Women’s History Month at Litmus: Women who have positively impacted our careers

Our journeys in email would be incomplete without mentioning and celebrating the women in our lives.

Earlier this month, we took to our community on Twitter and LinkedIn to foster conversation about women who have impacted our careers. The result? So much support.

Who's a woman who has left a positive impact on you and your career (email or not)? 💬

— Litmus (@litmusapp) March 3, 2021

At Litmus, we’ve had the privilege of working with so many remarkable women who have made a lasting impact on our email journeys—from giving us our career firsts to igniting our email spark. To commemorate Women’s History Month, we shifted our focus to women and are spotlighting some of the incredible women we’ve met along the way, too.

Keep reading to learn more about the women who have empowered us to be better individuals, both in and out of the workplace.

Women and their lasting impact on our email journeys

Alice Li

“Alice Li is an exceptional email designer and developer, currently working at Squarespace. Over the years that I’ve known her, I’ve learned more about Dark Mode, accessibility, interactivity, and general good coding practices than I thought imaginable.

But, beyond Alice’s exhaustive email development knowledge, she’s a thoughtful advocate for users, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion. I’ve always been amazed at her courage when it comes to talking about sensitive, sometimes divisive issues, and her commitment to equity, justice, and kindness.

What I’ve learned from her has gone way beyond just email marketing and development. It’s made me think harder about my place in the wider world and how my own work can either uplift others or tear them down. And she’s a big reason why I always try to do the former.”

Jason Rodriguez, Community & Product Evangelist

Kathleen Whittier

“Kathleen was my first manager out of college. She was not only a great teacher but she took the time to go the extra mile and mentor on little things that oftentimes college grads might not learn—like how to write a persuasive email and how to build a project proposal.

They may seem like simple tasks, but they built a strong foundation. I’ll never forget her patience and kindness.”

Tanya Littlefield, Director of Customer Marketing

Mrs. Arnold

“Mrs. Arnold (6th grade programming teacher) introduced me to real programming and really made it click. She set me on the path of turning what was a fun hobby into a profitable career.”

Bert Lamb, Engineering Manager

Nichole Robbins

“Nichole Robbins has been my manager for almost 3 years now. She has been a tremendous influence on my professional career not only in email but in general in the workforce.

She is by far one of the best leaders I have ever had the privilege of working with and being a part of her team. She so effortlessly leads our team in such a unique and out-of-the-box way that, when joining Litmus, was very refreshing. She is one of the few leaders who are willing to not only encourage her team but also dig in and get her hands dirty to further our success as a team.

She shares our successes as well as our failures and moves us in the direction of accomplishment. She has been a true role model for me these last few years, and I strive to attain her successfulness.”

Jennifer Tuttle, Finance Support Specialist II

Yvonne Aponte

“Yvonne Aponte was the manager who gave me my first opportunity to grow in the QA department and create a role for the company [I previously worked for] that would help us grow at an exponential rate. She knew I didn’t have the experience, but she saw my resume and my passion for processes and processing information and procedures and took a chance on me.

She inspired me to get my master’s degree and took time out of her day to talk about side projects that required more technical skills. She even helped me when I was learning to script in SQL and was new to learning our database structures.

She fought cancer and beat it the first time and came back to the office. That was who she was, diligent and steadfast to the core. The cancer beat her the second time around at 39. My life wouldn’t be the same without her. She took a chance on someone with passion and curiosity. She taught me so much by giving me the freedom to try things and evaluate after with her. We workshopped so many ideas and even though she was my manager, she was the best teammate to work with each day. I will remember her always.”

Vic Rodriguez, Renewal Specialist

Yvonne Ndubuisi and Megan Moller

“When I was little, I loved writing poems, songs, stories, and heartfelt greeting cards. Yvonne Ndubuisi, my third grade teacher, nurtured this budding creativity of mine. She helped me with the first story I remember writing called The Heroine (although I have no idea of the plot anymore). She even wrote in my yearbook that she thought I’d make a great writer someday. I didn’t think much of it then, but here I am now… writing for Litmus.

I also want to give credit to Megan Moller who turned me to email marketing in particular. My love of writing piqued my interest in an email marketing role she was hiring for at a previous company. She helped me hone my craft and think about the purpose and audience of my messaging. And, of course, she taught me everything else about email marketing. I owe so much of my growth and success to her!”

Magan Le, Content Marketing Manager

Our superpowers as women

We also asked the women of Litmus to share their superpowers, both in and out of the workplace.

“Out of the workplace, my superpower is untying knots. In the workplace, it’s flexibility – rolling with the punches and adapting to situations calmly.”

Carin Slater, Email Marketing Specialist

“Juggling all the things. I can task-switch like a fiend.”

Jaina Mistry, Email Marketing Manager

“I think one of my superpowers is heading things straight on. I don’t think of myself as confrontational, but if I feel strongly about something, I will discuss it professionally and respectfully. It has actually improved a lot of situations and relationships.”

Karina Sanchez Gudino, Account Management Manager

“My first superpower is empathy—whether it’s in my work, or how I interact with the people around me.

Second is my identity. My background, upbringing, and unique set of experiences brought me to where I am today, which is part of the value I contribute—a superpower we all have!”

Kimberly Huang, Content Marketing Specialist

“I’d second Carin’s response on flexibility and adaptation! If 2020 wasn’t the year of the pivot, I don’t know what was (especially in the events world). I feel like the last few months have given me tons of opportunities to get better at rolling with the punches and getting creative to accomplish goals while staying authentic and people-centric.”

Lauren Kremer, Events Manager

“I have two superpowers. One is befriending the outcasts. As someone who grew up feeling like an outsider, I like to think that I’m highly aware of those lingering on the outside. I like to make everyone feel welcome and like they belong. I tend to befriend coworkers outside of my team or department because I don’t like cliques.

My other superpower is asking questions! Some see it as challenging or rebelliousness, but I’m just very detail-oriented. I like to know as much as I can, so I can see different solutions and weigh the options.”

Magan Le, Content Marketing Manager

“My superpower as a woman in the workplace is helping to cultivate an environment where people feel safe to be themselves, challenge the status quo, and speak up if they disagree.”

Shannon Howard, Customer Marketing Manager

“I would go with emotional intelligence/reading the room. I think a lot of women are particularly strong in that area, but don’t always identify or recognize it as a strength.”

Taylor Davis, Director of Customer Support

What about the women in your lives?

While Women’s History Month is coming to a close, it’s always good to take some time to celebrate and honor the women in our lives.

Back to you: Who’s a woman who has left a positive impact on you and your career (email or not)? Let them know, and share with us below!