I'm Leaving DoSomething After Almost Seven Years

“Hi it’s Freddie…”

If you’re a DoSomething member, you’re probably very familiar with those three words. It’s how I start off the majority of the texts I send to 3 million members every week on behalf of DoSomething. In fact, I’ve been sending you all texts for nearly seven years now. In total, I’ve sent approximately 624,000,000 text messages, encouraging young people to take action in their communities on a variety of causes, current events, and issues that matter.

But today’s text was different. Today I texted my DoSomething text family, 3 million and counting, that I’m leaving the organization and starting a new job next week.

To be honest, I hadn’t truly processed that this moment was here, and in order to avoid it, convinced myself that no one would really care that I was leaving. You always know how to prove me wrong…

Now, it’s finally hit me and I’m trying to process my exit from DoSomething and what texting you all has meant to me these past seven years. So I’m sitting in my bathrobe with a facemask on, writing this blog post, Carrie Bradshaw style.

“After seven years of sending 3 million young people texts on how to take action every week, I couldn’t help but wonder, what impact did I have and what impact did you all have on me?”

Your thoughtful responses and questions to today’s text helped answer that for me. You were given the option to ask me more about why I’m leaving or ask me for career advice, share a song for my #FarewellFreddie playlist, or take action on one of my favorite causes.

Some of you had sweet notes wishing me luck:

Hi Freddie! I have always enjoyed reading your emails and advice, and you seem like a genuine person I would totally love to get coffee with. I wish you all the luck in your future!

Hey Freddie, it’s been rather extraordinary receiving informative texts for the last several years. I wish you good luck in your new job.

Thank you so much for keeping us up to date with what was going on with the world and how we could make a difference. It was encouraging knowing young adults can have a voice. Good luck on your new job! God bless you(:

Hope your next job teaches you lots. I'll miss seeing "Hey, it's Freddie!" even if this whole time I had forgotten how it started. Familiar strangers amirite?

Some of you left me with advice for my next chapter:

This is a new start! A blank canvas! Think of all the things that you thought you've done wrong for this job (or really just life in general) and work to fix them. I believe that you can do it! Stay honest, be open, and do everything with love! ✌

Your words and advice have helped me so much throughout high school and it’s truly exciting to know that you’re manifesting your dreams, all I can say is to keep living them! Don’t let your light be dulled, because as I’ve learned from you, there’s always a way! Super congratulations once again!!

Freddie! Congratulations, moves are big. They bring both excitement and reflection. I wish you time to stop and process both. A walk by a pond or river...or a cozy blanket, hot drink, and some time under the stars. Whatever (or all) take some (sometimes uncomfortable) time to just let it all filter through your mind. Be proud of yourself. Tell someone you love who you find amazingly supportive about what you have found in your reflection time. Best wishes to you! Keep doing something 😘

Some of you reminded me of the impact my texts had on you:

Thank you for everything! I received your texts when I felt helpless about the state of the world and they made me feel hopeful knowing people were always helping.

I'll miss you, getting your messages for so long became a comfort, thank you

Hi I've been getting text from you for almost four years now and I would like to say thank you for being one of the near constants in my life over these past years.

Getting your texts every so often reminds me that there are still people trying to do some good in the world, and that I can pitch in as well.

Without you consistently offering new skills, opportunities, and information to people in need, and helping me realize that humans are inherently worth having around because we can improve the lives of others, I would not be here typing this today.

And some of you still can’t believe that I’m a real person...

You were a real person this whole time??

Bro Freddie I'm going to miss your weekly texts. I doubted you were a real person, but now that I know you're human I'll miss you bro.

I honestly thought you were Freddie from iCarly and that’s why I started texting you for this long time😂

(Sorry to disappoint!!)

But what I want to leave you with is knowing the impact you’ve had one me.

Some of my best personal and professional moments I had the privilege of sharing with you, my 3 million DoSomething friends. We’ve been through a lot of amazing, and sometimes difficult times in our history together. When I would text you updates on what was going on in the news, you were always at the ready to respond with thousands of text messages of hope after tragedies like those in Newtown, Charleston, Orlando, and Parkland. You also took those messages of hope and turned them into action -- connecting with your elected officials to demand the change you wanted to see -- whether that was to ending gun violence, creating better protections for DREAMers, or addressing climate change (just to name a few).

I started working at DoSomething in 2012, so I’ve also been with you through two presidential elections, two midterm elections, and countless smaller local elections. Over text message, many of you got registered to vote, got your friends registered to vote, and got reminders and information from me on when and where to go vote! I was lucky enough to have thousands of you text back photos of you voting (many for the first time, ever)!

You were also there for me when I came out as trans in 2015.

I was so nervous the morning before I sent the text sharing my truth with 2 million of you, but my anxiety washed away with an overwhelming show of support.

You all showed up with thoughtful questions, celebrated with me with your favorite songs, and shared your support for me and the trans community online. Here are a few of my favorite tweets from that day:

Since I’ve been open with you about who I am and I’m constantly in your phone, I believe it’s a reason many of you have looked to me for advice. In fact, I get hundreds of questions from DoSomething members every week, ranging from relationship advice, tips on coming out to your family, or how to deal with anxiety. Forty-two of you have asked me the biggest question: What’s the meaning of life?

I don’t know if I can unpack that one today, but I also get a lot of questions asking me about my job, how I got started at DoSomething and doing social justice work, and what’s the best way to follow one’s passion and dreams. On my last day, I wanted to answer the most frequently asked questions and share my best career advice with all of you. (Note: I may not have answered your question exactly, but know I’ve read every single reply you’ve sent me. They all mean more than you’ll know. Thank you so much for your support and messages).

What’s your new job? Where are you going?

As bittersweet as this moment is, I know that it’s the right time for me to leave and pass the baton on (keep reading to learn who you’ll be getting texts from now)! In April, I’ll be starting as the Head of Community Engagement at Crisis Text Line, a free 24/7 crisis support line. Every texter is connected with a Crisis Counselor, a real-life human being trained to bring texters from a hot moment to a cool calm.

Even though, I’ll be starting at a new job, I’m still following my same passion to help people and focus on how making small connections (like a text message) can make a big impact. (If you’re in crisis, you can text 741-741 from anywhere in the US.)

How did you deal with job hunting as a recent college graduate, and how did you turn your passion into a career?

Unlike the narrative we’re all taught -- you go to college to figure out what you want to do with your life -- well, I had NO idea. I had studied sociology (and Italian Studies) in college, and that study gave me a lens to view the world. A lens that showed me where and how I could impact change -- I knew that I wanted to focus my career on social justice, do work that helped others, and gave back to communities. I just didn’t know where…

I also graduated in 2009 during the height of the Great Recession, where the unemployment rate was a little over 15% and the job market was the worst it had been in 25 years. Job hunting was a nightmare. I ended up thinking outside of the box, and worked a number of odd jobs -- working at an international youth hostel, hosting tables in a busy NYC restaurant, and providing customer service at a motorcycle safety school. None of those were my dream job -- but they all had one thing in common that I felt passionate about -- they all allowed me to connect with people.

Eventually, I found a post on Twitter from DoSomething to apply to be an intern. That’s right: started as an intern and now I’m here, Director of Messaging! Ultimately, I let the skills I formed in my work experiences and the passion I had for the organization’s mission land me the job. Seven years later, I’m doing what I value most, creating conversations and relationships with people. My advice to you is simple, don’t ever give up. Take on opportunities that inspire and move you because you LIKE to do it. Those experiences will help you form a sense of what you’re passionate about and will open up doors you never dreamed of.

I also asked our Head of Fun and Talent Acquisition Manager, Sam, some of her best tips on landing your dream job. Her advice:

1. If you attend college, have your career services department review your resume/cover letter. Be sure to ask questions to understand the feedback they give you, that way you can update your resume accordingly in the future!
2. Don’t underestimate the power of a SOLID informational interview. Here's an oldie but goodie from Glassdoor about informational interviews.
3. Do your research when you get that first interview! Learn more about the company and the people you'll be interviewing with. The market is competitive and this effort won't go unnoticed!

Good luck, friends! You got this!

What is it like to be out in the workplace?

I have been extremely lucky to work at a supportive and inclusive organization like DoSomething.org. I’m also lucky to have lived in a state where it’s illegal to discriminate against an employee due to their gender identity. Unfortunately, there are 26 states, including Georgia where I live now, that have no explicit prohibitions for discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in state law.

When I came out in 2015, I was nervous about how people would react, but ultimately, I knew that to be myself openly and authentically was the best and only option for me. Coming out allowed me to be me, and allowed my co-workers to really get to know who I was. The organization did a lot to support me, like helping me update my name on all work related documents, creating all-gender signs for our bathrooms, and doing work to make sure their policies were more inclusive for the LGBTQ community.

What’s been your favorite part of working at DoSomething?

You all inspire me and have made the past seven years at DoSomething extremely rewarding. It’s young people that motivate me every day to stay invested in this work because you’ve shown me that with hard work, real change can happen. You constantly remind me that we’re not alone, and that we are powerful when we come together.

I’m humbled every day reading the thoughtful questions you send me, and continue to be moved with how open you are with me. Whether we’re talking about confidence, dating, figuring out who we are, what’s going on in the world, or how to have tough conversations, getting to talk to you is my favorite part!

Who’s going to be texting me now?

I’m so excited to tell you that my coworker, Tej, will start sending you weekly text updates!

Tej, like me, started as an intern, but now leads all of our civic engagement initiatives at the organization. He believes strongly in young people and their ability and power to create change in their communities, schools, and at all levels of government. He believes in you so much that he made the decision to put college on hold and come work at DoSomething! He believes in you because he is a young person (a 19-year-old!) just like you. I can’t wait for you to get to meet him, so he’ll officially introduce himself to you next week.

And with that, I’m finally passing the torch off and saying goodbye. Thank you for these incredible seven years -- proving that together we can create change, build empathy for others, and most importantly, that young people will be and always have been the ones to solve the world’s greatest problems.

My last bits of advice (as cliche as they may seem): Never give up on your dreams, keep fighting for the change you want to see, take time to meet and learn about people different from yourself, practice self care, and always always believe in yourself (I know I do)! Oh, and be nice to Tej.

Thanks for the years, the inspiration, and for the tunes. I put together a little playlist of some of the songs you shared with me.

Always your friend,

Freddie

P.S. You can follow what I’m up to at @classicfreddie. Reach out and say hey!