Role: Project Manager
Based: Philadelphia
Pets: Cats named Scar and Mowgli
Fun Fact: Appeared in a Popsicle ad as a child
Did you know we have a famous model on our team?
It’s true. Makeway’s very own Samantha Polizzi starred in a Popsicle advertisement as a kid. (Keep reading to see if you recognize the spot!) The whole modeling thing is pretty awesome but, to be honest, we’re even more excited about what she brings to the team.
Samantha is an experienced project manager who aims for “excessive clarity” and a human-centered approach to her work. We’re excited to introduce you to Samantha in this Meet the Maker Q&A.
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Q: How did you get into your project management at Makeway?
I have always project managed everything in my life, so it just made sense to make it directly applicable to things I like to build and do. In this day and age, the digital storefront is the most important part of a business, so if I can help our clients thrive in that way, it feels like a great way to spend my time. I also feel like I am always yearning for excessive clarity, so being able to provide that has always been a skill set of mine.
I saw the job posting at Makeway and it was exactly the fit I was looking for. I wanted a smaller agency, I wanted to remain remote, and it just seemed like it was directly applicable to the niche product management experience I have. I really liked meeting the team, and that’s important to me.
Q: What’s your favorite type of project?
A project where there’s a high level of collaboration on all fronts, where the client also feels that they can collaborate, is always the most exhilarating project for me. Everyone has their hands in it and wants to be a part of it and wants to see it succeed. So I think that’s extremely important to projects going smoothly: when everyone does their part and likes their part.
Q: What do you like about working at Makeway?
It’s a very human approach. I think that’s extremely important with design and in terms of general business handlings. Understanding the clients are human and everyone on the team is human. Just allowing work-life balance… and being super down to earth and authentic.
“I love hiking and camping and all things outdoors.”
Q: What are some of your interests?
I love hiking and camping and all things outdoors. I enjoy sculpting, illustrating and painting—pretty much anything I can get into creatively. I love music, singing, and reading. I also enjoy home renovation projects and furniture renovation.
I’m extremely environmentally focused. My diet, my purchasing habits and beyond are all influenced by my love for the planet. Any activities that contribute to making a greater impact on the ecosystem around me, while hopefully influencing others to do the same, is highly enjoyable to me. Things like planting native plants, volunteering to help remove invasive plants or pick up trash, and educating my friends/family to be more environmentally efficient.
Q: How did you end up in a Popsicle ad when you were a kid?
I was a child model as part of a modeling agency. I did a couple of photo shoots, commercials, and runway modeling events until my early twenties. The Popsicle ad is just the one that lives on for some reason.
I sold the rights to that picture, so I didn’t know they used it until I stumbled upon it one day.
I remember I did a photo shoot with a fake family and took a bunch of pictures. We took, I don’t even know how many pictures, but it was an all-day shoot. At the end of the day they gave me a Popsicle for being good the whole day and the photographer snagged a few extra impromptu pictures. Some pictures from that shoot were used in magazines and advertisements for various things. I sold the rights to them after a few years of no activity and then somehow Good Humor got a hold of it. Years later, I was in Blockbuster with my dad and I said, “I think that’s me!”. My dad thought I was joking, but then realized that it really was me. I was on the side of all the Blockbuster ice cream machines and, apparently, I’m still on some ice cream trucks.
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In her short time with Makeway, Samantha has become an invaluable member of the team, masterfully orchestrating all the details of complex projects—and always with a smile.
And, thanks to Samantha, we’ll be ready for any client who needs a stock photo of someone eating a Popsicle 😎
You can connect with Samantha on LinkedIn or, and if you’d like to learn more about joining our team, visit our careers page or email us at info@makeway.is.
