued by both Heartbreak Leadership and runners within the community. 

Eventually the experience gained at Heartbreak opened a door for me at Nike. I now serve as Nike's Performance Running EKIN in Boston. The role of an EKIN is to share the Nike brand with retailers and consumers by teaching them about Nike's innovations and ultimately elevating each athlete’s journey. The fact that I get to support the Boston running community, including Heartbreak, on a daily basis is a dream come true and it’s all because Heartbreak supported me along the way.