Guillermo Echarte, senior director of sales at creator advertising platform Agentio, said working on his team isn’t for everyone — but for some, it’s a career game-changer.
“There is no better seat if you believe in our vision and can run with it creatively and relentlessly, with no ego,” Echarte said.
Passion for a company’s mission can be a deciding factor for those choosing a workplace to build their career. At firsthand, a company that supports individuals living with serious mental and physical illnesses, Chief Operating Officer Natasha Relwani feels fulfilled by her role for one overarching reason: Everyone believes in what the company’s building.
“We end each day knowing we’re building something that truly matters: a business that dramatically improves people’s lives,” Relwani said.
When work is meaningful, it motivates employees to excel, as is the case at asset management firm BlackRock, where Compensation Analyst Osato Agbonayinma and her peers are motivated to put their best foot forward as they support the firm’s clients.
“There is a strong culture of accountability and high standards that genuinely motivates you to do your best work,” Agbonayinma said.
Below, Echarte, Relwani and Agbonayinma share more about what makes their employer a great place to build a career.
BlackRock is an asset management firm that offers investment, advisory and risk management solutions to a wide range of clients, from government and foundations to large institutions.
In one memorable line, how would you describe day-to-day satisfaction on your team?
I love working on my team because I’m constantly learning new things, trusted with meaningful work and supported by people who care about both results and each other.
Would you recommend working here — and what proof backs that up?
Absolutely. I genuinely value the culture at BlackRock. There is a clear and consistent commitment to the work we do, the relationships we build with clients and colleagues, and the standards that guide how that work is carried out. On a personal level, I’ve also experienced BlackRock’s intentional approach to professional development through structured feedback, growth opportunities and meaningful responsibility, which has made me feel supported and confident in continuing to build my career here.
“There is a clear and consistent commitment to the work we do, the relationships we build with clients and colleagues, and the standards that guide how that work is carried out.”
How are you perceived externally right now, and what signals support that?
BlackRock is perceived as a firm that is persistent and deeply committed to excellence. This is reinforced by my experience here. There is a strong culture of accountability and high standards that genuinely motivates you to do your best work. This perception is also reflected in external recognition, including BlackRock being named a two-time winner of the Handshake Early Talent Awards, highlighting the firm’s continued investment in developing and supporting early‑career talent.
Agentio’s AI-native platform is designed to help brands buy, measure and scale creator-led campaigns across platforms.
In one memorable line, how would you describe day-to-day satisfaction on your team?
“Agentio is inevitable,” which was said by one of our superstar engineers when asked by our co-founder/CTO why he accepted the role.
While he shared this on day one, I guarantee you he would share it again today. There’s a lot of satisfaction to believe in the contribution of what you’re building, and we have that in spades.
“There’s a lot of satisfaction to believe in the contribution of what you’re building, and we have that in spades.”
Would you recommend working here — and what proof backs that up?
I very intentionally wouldn’t recommend Agentio to everyone. The value of an earlier stage company is deeply co-dependent on the people inside it. We spend more time at work than anywhere else, so it deserves real scrutiny.
The people who thrive here operate by four values: “Obsess Over Impact,” “Run Through Walls,” “No Ego,” “All In” and “Always Be Lore Maxxing.” They show up daily. We’re in the office five days a week. This is because the pace of IP that exchanges hands in real time can’t be replicated. Agentio moves really fast. It can feel like a full week passed by 5 p.m. on Monday. It requires every one to be a sponge, adapt like Play-Doh, and treat your title like a starting point, not a perimeter. There is no better seat if you believe in our vision and can run with it creatively and relentlessly, with no ego. It’s not for everyone! Our high standards are what got us here, which is just the beginning.
The proof is in who’s backed us, who’s buying from us, and how fast we’re growing. The road is not all paved, and it’s certainly not linear. It takes real grit. But I’ve never had a more fulfilling job — and we have an extraordinary amount of fun doing it.
How are you perceived externally right now, and what signals support that?
I believe the most important signal is who decides to work with us. So far, the best people, investors, brands and creators have made that decision.
Benchmark, the definitive voice on marketplace businesses, took a chance on our idea early. Forerunner came not because of a pitch, but because their own portfolio companies were already advocating for us. Their team invests in brands that shape culture, and the fact that their most trusted portfolio companies were sending them our way is something we do not take lightly.
Our brand partners humble us just as much. These are sophisticated, performance-obsessed brands with real standards. We build for them and grow together. The majority of our growth has been earned, not chased: customers telling customers, and investors opening doors. That kind of trust can’t be manufactured. You have to earn it, and we wake up every day trying to deserve it.
Our product ships at a pace that also reflects how seriously we hold that responsibility. It’s a team sport! We’re early; there’s so much more to build and prove. But when your investors, customers and market are all pointing in the same direction, you feel it. We’re genuinely grateful and so, so motivated.
Established in 2021, firsthand Health Inc supports individuals living with serious mental and physical illnesses by helping them connect with peer support, social benefits and community resources, and care providers.
In one memorable line, how would you describe day-to-day satisfaction on your team?
We end each day knowing we’re building something that truly matters: a business that dramatically improves people’s lives. It’s simple but really meaningful.
Would you recommend working here — and what proof backs that up?
I really would, not because we are perfect or because the work we do is seamless, but because everyone here genuinely believes in what we’re building. We have had some really difficult moments as a company, and in spite of that, many people are choosing to come back after a reduction in force last year. We have had an incredible number of “boomerangs” join us as we prepare for our next phase of growth, and to me, that is the highest compliment an organization can receive. Working at firsthand is not just a job — it is a calling, and I know everybody here feels that way.
“Working at firsthand is not just a job — it is a calling, and I know everybody here feels that way.”
How are you perceived externally right now, and what signals support that?
We do not spend that much time thinking about that honestly. We have received awards that we are proud of. We have been named Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work three different times. We also earned the Platinum Bell Seal recognition from Mental Health America for the third year in a row just a few months back, which recognizes commitment to employee mental health. Both are a few of the distinctions we are proud of, among others.
But frankly, we spend all of our time internally thinking about, “How do we do the right thing for the individuals we serve, and then how can we make this the best place to work possible for all of the teammates who honor us with their talent and the value of their lived experiences?” When we do that, external validation comes — but it is not our focus.
