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.