Jordan Harbinger, ’03, JD’07
What do you do on a daily basis “on the job?”
My job is completely unpredictable. I’m not only the founder and a managing partner of The Art of Charm, but as a lawyer I do all the legal work and contract negotiations as well. One day I might be drafting an agreement to train corporate executives for a Fortune 500 company and the next I might be hosting my talk show on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Between those projects, I may be helping lead a program for students, which means I’m teaching in a classroom setting and heading out into the real world to help them apply what they’ve learned.
Why did you choose to work at your company?
I founded the company in Ann Arbor with a friend as a hobby, and then went to work on Wall Street. Shortly after, the partners and I decided to run the company full time instead of as a side-job. In less than a year, we’ve gone from a group of hobbyists to a multimillion dollar corporation.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
The best thing about my job is that it’s something I’ve created myself alongside my closest friends. On a daily basis, we receive dozens of letters from people whose lives we have helped change for the better. Few things are more rewarding than that. On top of it all, we’re quite well-paid, and have a top-notch staff and a relaxed office environment that encourages creativity and self-expression in ways which contribute to our brand.
What was your college major and what educational experiences most relate to your current job?
In LS&A I created my own concentration, which makes sense since we’ve invented not only our own company but an entire industry. Of course, having a law degree from U-M has made many things possible in terms of grounding and expanding our business safely and effectively.
Would other Michigan graduates be successful at your company?
Other Michigan grads would be able to succeed here at The Art of Charm. Everyone inside the company is intelligent, hardworking, and dedicated to lifelong learning. Likewise, our company encourages people to self-motivate and lead others and themselves to success both within and outside of the company.
What advice do you have for Michigan alumni about opportunities at your company or industry?
At this time all of our internships are unpaid. We’re looking for media (audio and video) interns, press/marketing and communications personnel, and IT/technical interns, especially web design and programming.
The Art of Charm can be reached at 917.720.4104 and is based in downtown Manhattan in New York City.
Click here to read about Robert Geer, ’90, Managing Partner at Management Business Solutions.
