During my 12 years as an entrepreneur, I’ve had the good fortune of hiring and managing dozens of exceptional individuals across product, design, engineering and business. None has made a greater organizational impact than has Abby Dreier. She has earned a permanent spot on my Mt. Rushmore of transformative employees.

Abby possesses a unique elixir of creative talent & product instincts mixed in with focus, work ethic, attention to detail, loyalty and unfailing reliability. Abby joined The Guild as employee #2. She was early in her career at the time, had a strong academic background in design but little in the way of professional experience.

During her rapid ascension to become the sole Creative Director at a 160-person, Series B stage startup, Abby served a leadership role in a diverse array of functions including guest service, interior design, project management, procurement, brand identity, social media, graphic design, web design, user experience design, product management and even front-end web development. You name it- she did it.

Abby has accepted each new challenge with enthusiasm and fearlessness. Abby has designed every version of our website and booking engine from inception to today. During 2018 she decided that the site’s usability and conversion rate could benefit from a deeper understanding of interaction design. Consequently, she took the initiative to enroll herself in a rigorous nights & weekends user experience design course, during which she selflessly maintained her full plate of Guild responsibilities and workload. She returned from the course with strengthened confidence and knowledge to enact transformational improvements to our online experience.

Abby is self-taught and self-directed. During most of her tenure at The Guild, she has reported directly to me. As the CEO of a fast-growing startup, I oversee several functional areas, affording me little time to provide direction, oversight or professional mentorship to any one direct report. While Abby thrived amidst this chaos, I can’t help but think that a more structured environment would further develop her professional skills and unlock her full potential.

Above all, Abby is an exceptional human. She was universally revered by her direct reports, peers and senior management. She has left an indelible mark on The Guild’s culture and business. The Guild would simply not be where it is today without her significant contributions. If you have the opportunity to work with Abby I recommend you do so immediately and without hesitation.