Welcoming the Newest Addition to the BRM Institute Team, Larissa Pienkowski, Managing Editor
by Larissa Pienkowski
BRM Institute would like to welcome the newest full-time addition to the BRM Institute team, Larissa Pienkowski! A recent graduate from Simmons College in Boston, MA, Larissa is transitioning from a part-time role as BRM Institute’s editor to a full-time position as the new Managing Editor of all content and publications. We’re thrilled to have her on board!
Since we’re all part of a global BRM Institute family, we decided to ask her some questions so that you can all get to know her a little better. Keep reading to find out more about our newest team member!
What do you love most about being the Managing Editor of BRM Institute?
Apart from loving the act of writing and editing itself, I love that so much of my job is centered around learning from others, whether it’s through writing or conversation. Every single day, I get to learn something new from our members, who not only happen to be experts in their field, but are also incredibly funny, interesting, intelligent people with unique experiences from all over the world. Aside from the happiness I find in my day-to-day work, I feel very lucky to be part of the BRM Institute team in general. There’s such a powerful spirit of collaboration and encouragement exuding from the work we do together.
What really sticks out about the BRM Institute community to you?
I’m always struck by how BRM Institute doesn’t just represent, train, or mentor a global community of BRMs—it embodies the very essence of a global community, from its mission statement to the Online Campus to the BRMConnect conferences. Regardless of nationality, professional field, language differences, level of knowledge, or any other potentially divisive identity marker, BRMs from all over the world have a voice within the organization. I notice the world becoming a little easier to traverse when community members can challenge and learn from each other in BRM Institute spaces like neighbors or coworkers—regardless of what time zone they’re in.
How do you come up with or find content for BRM Institute?
I mentioned above that BRM Institute is pretty lucky to have members with incredibly unique professional and personal experiences. It just so happens that many of these members are also strong writers who want to share their knowledge with the rest of the community—and voilà, there’s our content! I get especially excited when members want to share how their understanding of professional BRM concepts has been influenced by their personal experiences in the field, since so much of what BRM Institute is all about is learning from one another. If you have an idea for an article or you think you’d like to write something for BRM Institute and you’re just not sure where to start, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any ideas or questions (even if—and especially if—you’ve never done it before)!
What do you do in your free time when you’re not the Managing Editor of BRM Institute?
As an editor and writer, it probably comes as no surprise that I’m a big reader. One of my favorite things to do is read on the subway. I’m also involved in the slam poetry scene here in Boston, and I love spending time and exploring the city with my friends.
You are in possession of the last dinosaur on the planet, write a paragraph about this.
How can you expect me to write a paragraph when I’ve got a dinosaur on my hands?!