Today we’d like to introduce you to Arielle Fuller.
Hi Arielle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a big family in San Diego, CA. Number two of four, I was never alone so my 110% extroverted self was always engaged. I studied business at San Diego State because it had one of the best study abroad exchange programs in the country (who doesn’t want to spend a semester in sunny San Diego!?) I chose Berlin, Germany and it was one of the most stimulating and inspiring cities I have ever visited. Berliners are unabashedly and authentically themselves. It motivated me to live like that too.
I moved to San Francisco to join a tiny startup called Blueboard – they were on a mission to build a corporate rewards platform that exclusively offers experiences as rewards (think spa days, travel, skydiving, and cooking classes). I joined as their first Experience Curator and my job was to research, test, and form partnerships with meaningful experience companies in the Bay Area – and later, worldwide. It was a blast – I’d be skydiving on Monday, getting a massage Tuesday, and glassblowing by Thursday. I raised my hand for every new opportunity so I got to try many, many different roles during my time there. By the time I left, I was leading a team of eleven and the company was nearing 100 employees. Our experience menu went from serving one city to being available nationwide and in over 70 other countries.
After four amazing years of this rapid company and personal growth with Blueboard, I became obsessed with experience design and facilitation so I accepted a new role – Chief Relationship Officer at Parlay House – the women’s community I had been volunteering with. It too was growing rapidly so its sensational founder, Anne Devereux-Mills, and I joined forces to bring our community to the next level. As Parlay House’s Chief Relationship Officer, I have the best job ever: to find inspiring women and help them connect with each other. To make sure they feel seen and lifted. I work directly with Anne to oversee our content, event programming, membership, partnerships, podcast production, and Local Instigator (aka city chapter leaders) program. That’s the gig, and I feel so lucky to do it because it means I am constantly connected with and supported by phenomenal women of all different backgrounds with stories that have truly changed my life perspective more times than I can count. Always for the better. I just celebrated my two-year anniversary here and there’s so much fun and meaning to come!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Holy imposter syndrome… when I got my first job out of college, I had no idea what I was doing and I didn’t know that was normal. I grew up in a house that was very achievement driven so I’ve always been pretty hard on myself where performance is concerned. So when I was trusted to build & scale an entire section of a new business, I felt like a total imposter because I would try different strategies and they wouldn’t work. I thought I was supposed to get it right every time or it meant I wasn’t good at my job. I would have mini breakdowns every three months or so thinking that I was surely getting fired. I was terrified of failure. But then, one of the women on the team (one I looked up to) took me to lunch and opened up about her bumpy professional journey. She shared her learnings with me and taught me that there’s no progress without failure. Her openness unlocked my confidence and she is still a close friend and role model today!
Another struggle I still have to manage is the perception of women with bubbly personalities in business. A friend once said they would describe me as “all caps, all the time” and he is totally right. I’m a friendly bundle of high-energy positivity and always have been. I see this as a strength but also have learned how much my warmth and enthusiasm can be mistaken for ditzy-ness and lack of experience. One boss I had early in my career once asked me to be less enthusiastic so that clients wouldn’t think I was an intern. Another time, I was guest judging on a panel for a startup pitch competition and one of the other judges came up to me after the first round to say “wow, you *actually* asked really good questions!” There are many of these lovely anecdotes but I’m grateful for them because they’ve taught me to be even more prepared and how to advocate for authenticity. For this reason, you will see !!!, YAY, and 🙂 in most of my emails to this day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Parlay House is a new form of inclusive community that helps women feel a sense of connecting, belonging, and relating far beyond their usual social circles. Imagine inviting 30 super-diverse strangers into your home to talk about the things you’ve always wanted to share with others or explore yourself but couldn’t. That’s literally what we do at our in-person and digital events all around the USA, in Paris, London, and Amman.
We’re all about connection over networking. Our only rule is not to show up to be extractive of others. We’re not facilitating transactional relationships, we’re forming meaningful bonds ya’ll!
One reason we stand out is that for one night a month, women get to be #1 on the hierarchy of who gets cared for, nourished, and lifted. We drink wine, we learn, we discuss, we share, we laugh, we grow. Also, our array of topics, which range from ‘How to Deal with a Narcissist’ to ‘Escaping the Taliban’ to ‘Marketing by Day, Dominatrix by Night’ and everything in between. Sometimes our speakers are well known (like Tina Knowles, Dolores Huerta, and Vicky Tsai) but often, they’re women who have never shared their stories with anyone. There’s a real beauty in that and I’m really proud of the way we pass the mic to women of all circumstances.
In order to extend these conversations to an even wider audience, we launched our podcast, Bring A Friend, where real people shine and people who shine get real. Through all of these forms of conversation, we’re redefining the concept of connection in a way that strengthens and lifts us all.
One of the most fulfilling things I’ve experienced since being a part of Parlay House is the power of shared belonging. I was surprised to learn how quickly it can arise when we are authentic and vulnerable with others. The ability to see each other and empathize deeply with people we’ve only just met is pretty damn magical.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Parlay House has huge plans for expansion and returning to our in-person gatherings in 2022. We’re coming in hot!
Industry-wise, the community and events space just experienced a pretty significant shift with the pandemic requiring us all to have some level of digital offering on the table. It was huge for Parlay House – in 2020, we launched “Parlay From Away” offering a Zoom event every Thursday, all year, for free. It was our way of keeping the community connected and lifted through intentional content.
In the next 5-10 years, I think we will see a lot more hybrid communities that are in-person and digital. I don’t see how brands will just drop that remote-friendly piece. I think the whole ‘pod’ model will blow up – where consumers join relevant communities to be placed in a small pod for X amount of time, with a shared goal or vision. Smaller group experiences will continue to expand. I also see a lot more mental health and support communities popping up that center emotional intelligence and mental wellness. I don’t see that going anywhere – especially with renewed values and increased health issues post-pandemic.
Gen Z will continue to lead the charge on valuing mission-backed companies and authentic, transparent leadership. I think they are an incredible generation and I can’t wait to parlay with them!
Pricing:
- Parlay House membership is FREE!
- All digital content is FREE!
- In person events cost $25 (to cover beverages and bites)
- Optional ways to support us (ex. $10 a month)
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://parlayhouse.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parlay.house/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParlayHouseSF
- Other: https://www.bringafriendpodcast.com/
