Who are some of the faces behind the Electives team? Meet Natalie Cantave and learn more about her role on the team, her favorite hobbies, and why she enjoys working at Electives!

Natalie: I’m the Associate Director of Marketing and Design at Electives. Basically, I manage all things brand, creative, and marketing related for the team!

Q: What excites you most about our industry and/or our product in general?

Natalie: Electives’ mission is what really excites me about our industry: we are on a mission to change who we learn from at work and what we learn at work. I’ve had the opportunity to sit in different electives and I can say with certainty that I always leave with something new. Whether it was Myrna Laine-Hyppolite’s class on financial wellness, Alex Myers’ elective on transgender history, Andy Aylesworth’s class on your inner creative or even Rachel Pacheco’s elective on giving and receiving feedback, just to name a few! 

I think it’s such a unique thing to experience the product on a regular basis as an employee but also think about what the end user experience is. I’ve never had that experience in a role before, and it’s pretty cool to be able to interact with our product on a daily basis.

Q: What are the top 2-3 reasons you joined Electives?

Natalie: well, I pretty much have 2 reasons why I joined the team:

The mission → Electives’ mission really resonates with me because I want to make a greater impact on how people learn and develop at work. For me, I know that I wake up every day excited to contribute to solving an interesting challenge in the world.

The people → After meeting multiple members of the team across different functions during the interview process, I immediately knew that this was a team I wanted to be a part of! I love how everyone has had such a unique path to Electives, and that everyone on the team is ambitious, humble, a go-getter, and mission-driven. I knew that I would truly enjoy working with this team even in a remote culture.

Q: Can you share a little bit about what a typical day looks like in your role?

Natalie: Well, I can confidently say that there is no typical day for me at Electives, which is ok with me because I love having variety in my day to day. I can give a few examples of some of the projects I’m working on, which I’m excited about:

Promoting our learning scholarship → Electives has been thinking about how to get involved with our local community, and we launched our Learning Scholarship this summer! Take a look at our page to learn more, and help us spread the word!

Developing content that is helpful to HR leaders → I’m really excited for this quarter to be able to think about the unique content that will be resourceful for HR, people ops, L&D, and DE&I leaders but also anyone who is looking to grow at work. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to experiment and create new content assets. Follow our channels and be on the lookout for them!

Activating our new teachers → Our Learning Experience team is incredible at finding amazing teachers; I really don't know how they do it! After a successful pilot, I work with the LX team to share the stories and passions of our new teachers. I always enjoy getting to know our teachers and spreading the word about their unique learning experiences.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering a role at Electives?

Natalie: My advice would be to not worry about your path; just go for it and apply! Everyone on the team has a unique path before joining Electives, but that’s what makes the culture so unique. We don’t recruit individuals from the same organization because we see the value in everyone’s path and there is something everyone can learn from.

Also, really think about the value that you can bring to the team or product. What is your unique value proposition? What makes YOU unique? And don’t be afraid to showcase that during your interviews! We want to hear from you about what you can bring to the table. Just be confident in who you are and your abilities.

Q: What’s one of the most unexpected things you’ve learned while working at Electives?

Natalie: Learning and development touches everyone, no matter what stage of your career you are at or what department you’re working in. Everyone is looking for ways to grow whether it’s working towards that promotion, learning a new skill, or wanting to be a better overall person. The work that we are doing is really about improving the overall human – either at work or in life.

Q: We know there is more to life than work. Can you share with us a little about who you are outside of Electives?

Natalie: Yes! Well first and foremost, I’m a twin sister - and very proud of my sister who is an OB-GYN resident at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St Louis, MO (and definitely one of the smartest people I know). And, I can’t forget that I’m a pet parent to my cat Pancake. I enjoy being outside, especially in the summer, watching TV shows such as Designated Survivor, Law and Order, the Real Housewives franchise, Abbott Elementary, to name a few, hosting gatherings in my apartment, and exploring new restaurants.

Our team continues to grow. Reach out with any questions!

Who are some of the faces behind the Electives team? Meet Natalie Cantave and learn more about her role on the team, her favorite hobbies, and why she enjoys working at Electives!

Q: What is your role at Electives?
Natalie: I’m the Associate Director of Marketing and Design at Electives. Basically, I manage all things brand, creative, and marketing related for the team!

Q: What excites you most about our industry and/or our product in general?
Natalie: Electives’ mission is what really excites me about our industry: we are on a mission to change who we learn from at work and what we learn at work. I’ve had the opportunity to sit in different electives and I can say with certainty that I always leave with something new. Whether it was Myrna Laine-Hyppolite’s class on financial wellness, Alex Myers’ elective on transgender history, Andy Aylesworth’s class on your inner creative or even Rachel Pacheco’s elective on giving and receiving feedback, just to name a few! 

I think it’s such a unique thing to experience the product on a regular basis as an employee but also think about what the end user experience is. I’ve never had that experience in a role before, and it’s pretty cool to be able to interact with our product on a daily basis.

Q: What are the top 2-3 reasons you joined Electives?
Natalie: well, I pretty much have 2 reasons why I joined the team:
The mission → Electives’ mission really resonates with me because I want to make a greater impact on how people learn and develop at work. For me, I know that I wake up every day excited to contribute to solving an interesting challenge in the world.
The people → After meeting multiple members of the team across different functions during the interview process, I immediately knew that this was a team I wanted to be a part of! I love how everyone has had such a unique path to Electives, and that everyone on the team is ambitious, humble, a go-getter, and mission-driven. I knew that I would truly enjoy working with this team even in a remote culture.
Q: Can you share a little bit about what a typical day looks like in your role?
Natalie: Well, I can confidently say that there is no typical day for me at Electives, which is ok with me because I love having variety in my day to day. I can give a few examples of some of the projects I’m working on, which I’m excited about:
Promoting our learning scholarship → Electives has been thinking about how to get involved with our local community, and we launched our Learning Scholarship this summer! Take a look at our page to learn more, and help us spread the word!
Developing content that is helpful to HR leaders → I’m really excited for this quarter to be able to think about the unique content that will be resourceful for HR, people ops, L&D, and DE&I leaders but also anyone who is looking to grow at work. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to experiment and create new content assets. Follow our channels and be on the lookout for them!
Activating our new teachers → Our Learning Experience team is incredible at finding amazing teachers; I really don't know how they do it! After a successful pilot, I work with the LX team to share the stories and passions of our new teachers. I always enjoy getting to know our teachers and spreading the word about their unique learning experiences.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering a role at Electives?
Natalie: My advice would be to not worry about your path; just go for it and apply! Everyone on the team has a unique path before joining Electives, but that’s what makes the culture so unique. We don’t recruit individuals from the same organization because we see the value in everyone’s path and there is something everyone can learn from.

Also, really think about the value that you can bring to the team or product. What is your unique value proposition? What makes YOU unique? And don’t be afraid to showcase that during your interviews! We want to hear from you about what you can bring to the table. Just be confident in who you are and your abilities.

Q: What’s one of the most unexpected things you’ve learned while working at Electives?
Natalie: Learning and development touches everyone, no matter what stage of your career you are at or what department you’re working in. Everyone is looking for ways to grow whether it’s working towards that promotion, learning a new skill, or wanting to be a better overall person. The work that we are doing is really about improving the overall human – either at work or in life.

Q: We know there is more to life than work. Can you share with us a little about who you are outside of Electives?
Natalie: Yes! Well first and foremost, I’m a twin sister - and very proud of my sister who is an OB-GYN resident at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St Louis, MO (and definitely one of the smartest people I know). And, I can’t forget that I’m a pet parent to my cat Pancake. I enjoy being outside, especially in the summer, watching TV shows such as Designated Survivor, Law and Order, the Real Housewives franchise, Abbott Elementary, to name a few, hosting gatherings in my apartment, and exploring new restaurants.

Our team continues to grow. Reach out with any questions!

Join Our Team - Apply Today! 

Get to know Natalie Cantave, a member of the Electives team, and learn why she joined the team. 

Team Spotlight: Meet Natalie Cantave

Thu Jul 14 2022

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