Digital Solutions at RDA & Co-founder of Pixleration; Sitecore MVP
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I am a mom, a visionary, and a potterhead! I have worked with Sitecore for almost 10 years, 6 years as a Sitecore client managing a team of 30 and 4 years as with 2 Platinum Partners. I am a 3x Sitecore Strategy MVP. I love listening to customers and working with them towards a solution. I started out as a QA intern at TNS Global, and worked my way up the ranks as a developer, team lead, manager, and director.
What is key to excelling in the tech industry?
I believe every person has their own key (completely different from the next) to unlock their own potential. My key is passion, listening, and always learning.
What does a day in the life look like for you?
I spend most of my day listening to client problems and coming up with solutions, guiding them based on my prior experiences and knowledge with the different technology solutions. A huge part of this is playing with new technologies and understanding what these technologies could bring to the different industries.
What helped you become successful throughout your career?
Amazing mentors; people who cared about me and realized that I had potential. I tried to be a sponge to these mentors and learn everything they had to offer me.
Do you have any advice/tips for women looking to start a career in tech? What do you wish you had known?
Never give up. I’ve had my ups and downs. When I was right out of college, I thought I’d never find a job and never be able to get in, but I did. Reach out if you need help finding the right fit. I love mentoring others. Whether it’s me or someone else, find your mentors and talk about your problems. Humanizing each person is the only way to get through them.
Senior Sitecore Consultant at Switch ; Sitecore MVP
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I am Duaa Abu Gharbieh. A technology lover, I live in Jordan, and I graduated from the University of Jordan with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
I started my journey as a Java programmer, then moved to specialize in dot net, I have 14 years of experience in the IT field, and in the last eight years, I specialized in Sitecore.
I have had the chance to work with many Sitecore Partners and great people in the community.
Now I am working remotely as a Senior Sitecore consultant at Switch (Sitecore Platinum Implementation Partner in Australia).
Share some of your accomplishments within the Sitecore community?
Technology Sitecore MVP in 2017
Ambassador Sitecore MVP in 2019
Ambassador Sitecore MVP in 2020
Ambassador Sitecore MVP in 2021
User Jordan Group – one of the committee team
Woman of Sitecore Group – one of leadership and foundation team
Winning the Sitecore Hackathon 2020 as one of the “KATSU” team
What resources have helped you along your career?
The great Sitecore community in the first place, Stack overflow, and Sitecore Documentation /Training.
What challenges do you see for women in tech today?
If we had a look at the number of women in most of the technology companies, we will notice that we have a big gap between the number of females and males. I think we need to encourage more women to get involved in the technology career path.
Do you have any advice or women looking to start their careers in tech? What do you wish you had known?
Don’t be afraid to put your first step on the road. You may think that it will be a long and hard journey, but trust me it’s an enjoyable journey full of ups and downs. In the end, you will be very happy when you look back at what you have achieved and added to the world.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I am from Ahmedabad – A city in the state of Gujarat, India. My first degree was in Civil Engineering.
I worked as a laboratory technician as a trainee testing soil, water and concrete samples and then as a CAD Draftsperson/developer for a few years. While working with AutoCAD, I was exposed to AutoLISP – the programming language for CAD – which prompted my interest in programming. I obtained my master’s in computer science with Java from London. As luck would have it, I ended up with opportunities in Microsoft Tech-stack and moved to the USA in 2006; got trained in Sitecore in 2007 and started working on Sitecore projects – most of them with Commerce platform integrations – Microsoft Commerce Server, MediaChase(Now Optimizely), InsiteCommerce (Now Optimizely B2B), uCommerce, Sitecore Commerce…to name a few!
I am presently working as Architect on Commerce Team at Verndale – a great team to be part of.
I love the way my interests have carved my career path and I am blessed to be doing what I love! One exploration led to another! I have enjoyed working with a variety of eCommerce clients over the years – paper, flowers, windmills, chocolates, coffee, brewers, pyjamas, teddy bears, cables, jewelry, diamonds, school supplies, beer & wine! With eCommerce, there is never a dull moment – only challenging/fun moments! In my 15+ years with these projects, I have developed a good level of intuition when it comes to eCommerce of all flavors – B2B, B2C, B2B2C, C2C…!
When not working, I enjoy singing Bollywood songs or read books – books take me places. I also love long walks and binge-watching my favorite TV shows!
Was there ever a time that you wanted to give up when pursuing a career in tech? What kept you motivated?
Nope! Never occurred to me. I have loved and enjoyed every project, every challenge over the years. Always learning and doing better than yesterday keeps me motivated (and on my toes!)
What resources have helped you along your career?
My mentor/s for sure. They have pushed me and encouraged me to find answers and learn on my own. Various training programs that I have gone through have provided me with the learning and additional resources over the years. In addition to these, the slack and stack-exchange communities have been an excellent source of help and learning over the years. And last but not least…GOOGLE!
What challenges do you see for women in tech today?
DO NOT shy away from asking questions. Be polite but be firm, raise your hand and say what you have to say. Be brave and honest in admitting your mistakes.
The most valuable lesson I learned from my mentor: Failure is not the end of the world. Until you fail, you won’t learn how to succeed.
All that I have included in the tips above, I wish somebody had told me all of that at the very beginning of my career.
Founder and Co-owner at Hoffstech LLC ; Sitecore MVP
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I’m originally from MD and I moved to FL with my husband in 2012. In college, I studied computer science and I’m currently focused on being an author and professional speaker. I have worked with Sitecore for over 10 years as a lead developer mostly but I was also previously the curriculum manager at Sitecore. I am now a 2x Sitecore Technology MVP. I launched a Sitecore Learning Path on Pluralsight in 2019 and it currently includes 3 courses on Sitecore Helix and Administration. My next course is coming out soon (or maybe will already be out by the time this goes out) and it will cover Managing Sitecore Docker Containers.
What does a day in the life look like for you?
If you asked me this last year, my answer would have been very different. In my days as a Lead Dev working for several Sitecore partners, my day consisted of code, clients, and meetings. I worked overtime most of the time and sometimes I worked up to 100h a week. Last year was difficult for all of us and I ended up having a complete mental breakdown and had to take time off of work. I quit my job at the end of last year and this year I’m focused on being an author and professional speaker working part-time. My usual day starts between 8 or 9. I do yoga, drink tea, and sometimes go for a walk or run. I tend to start work around noon which consists of a lot of studying and writing or preparing for a speaking engagement. Depending on the project and due date, I work anywhere from 2-6h a day (right now it’s more like 6).
What would you say is key in exceling in your industry?
It’s really hard to keep up with new and emerging technologies and it takes a lot of studying. The best devs I know are studying constantly. I can tell you from my Pluralsight course analytics, Sitecorians like to study on the weekends! But it’s also important to have balance in life so I would suggest not studying all weekend.
What challenges do you see for women in tech today?
Representation is still a problem especially for women of color. I still see companies post pictures of their dev teams which consist primarily of men and sometimes there’s 1 woman. There’s also a lot of gatekeeping which exists to make it harder for women and minorities to even get a job. I once had a job that required me to become certified during the interview process. I got the job but when I asked others how they did on their certification exams they said they didn’t have to take the exam. This needs to stop.
Do you have any advice or tips for women looking to start their careers in tech? What do you wish you had known?
Companies are wrong when they ask you not to share salary info with your co-workers. Women are still paid less than men overall for the same jobs unless we ask men what they’re making and demand the same. I’m lucky to have friends who share with me what I should be making.
Vice President Client Services at Xcentium ; Sitecore MVP
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I was born and raised in the suburb where I currently live on the Northwest side of Chicago.
I have my BA in the Teaching of English and an MA in English Composition and actually started my career as a high school English teacher. I still consider myself an educator at heart, but after taking time off from full-time work to focus on raising our two daughters, I re-entered the full-time work force as a Project Manager for a website development company about 12 years ago.
That re-entry into full-time work was really stressful. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into when I took on a Project Manager role. I was eager to get some experience in consulting and was hoping to use my writing skills but felt like I was in over my head at the beginning. I spent the first six months in that job with an out of control case of imposter syndrome. I figured that, at any moment, someone would realize that I didn’t know what I was doing. One day, about six months in, I realized that good Project Management was all about great communication and organizational skills—things that a parent and teacher has in spades. After that, I was more able to lean in to the work and grew my career pretty quickly.
Through dialing in to my natural curiosity and critical thinking skills, I expanded my work into Digital Strategy, working closely with marketers and serving as the connection between marketing needs and the technical solutions needed to bring good digital strategy to life.
What is your role and where do you work?
I am a VP of Client Services, focusing on Digital Strategy for XCentium. My work runs the gamut from evangelizing Sitecore in the marketplace, to heading up delivery of enterprise website development projects, to ongoing relationship and account management with our clients.
My job keeps me on my toes because there’s a different challenge to solve every day as my work spans all aspects of our client relationships. I am involved in new business development as well as the day to day of project delivery.
A lot of what I do is focused on collaborating with our clients and XC technical architects to constantly be looking to the future and helping clients determine what to prioritize on their digital roadmap.
What would you say is key to excelling in your industry?
Because tech evolves so quickly, the trait that I think makes the biggest impact on an individual’s success is to really know how to learn—which is vastly different from knowing a lot. When I am recruiting, I look for people who have a strong sense of self-knowledge: they know how to approach a task that they’ve never attempted before but can figure it out because they have excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
In this industry, we have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and navigating through failure. I have never learned something by having it go completely right the first time—my learnings and growth have all come from working through a tough project or through unexpected obstacles.
I am still learning this one as a recovering perfectionist but I am embracing the mantra “Done is better than perfect.” If you don’t keep moving forward, this industry will quickly leave you behind.
In your academic or work career, was there ever a time that you wanted to give up? How did you overcome this and continue working towards your goal?
In what we do, it’s really easy to feel like you don’t know enough. Imposter syndrome seems almost cliché these days, but it’s very real and has been a struggle throughout my career. I have found that the most intelligent people I know fall into this way of thinking because they have a high bar and high standards for themselves.
Frankly, I got through these struggles because I had to—because the work and project deadlines required it. Sometimes the only way out is through. And I’ve learned that while it can be very rough, you will get through the tough spots and then have tools to take forward.
When I have wanted to give up, it’s when challenges have seemed insurmountable—where we hit a roadblock and the solution wasn’t apparent. But what I’ve learned is that there is always a solution. I am also the mom of two young adult daughters so I always consider how my approach to difficulty is an example to them.
Do you have any advice or tips for women looking to start their careers in tech? What do you wish you had known?
There is so much that I wish I would have known at the start of my tech consulting career! I was a little intimidated by tech when I started and have had a lifelong uneasiness with not knowing/having the answer.
I wish that at the start of my career, I had really understood that the key to success in tech revolves around tenacity, curiosity and organized thinking. It’s not about having the answer or knowing the direct path to a solution at the
beginning. A lot of what we do relies on the scientific method of having a hypothesis and then working towards that by making adjustments along the way.
As women, many of us grew up feeling that we needed to have the right answer all the time and are, therefore, uncomfortable not knowing. This is what can cause us to be afraid of asking questions (especially if we think it’s a “dumb” question). It’s taken me a long time, but I have learned to embrace the not knowing and now I am proud of my ability to ask good questions to lead my teams to the solutions.
Chief Technology Officer at Verndale; Sitecore MVP
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I am from Butler, NJ and attended Boston College, originally with a major in Psychology, but added a Computer Science major as well during my Sophomore year. Computers intrigued me and at the time some really cool CGI was debuting in movies like Toy Story. I quickly realized that wasn’t exactly an option to learn at BC, but by then I was really motivated by the challenges of the CS curriculum and decided to stick with it.
I graduated with degrees in both majors in 2000, right at the height of the internet bubble and it was a very exciting time to be going into web development. I decided that I would rather follow that career path and not go on for a higher education in Psychology.
I was hired to do classic ASP development for an organization in Watertown, MA called Primix. I ended up switching to HTML and Javascript development (which is nothing like what it is today) because I liked the idea of seeing visual results of the work I was doing. Unfortunately, about 10 months later, I was laid off along with many others in the industry, as the internet bubble burst. I was eventually able to find another opportunity with my current company, Verndale, and began working with ASP, SQL database architecture, and TSQL.
Through the years, I have grown with my organization. When I started out, Verndale had just 7 employees and now we have grown to over 170. Technically, I continued my learning with C#, .NET, integration development and architecture, and deep-diving into many platforms such as Sitecore. More importantly, I learned the softer skills of the agency life, including SDLC, delivery best practices, project management, importance of collaboration and communication, estimation and scope management, client management, change management, etc. I became a team technical leader and architect.
Six years ago I was presented with the opportunity to run our Development Departments which are comprised of Backend and Frontend Engineering as well as QA. Then, a year ago, I stepped in to fill the CTO role here, which has provided me with invaluable executive experience in the business strategy of running an agency. I feel truly blessed that I have been able to have so many different experiences, try so many roles, within a single organization, and truly witness how decisions made can play out over years and even decades.
In your academic or work career, was there ever a time that you wanted to give up? How did you overcome this and continue working towards your goal?
There have been many times in my career in this industry that have turned out to be critical decision points in time.
The first was when I decided to try out computer courses and stuck with them even though they weren’t exactly what I thought they would be, and when I found them to be so much harder than anything else I had ever studied before. Each semester there was at least one course that would make me cry. But by the end of each course, I found myself mastering it. It was almost addictive!
The second time I considered giving up on this career path is when I was let go from my first job. It was so hard to find a new opportunity, competing with thousands of other people who had so much more experience than I had. How could I possibly get noticed? It took months to finally land a couple of interviews. I even took a travel agency course thinking I might switch careers entirely. That is when I discovered my super power: tenacity and determination. I don’t quit and I thoroughly see things through, to the very end. What is the point in doing something if you aren’t going to commit to the highest quality? People appreciated and highly value reliability and delivering with high quality.
To stand out and get noticed, I learned to speak with confidence, even if I didn’t feel it. I wrote cover letters that made bold claims and trusted that I could back them up. When I took on a position at my current company, I wasn’t sure it was going to be equal to my last role. But that is another key piece of learning. Sometimes to make great strides, you have to position yourself for something bigger and better by doing a side-step or even step back. Then get yourself into a place where you can make a big splash, and leap forward.
The third time I questioned myself is when I was presented with the opportunity to move from working on projects to management of departments. I didn’t know if I could do it. I only had a little management experience, I was working remotely, and I didn’t really see myself as a leader. I never thought that I had aspirations to be a leader. But I also realized what an amazing opportunity it would be. Although it was scary to think about what might be involved in this new path, I was confident that I could figure it out and I had the right people in my organization to support me.
What is the favorite part of working in the tech industry?
I love how fast everything moves. It is such an exciting time in the industry and especially the digital world. Just when I thought it couldn’t get faster, the pandemic changed everything and pushed the fast-forward button. There is always something new and interesting to learn, there just isn’t enough time in the day for it all. I also love the interesting and insanely intelligent people I get to interact with on a day-to-day basis.
What challenges do you see for women in tech today?
The biggest challenge for women today is their own self-doubt and hesitation to ask for more, whether it be responsibility, salary, or opportunity. We believe that we need to be 100% perfect for a role, before taking it on. I think we are in a period where especially in tech, people are hyperaware of the women’s movement and enabling women. I’d like to believe that both men and women in positions of power are more aware and trying to help women get ahead. Therefore, women need to meet that half way, have confidence in themselves, and go for whatever it is that they want.
One other area that is a challenge is less about the women currently in tech, and more about the women and girls who are not yet in tech. There continues to be stereotypes and a lack of information about technology careers. Young women and girls need us to reach out and educate them on the opportunities and diversity of careers that exist for them in technology fields. This is how we pay our success forward.
Do you have any advice or tips for women looking to start their careers in tech? What do you wish you had known?
My advice is that if you feel unsupported by your colleagues and managers, move on to a different opportunity until you do feel supported. The work we do in tech is hard enough and it will be hard to get ahead without that support. I was fortunate to land at an organization that is open-minded and supportive. I know that I might not have gone as far if I didn’t have that support and the pushes that they provided.
I would also advise getting a mentor, woman or man, who can help guide you and help to open doors and give sound advice. I didn’t realize how many successful people in the tech industry had mentors that they were able to point to as contributing to their success.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I was born and raised in Canada but have lived outside my country for half my lifetime (USA, France, UK). My career began in marketing, then business development, and back and forth – currently I head up sales and agency partnerships. My education is deliberately diverse – I have a Bachelor of Science in what was supposed to be Political Science, Philosophy and Economics – but I skipped at statistics class to make it to the September start date for my Masters degree in marketing. My career experience is a mix of circumstances, chance and being okay with making my own rules versus adhering to the status quo.
What does a day in the life look like for you?
I’m happy to be working at home again. Personally, creativity and strategy flow better with the tranquillity the home office brings: less disruption, no bright lights. My days vary a lot. Somedays I’m focused on following-up with clients, chasing new deals, some days I’m plotting out new presentations or writing new content, and of course, on more exciting days I’m writing contracts. Some days I seem to be jumping from call to call to call across meeting platforms and mobile. Of course, I’m always trying to ramp up my product knowledge!
Was there ever a time that you wanted to give up when pursuing a career in tech? What kept you motivated?
A lesser-known story about me is that I started to teach myself to code on a Commodore Vic 20, then a Commodore 64 in the mid 80s. I was very young and very intrigued. In high school, I was top of my class in Computer Science. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, I was unable to complete the entry requirements to CS degree programs at the time. I gave up on the idea of programming. Somehow I fumbled my way into studying creative advertising and then marketing. Eventually my marketing and business development career intersected with technology! From there I found it was fairly frequent to be dismissed or spoken-down by people who were technical. I found I had to defend my understanding of tech a lot. Over time I found motivation in self-acceptance. I have never followed the status quo. I’ve always been an outlier. I question everything. I’m not afraid to challenge ideas or people. I feel happiest when I’m working in a more strategic side of business where I’m problem-solving, innovating…a. change agent. That is my comfort zone, where I perform the best and am the most motivated.
What challenges do you see for women in tech today?
I preface this with – Thank you to the men who have been supportive and encouraging! There are a lot of challenges that are not new. And of course, no challenges are applicable to everyone. But some I think are some seldom spoken about. Based on personal experience, despite what laws say, women experience challenges and setbacks related to having children from pregnancy and throughout their younger years. I think for women in tech, continuing to advance education is crucial but it’s also deeply challenging, more so for those who are solo parents. For example, the amount I’ve paid in childcare in the last few years is a huge chunk of the cost of an EMBA or MBA.
Do you have any advice or tips for women looking to start their careers in tech? What do you wish you had known?
Find tech communities to be a part of. Find mentors. Find things that you are passionate about. Don’t be scared to try new things – you only live once. I wish I had realized at a much younger age that when people are mean or bully others it’s because of their own insecurities. One of the most important things to learn is to be comfortable in your own skin. Oh and here’s a thought to keep you grounded – even Neil Armstrong suffered Imposter Syndrome.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I talked my way into a job at Hedgehog Development; I was hired as an office manager, but it was a supportive environment that encouraged learning and all my colleagues were willing to share their knowledge. I worked my way into the marketing department, and from there the move to digital strategy was seamless. After Sitecore acquired Hedgehog, BV&S was a natural fit.
Who is your role model in the tech industry?
Katherine Johnson, forever and always.
What would you say is key in exceling in your industry?
Being curious is essential – a willingness to ask questions and really listen to the answers can uncover information to build a strategy and help the client. It can also lead you in the direction of new and creative solutions.
What challenges do you see for women in tech today?
The lack of representation at all levels of leadership makes things challenging; we’re constantly trying to build the ladder while we climb it.
Do you have any advice or tips for women looking to start their careers in tech? What do you wish you had known?
Trust your instincts; if something doesn’t feel or look right, reach out and ask someone. You’ll be right more times than not.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I grew up on a farm in downstate Illinois. I studied Computer Science in college, and I am currently a Software Architect at One North Interactive, a full-service digital agency. I began my career as a Java developer for 8 years before moving over to .NET developer since 2010.
What is the favorite part of working in the tech industry?
Solving problems, building relationships with clients and being able to lead others in navigating the challenges that technology offers.
Share some of your accomplishments within the Sitecore community?
Over the past 4 years, I have provided technical oversight, support, direction, and maintenance for over 40 of our client Sitecore implementations. I have worked directly with our clients and host numerous client training sessions on Sitecore backend capabilities. I have developed, executed and supported a high-quality Sitecore implementation of personalization for one of the largest certified public accounting and business advisory firms. Some of the highlights include: Rules-based personalization, implicit personalization, and experience analytics. This implementation has provided a foundation for our company and I am rolling out the same features for numerous other existing and prospective clients. I have created Sitecore modules and sample code, as well as posted best practices in the Sitecore community.
What challenges do you see for women in tech today?
The feeling of being outnumbered can be intimidating. It can inhibit confidence and possibly prevent women from feeling empowered to provide their perspectives and experiences. This results in lower visibility rate and can stunt career growth. When you’re brave, you empower others around you to be brave too.
Do you have any advice for women looking to start their careers in tech? What do you wish you had known?
I did not realize the true lack of women in technology in the workforce. In school, there were many females in my classes. I have worked for 4 different companies and not only have I been the minority, but I have also been 1 of 3 females in the technology department. With that being said, I actually have found it rewarding. I have always been respected in the workforce and have been provided with the same opportunities as others, if not more.
The Women of Sitecore series features exclusive interviews from women in the Sitecore community. Learn about their unique stories full of accomplishments, challenges, and advice on how to thrive in the tech industry.
Jaina Baumgartner – Digital Solutions at RDA & Co-founder of Pixleration ; Sitecore MVP
Dua’a Abu Gharbieh – Senior Sitecore Consultant at Switch ; Sitecore MVP
Hetal Dave – Technical Architect at Verndale ; Sitecore MVP
Shelley Benhoff – Founder and Cofounder at Hoffstech LLC ; Sitecore MVP
Samantha Goble – Vice President Client Services at Xcentium ; Sitecore MVP
Liz Spranzani – Chief Technology Officer at Verndale; Sitecore MVP
