January 2026 marked a real inflection point in my career. I moved from managing a single, highly mature paid media program within a large organization to navigating multiple clients, industries, and growth challenges simultaneously. The shift has been challenging, energizing, and exactly what I was looking for.

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Here’s what my few months at Pearmill has taught me.

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Building the foundation, outgrowing the walls

I spent almost four years at my previous company, which began as a startup over 25 years ago and evolved into a structured, product-driven organization. I joined during my final year of my Master’s Degree as a business analyst intern, with no prior experience in Google Ads. Over time, I grew into managing a global account with more than $400k in monthly spend across 40+ countries.

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It was an exceptional learning environment and gave me a strong foundation in performance marketing, scale, and systems. But working on a single, high-maturity account comes with a trade-off. Eventually, decisions become predictable, approval cycles slow experimentation, and learning curves flatten.

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It was an incredible learning opportunity, the kind of trajectory you dream about when you're starting out. But here's the thing about working on a single, high-maturity account: after a while, the day-to-day becomes predictable. Approval processes slow things down. You stop learning at the same rate. And crucially, I was missing something fundamental: the experience of working across different clients, industries, and challenges. I wanted to understand how strategies work (or don't work) in different contexts, how to conduct audits, how to present to clients, and how to adapt quickly.

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I realized I needed to step out of my comfort zone.

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Why Pearmill felt different from day one

The discovery itself came through an unconventional approach. As I was evaluating my next career move, I decided to leverage AI to help map my skills and priorities. I uploaded my CV to Gemini and asked it to identify relevant opportunities that matched my experience while offering the remote flexibility I was seeking.

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We're at an interesting inflection point where AI tools can help us see patterns in our own careers that might otherwise take months of reflection or expensive career coaching to uncover. What struck me wasn't just the convenience, it was how the analysis highlighted connections between my skills and opportunities I hadn't considered, opening doors I might have missed through traditional job searches alone. That's how Pearmill first appeared on my radar.

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When I looked deeper into the company, I'll be honest, it seemed too good to be true. The values they talked about, the culture they described, the growth opportunities they emphasized. I was skeptical.

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But from my very first day, that skepticism dissolved. The warm welcome wasn't just a phrase in an onboarding deck; it was real. I've had the chance to connect with my seniors, colleagues from other departments, even the CEO and founders. That's not something I expected, but it's made all the difference. Every conversation has helped me better understand the values communicated throughout the company and the attitudes of the people working here. Having now talked with at least half the company, I'm constantly amazed by how each individual embodies and reinforces the culture.

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The transparency has also been eye-opening. The way information is shared, the tools we use (yes, I needed a bit of time to feel confident with Notion, but once you discover its power, it's hard to go back), and everything else reflect a level of openness I hadn't experienced before.

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Learning from Het and the team

One of the highlights of joining Pearmill has been the opportunity to work with Het and the broader Growth team. Het’s strength goes far beyond technical mastery of Google Ads. His approach to client relationships, strategic thinking, and overall business perspective constantly impresses me. Watching how he navigates complex situations and balances multiple priorities is masterclass-level learning.

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What I appreciate most is the level of trust given early on. Being handed real responsibility from the start is both motivating and demanding, but it creates the right kind of pressure, the kind that accelerates growth.

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That mindset extends beyond one person. Across the team, there is a shared expectation to think critically, take ownership, and continuously improve how we work.

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Embracing the discomfort zone

At the beginning, it's natural to feel outside your comfort zone. But that's exactly where I want to be. The pace here is fast, and every day brings new challenges that stretch me in different directions. Campaign analysis feels different when you're looking at multiple industries. Client conversations require a different level of preparation and adaptability. Working with growth managers means thinking beyond the channel and understanding the broader business context.

I'm currently in the fine-tuning phase, adapting to the rhythm of working across different accounts, each with unique needs and maturity levels. Every audit I perform teaches me something new. Every stakeholder relationship requires a slightly different approach. It's a learning curve, absolutely, but I'm confident that this experience is building skills that will compound over time, adding incredible value to both my personal and professional trajectory.

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What's next

Now six months in, and I'm seeing how this experience is pushing me beyond what I thought was possible. My goal is simple: to consistently demonstrate my value, become a stronger asset to the team day after day, and contribute meaningfully to Pearmill's mission and values.

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The transition from corporate to agency, from single-account specialist to multi-client strategist, from comfortable to challenged, it's exactly what I needed. And if my first half of the year is any indication, the next six months to a year will be incredible. I can't wait to look back and see how much I've evolved, both professionally and personally.

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If you're reading this and considering a similar move, whether from in-house to agency or just looking for an environment where you'll keep learning, my advice is simple: find a place that challenges you in the right ways and supports you while you grow. A few months at Pearmill has shown me that both are possible in the same place.

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Sometimes the best decisions are the ones that make you a little uncomfortable at first.  🚀

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