• Crisp Culture

How One Crisp Intern Became a Tesla Winner

5 minutes to read

Crisp has always been an environment that rewards hard work, alignment, and transformational growth.

There aren’t many stories that illustrate this truth better than the story of Zain Jiwani.

Zain’s Beginning

Zain joined the Crisp team in 2018 as a production intern, intent on gaining skills and experiences to help him launch his career. From the beginning of his time at Crisp, Zain demonstrated each core value in the work he did and the value he contributed to the team.

“He was very willing to roll with the punches, very willing to be thrown into the deep end learning things about Crisp, what we do, why we do it,” reflects Mike McMullan, Director of Production.

Head of People Morgan Gobert agrees that from the start Zain was a valuable member of the team. “He’s very much a person that works like an owner, so he treats things like they are his own,” she says.

“Zain honestly just was relentless,” says Director of Operations Jessica Mogill. “Zain would do anything and everything, and he is truly the definition of team first when it comes to our core values.”

By the end of 2018, Zain had earned a full-time position at Crisp.

“I think Zain coming on full time was really important,” says Cinematographer/Editor Steven Ceballos, “because we needed somebody that held everyone together in ways that we just didn’t have before.”

The Tesla

Around the same time Zain was elevated to a full-time position in Crisp’s production department, Crisp Founder & CEO Michael Mogill announced the year’s big Ambassador Program, which included giving away three Tesla Model 3s at the Crisp Game Changers Summit (among other game changing rewards throughout the year).

The biggest difference in this year’s program, however, was that one of those Teslas would be going not to a Crisp client or preferred partner — but to a Crisp team member.

“The idea behind this program and giving away a car to a team member was that throughout the year, you would earn tokens, so this was a way for us to reward our team members for going above and beyond — not just meeting our core values, but also exceeding them too,” explains Michael.

While every Crisp team member had opportunities to earn tokens to put them in the running for the Tesla drawing, Zain didn’t initially feel connected to the contest.

“When Michael announced the car, I was still an intern,” he says. “I would say I was motivated, and part of me was, but there were so many people around me at that meeting, I felt like I literally had zero chance.”

Each week, each Crisp team member voted for another teammate to earn that week’s Tesla token, and at the end of each month the full team again voted to decide that month’s Crisp Team Member of the Month, who also earned a token. Finally, Crisp leadership awarded tokens to individuals on the team that went above and beyond as a way to recognize those team members for the impact they made on the team.

Before long, Zain had accumulated a growing treasure trove of the coveted Tesla tokens.

“Once those tokens started coming, that’s when I was even more motivated and more inclined to keep the pace,” he says. “I wanted to prove myself, that this wasn’t just a fluke, this is what I am, this is how hard I work.”

By the time the Game Changers Summit rolled around, Zain had earned six tokens from his colleagues.

The odds were in his favor.

The Big Announcement

“As the day came closer — as the hour came closer — I was a nervous wreck,” confesses Zain.

The entire Crisp team assembled on stage at the end of the Summit, when Michael announced the winners of all three Teslas and the Grand Prize Ferrari California.

After a brief moment of suspense (and a brief explanation of the giveaway and what it has meant for the Crisp team all year), the winning token was drawn…

It was, of course, none other than Zain Jiwani.

“That was one of the best moments of the Summit,” says Michael, “to see how enthusiastic the team was about Zain winning that car, and how excited they all were for Zain.”

The team exploded with cheers and hugs for the winner, who no one could deny deserved the prize wholeheartedly.

“Everything kind of came full circle in that moment,” says Zain, reflecting on the surreal experience. “It summed up the whole year — that I made the right decision doing the internship, I worked my ass off, and it’s all paid off.”

Since that day, Zain hasn’t slowed down. Since starting at Crisp, he has advanced from intern to Production Coordinator, he continues to impact the team’s success and contribute to Crisp’s one-of-a-kind company culture, and his future looks bright.

Looking ahead, Zain says confidently, “I can only go up from here.”