Unlocking new doors
Student Experience
As Madison Slesinski toured the high-end Victorian property in London’s historic Sloane Square, she couldn’t help but notice the tall ceilings, elaborate crown molding, ornate fireplace mantels, and white-marble bathrooms. The boutique apartment building that includes hotel-like amenities (commonly known as an aparthotel), is managed by the luxury short-term and vacation rentals company, UnderTheDoormat.
Founded in 2014 by alumna Merilee Karr, a 1998 graduate with a dual degree in leadership studies and business administration, UnderTheDoormat specializes in high-end accommodations, typically under one month, across more than 250 homes in London and other locations around the world. Guests are provided full concierge service with the personal touches of home. The company’s London office is where Slesinski spent the summer sharpening her skill set through a marketing internship.
Slesinski, a third-year mathematical economics major, first learned about the company during winter break. She and other UR students traveled to London through the Sophomore Scholars in Residence Program’s Stories of Work, Life, and Fulfillment course, led by communication studies professor Scott Johnson.
The class requires the students to self-reflect on questions like, “What do I want to do with my life?” The intention is to explore work, life, and fulfillment concepts inside and outside the classroom. In London, the students met and spoke with alumni who took different career paths, including UnderTheDoormat CEO Karr.
Meeting Karr piqued her interest in the company. “Luxury short-term rentals is an up-and-coming industry, and she really put herself at the forefront,” Slesinski said.
She learned that early in the pandemic, UnderTheDoormat offered housing for healthcare workers through an initiative that later became its TrustedStays brand. The company also developed property management software for short-term rental property owners, called Hospiria, which appealed to her interest in data analytics.
Although emailing the CEO directly was intimidating, Slesinski took a chance. “I reached out to Merilee and asked her if there were any internship positions available,” she remembered. “It ended up working out well.”
One of her responsibilities while working on UnderTheDoormat’s marketing was content creation, including refreshing the company’s website with new information and relevant details. She created Instagram posts and designed web pages as well. “We have properties in Paris, so for the Olympics I got to make a whole page of our available properties there.”
“For our TrustedStays brand, I took all of the presentations they’d ever used and created a master deck to help them in the future,” Slesinski said.
As a result of this internship, Slesinksi is considering marketing within her broader career goals. She’s hoping to find a sweet spot between her analytical mathematical econ interests and her creative side.
Balancing work with play, in her leisure time Slesinski enjoyed live music on the city streets and attended a late-night art gallery event. She’ll have even more opportunities to explore this year while studying abroad at the London School of Economics.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned from this is to go after the things you want,” she said. “Seize the opportunities in front of you.”