“The past year has been so good to me! Being featured in content by Vice UK, Forbes Capital One, The New Yorker, BBC and making the cover of Pittsburgh City Paper plus accepting a Senior job position at my current company has been so incredible! Staying on top of my work while also reaching 200,000 subscribers on YouTube has not been easy but so fulfilling.”
Tell us a little bit about what a typical day looks like for you.
For me, it always starts with email. Then I like to check the News, observing my filtered sections based around SEM/PPC/AdWords, SEO, YouTube and ASMR. I am responsible for managing all of my company’s paid online marketing channels so I go through the daily grind of optimizations, meetings, campaign updates and launches, etc. When I get home, I either A) eat then film or B) freshen-up my makeup, film and then eat. I opt for the former since it’s awkward if you can hear my stomach growling in YouTube videos. After filming, I edit and export. While the export process is happening I will respond to YouTube-related emails and collaborations, hang with my boyfriend and bunny or livestream on Twitch. Sometimes even doing them all!
How do you stay passionate in your career?
Staying innovative, trying new things and testing them is very rewarding for me. From targeting a new demographic to testing out a new microphone I absolutely love experimenting!
Did you have a traditional path into tech (i.e.: CS/IT degree transitioned into tech job)?
NOT AT ALL. I was a journalism major in college and landed an internship at LunaMetrics that catapulted my digital marketing career. I’m so thankful for that opportunity everyday since I have no idea what on earth I would be doing otherwise.
Are there any apps, software, or tools you cannot live without?
SpyFu and Moz!
It’s common knowledge that women often face obstacles in the tech industry based on their gender. Have you ever had to deal with this type of experience and if so how did you handle it?
Yes – at my first job out of college I was talking to my manager about a target demographic – 22 to 30 year old women who wanted to eat healthy and look good in order to find a significant other. Cool, whatever. There was no reason he should’ve continued this conversation however, he did and said, “Women work until they find someone and get married and have kids and then they’re expected to leave the workforce. That’s why they’re not taken as seriously after the age of 40.” After work, I called my dad and asked if this was actually a thing. With a huff he said, “No, Lilli… Your mother, your aunt and pretty much every other woman in our family never left the workforce when they had kids. That guy’s an idiot.” It is a huge regret of mine to have not addressed the issue head-on. I dealt with it by venting to my father for reassurance.
What’s your favorite thing about being a woman in tech?
Being able to relate to other women in tech. That might sound a bit confusing but I love the “open door” feel of being a woman in tech. I can ask other women anything, the community is very supportive.
If applicable, how have you given back to the WIT community?
I constantly get asked by subscribers and colleagues how I broke into digital marketing and YouTube and I share my whole process with them, which I hope is fueling future WIT. I also hope that by me getting interviewed by Forbes, BBC, Vice and even local papers has inspired young women aspiring to pursue careers in tech.
What is a piece of advice you would give to others wanting to or currently pursuing a career in tech?
You don’t have to do it the way everyone else is doing it. In both my day job and in my ASMR career I’ve always liked to try new things. For ASMR, I catapulted a sub-genre of true crime ASMR (relaxation and mysteries, wtf?!) and at my job I like to test new audiences.
Favorite quote:
“Just do it .”
“Everything is okay in moderation.”