Asana Voices: Meet Sebastian Gibson, Customer Success Team
Welcome to our blog series, Asana Voices! With each post, we’ll feature one-on-one interviews with the talented individuals on our global team. You’ll get to know the people inside the company, including the twists and turns in their career journeys, what it’s really like working at Asana, and what they value most about their unique impact on our company, customers, and mission.
Meet Sebastian Gibson (“Seabass”), an Onboarding Consultant on our Customer Success team. Seabass is an Atlanta-raised, Beyoncé-dancing, fish taco-eating, energetic being who just wants to leave the world a little bit better than he found it.
Seabass, who is based in San Francisco, joined the company almost two years ago and helps onboard customers in their first 30-60 days using Asana. Simultaneously, he leads our Employee Resource Group (ERG), Blacsana. Take a look inside Seabass’s journey at Asana and learn about how he’s supporting customers and creating space to help other Asanas show up as their whole selves.
What first attracted you to Asana? What has kept you here?
During my interview process, my recruiter Tamika mentioned that she didn’t feel like the role I was applying for necessarily aligned with my skills and strengths. She followed up with a recommendation for another role that she felt would work out better for me, and that’s the position I’m in now. Right off the bat, there was so much intentionality and care coming from the team at Asana. It’s what attracted me to join. The intentionality was unmatched, and I was really appreciative of Tamika going the extra mile for me.
How has your career grown since joining the team?
I’m learning that growth is a never-ending cycle, and I have to continue to grow to reach my full potential. Asana really creates space for me to grow, and that path is really up to me. It’s really special. I have frequent growth and impact conversations with my manager, who is very invested in my overall growth journey at Asana. I’m allowed to ask questions and explore without judgement. This isn’t a place where you have to be secretive about your ambitions and dreams. People are here to support you, and they want to see you shine.
What’s something unique about your team?
I was only the second employee on the Onboarding team. In the last two years, the team has grown so much. It’s amazing to see. We’re at this really cool hyper-growth phase where we’re not only growing in size, but growing in footprint. We have teammates in regions all over the world, and it’s so inspiring to see how we’re able to support our global customers. Watching this team go from an idea, to a huge value add, to the overall Revenue org has been pretty amazing.
What was your state of work before using Asana, and what is your work like now that you have Asana?
Before Asana, I spent more time trying to figure out work that was about work and less time actually focusing on the work that was for my job. Using the product allowed me to be tremendously focused on my everyday work and unlock that freedom for our customers as well. Since I’ve been in their shoes, I can empathize a lot better and more intentionally understand their journey. Asana is really that central source of truth across the board.
What’s it like being an ERG co-lead?
It’s what I’m most proud of being at Asana. Our Blacsana ERG is focused on supporting and uplifting our black community and allies. When I got to Asana, Blacsana wasn’t an ERG yet. It’s been amazing turning the idea into a reality—plus being one of the inaugural co-leads is pretty special.
Additionally, it’s one of the honors of my life to be able to advocate for employees and prospective candidates who are just like me. I’m so passionate about creating equitable workspaces, advocating for others, and helping to create this community—not only for the black community, but for our allies as well. I absolutely love it. I love the people that I work with, I love the people that I work alongside, and I love just the overall experience that it’s given me.
How do you feel valued at Asana?
Truly, wholeheartedly, Asana allows me to show up as my full self every single day. I don’t feel like I have to put on a facade or a front. While every day is not perfect, Asana embraces people where they are and creates such a sense of belonging no matter what you’re facing that day. Whether in the office or behind my computer screen with no camera on, I can authentically be seen. I know I’m part of a world where it’s not always the most welcoming to be my full self as a black gay man, so it’s incredibly refreshing that I get to show up as Seabass in the place that I spend most of my time.
What’s your personal mantra, and where did it come from?
It’s my own mantra: I want to create the most safe, intentional spaces for any and all humans that interact with me. There have been many times in my life where I’ve needed a safe space, and I didn’t have one. So, a lot of what I do today is for the 16-year-old version of me. If I can just provide to others that space that I need in my life, then I’ll feel like I’m doing good in the world.
If you could give a new Asana one piece of advice, what would it be?
Show up as your full self every single day. Everybody else is taken.
Take the next career-defining step in your journey at Asana! If you’re passionate about helping teams thrive and excited by the opportunity to make a big impact at a fast-growing company where an inclusive culture is non-negotiable, we’d love to talk to you. Apply today to join Seabass on our Customer Success team, or check out all our open roles across the globe.
