Between the Brackets: Jill Gelinas, Project Manager

Welcome back to Between the Brackets [ ] where you meet the extraordinary folks that make up our talented Webstacks team!

Today, we’re spotlighting one of our dedicated project managers who has a passion for travel and knows a thing or two about the best surfing spots. Let's give it up for Jill Gelinas!

About Jill

Finally, we have the PM queen here on Between the Brackets! Tell us a little more about yourself.

I am originally from Western Massachusetts, but I spent most of my childhood on the coast of Charlestown, Rhode Island. I attended undergrad at the University of Maryland College Park, where I studied at the Smith School of Business and the School of Government and Politics. I moved out to San Diego 4 years ago and fell in love with the west coast.  

I love adventuring and exploring all of the outdoors, but I would choose the ocean over mountains almost every time. Everything about the coastal lifestyle brings mindfulness into my day to day. You can often find me out in the water, leading surf therapy groups, practicing meditation, at an overpriced workout class, hunting for sea glass, camping or chasing any travel adventure that comes my way.

What is your role here at Webstacks?

I am currently a Project Manager at Webstacks. PMs act as Scrum Masters for unique Product Teams, facilitating agile methodologies for each product. 

At Webstacks, PMs work with both internal and external stakeholders to identify continuous improvement goals for the product, define implementation timelines and facilitate our two week sprint process to bring design and development ideas from conception to completion.     

The TLDR here is; PMs strive to enable seamless synchronicity between our talented designers, developers, strategists and clients in order to bring our vision for a product to life as quickly as possible. Things move fast here, so as PMs we do our best to always be one (maybe three) steps ahead.

We all know you love to surf! Do you have a favorite surf spot that you're willing to share, or is it a secret?

The best surf spots are always a secret, and the secret spots are always the most magical. It’s hard to pick a favorite because it all depends on Mother Ocean and well - she can be extremely fickle. But I can definitely narrow it down for you guys. I live in Cardiff-by-the-Sea in North County San Diego, so I have a handful of the best surf spots in all of Southern California a 5-10 minute walk from my home. Cardiff Reef, Pipes, Swamis, Beacons. If I get a couple extra minutes to drive north, I will be at San Onofre or Trestles. I’m spoiled, I know. The beauty of surfing in CA is that you can cruise up the PCH, pull over and check to see if the waves are to your liking. One of my favorite spots when driving up to Big Sur is Morro Bay.    

I recently traveled to Portugal to surf in Ericeira, and it was nothing short of perfect waves and amazing people. Most definitely, a favorite.      

What's the last book you read that you couldn't put down?

Barbarian Days. My brother sent me this book and I haven’t been able to put it down. You know those books that you are thinking about when you are not reading them? Yeah, this is one of those. I am not usually in the habit of picking up an autobiography and reading it from front to back, but I guess there is a first for everything. This book recounts William Finnegan’s adventures throughout his life - and is full of his stories of traveling, surfing, embracing and learning new cultures and people, and getting to know himself. It reminds readers that life isn’t always perfect - it can be messy, uncharted, unexpected, the day to day can seem insignificant sometimes, but if (he) and readers find the beauty in that, then life is always going to be an adventure.  

Project Management at Webstacks

What does a day in the life of a Project Manager look like?

The irony here is that no day ever looks the same. Each day is built on the foundation of managing each product team through live meetings and virtual channels. PMs primarily facilitate (1) agile cadences in Jira, (2) communication with internal and external teams in slack and (3) lead virtual meetings with client teams (Slack and Jira are essentially a religion to PMs at Webstacks). Managing these baseline channels is just the start - don’t worry it never gets boring. 

Project managers typically manage product teams. At Webstacks we treat websites as products, not projects which means we are continuously optimizing, driving improvements and making fast paced iterations in lockstep with our client’s goals. As a PM, in addition to managing the day to day scoped work - it is important to be forward looking, proactively identifying, eliminating and clearing the path of any and all roadblocks that surface.    

What do you enjoy the most about your role at Webstacks?

My role at Webstacks enables and pushes me to be the truest version of myself. I get to show up everyday as myself AND bring value to my teams. In past roles, there seemed to be a standard that in order to exceed role expectations, you had to be a specific version of someone who came before you (which probably didn’t quite fit right because everyone is unique in their own right). At Webstacks and as a PM, I get to work with every single person in the business in addition to extensive client teams. Learning people, figuring out how to enable them to leverage their strengths and supporting the work they bring to the team is the biggest reward as a project manager.   

What do you think is one of the most underrated skills to have as a Project Manager?

Be a chameleon. Chameleon’s are known for their ability to change color to adapt to their surroundings. Every team you lead is going to be different. Different talent, different vision, different personalities, different products. It’s not one size fits all. PMs have to be able to adapt their management styles and build an environment where each individual team member will thrive, and the team dynamic is harmonious. 

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The Wrap-Up

Any advice for candidates who may be interested in your role today?

Be the hungriest version of yourself. As a PM at Webstacks, the possibilities are endless and there is no mold to fill here. There is no reason to be somebody else, no value in trying to imitate the footsteps of someone else’s professional journey. If you fully embrace and leverage your unique strengths, and work as hard as you can - the mentorship and culture as Webstacks will help carry you to where you want to go.  

Join the Webstacks Family

Hope you've enjoy meeting another amazing Webstacker here on Between the Brackets! If you're interested in joining the rocketship, check out the Webstacks Careers page to see our open positions!