Flintern Spotlight: Zoe Zweber
By Lydia Picotte, Creative Writing Intern – Flint Group
When our conversation is over, Zoe Zweber looks at me with a joking smile and says, “Well, if you have any more questions, I always have time to talk.” It’s a fitting final comment from Flint’s Client Services intern, whose warm professionalism makes her feel equal parts coworker and confidante. It’s an intentionally struck balance, grown out of a commitment to collaboration that far predates her latest position.
Her character has been largely shaped by her jam-packed time at the University of Minnesota, where she’s going to be a senior in the fall. Her rotating list of commitments currently includes completing her BS in marketing, serving at a local bar, acting as the Director of Philanthropy for her sorority and judging high school dance, which she previously competed in.
“It’s a joke with my friends that I’m always picking up additional jobs,” Zweber says. “I don’t like to have downtime so I’m always keeping myself busy.”
Just before arriving at Flint, she returned from a semester abroad in Italy, where “being busy” took on a whole new meaning. She recalls long weekends of learning and exploring, dotted with trips around Europe. Her favorite memories include a once-in-a-lifetime journey through Morocco and spending St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Ireland.
It was transformative. Zweber says lessons from the semester will stay with her forever, and through her work at Flint, she’s already seen their impact.
“I learned a lot about dealing with hard things and problem-solving by myself,” she says.
Skills like conflict resolution and learning foreign systems have translated directly into the office.
Her affinity for the fast -paced made an agency an obvious choice for Zweber when she began exploring work opportunities. Her particular interest in account management stemmed from a two-pronged interest in analytics and leadership.
Zweber is earning a minor in data analytics and is interested in market research careers alongside account management. But this summer, she’s found that her analytical way of thinking gives her more than just a knack for reading data. It gives her a coordinated focus – something that has proven invaluable for her current role.
“It helps me stay organized and manage tasks and deadlines better,” Zweber says.
More generally, leadership has always come naturally. First, it was through high school dance, then her sorority, then her job. Where she serves, she’s one of the most senior employees and is used to directing new hires while also managing her own tables. She attributes the gravitation to leadership to being an oldest child – before anything else, she was a guide for her two younger siblings.
While those pieces are what drew Zweber to client services, it’s her optimistic extroversion that defines her management style.
She laughs easily as she talks about her friends in Minnesota and shares her most absurd anecdotes from work. Even as she balances lists of responsibilities, she maintains an easygoing energy. She doesn’t seem to take any of it too seriously – and she says that’s on purpose.
“It’s more fun to work with people who are also fun to hang out with,” she says. “I try to be a good leader by being personable.”
It’s one of the first lessons Flint teaches its interns. At the end of the day, marketing is not life or death. It’s supposed to be fun. Zweber already seems to understand that.
Simultaneously, she pours her optimism back into those around her. In meetings, her client presentations and diligent notetaking don’t stop her from telling relevant stories and chatting with everyone in the room. Whether it’s a client or a group of agency creatives, Zweber wants to be a part of a team. Above all, collaboration is the source of her energy and the reason she’s passionate about project management. The attitude is infectious. Where she goes, comfortable conversation and productive partnerships follow.
By acting this way, Zweber is taking inspiration from the other leaders in her life as she hopes to follow in their footsteps.
“I don’t enjoy working with leaders who are controlling,” she says. “I’ve always reacted better to positive leadership and encouragement. I want to respond to coaches and leaders who give helpful feedback and also focus on what’s being done well. So I want to be that way too.”
