Women in Technology: Amy Adams

Customer Success Manager for GiveWP on the power of connection, creative problem-solving, and the many opportunities in the tech field.

Amy Adams grew up knowing the importance of an open door. “I grew up in a semi-rural part of Connecticut,” she says. “Despite there only being four of us—myself, my parents, and my older brother—our home was always open to anyone that showed up at our door. We invited friends passing through the area or a stray animal was looking for their next home.”

A shy kid in high school, Adams turned to art and film. “I did a little bit of theater, but I was mostly making art, whether drawing or painting,” she says. “Another escape for me was movies. I was either at the movies or watching movies at home every weekend. I sometimes throw on a movie for background noise while working. It usually has to be some type of action, sci-fi, or fantasy - usually a combination of the three.”

Growing up, she worked odd jobs: pet-sitting, dog walking, decorating, and painting. “It was a lot of fun but unreliable,” she says. Then, after some time, she began working in a “big box” hardware store, selling flooring installations and materials. “I was ready to be done loading trucks with boxes of tile and wood planks, so I was looking for a change,” she says.

That’s when she began working with GiveWP in November 2019, where she is now a Customer Success Manager. “I answer presale questions about what our software does and help onboard new customers,” she says. “A big part of my job is keeping track of feature requests and writing proposals when certain features get a lot of attention.”

For Adams, one of the biggest perks of the job is getting to work in the places she feels most inspired. “What I honestly love most,” she says, “is choosing my environment. Some days I’m more productive at a busy coffee shop with my laptop. Most days, I’m more productive working in my home office from my giant monitor and standing desk. Sometimes just a change of scenery can keep the day fresh and prevent it from feeling like a grind.” Adams also loves the connection a job in tech provides. “I’ve been very fortunate to find myself in a very supportive corner of the WordPress community,” she says.

That appreciation of community and connection extends to customers, too. “Seeing our customers’ needs go from a wishlist item to a fully realized feature is such an amazing experience,” Adams says. “I’m always excited for a new feature or functionality, especially when I had a hand in the project somewhere along the way.”

To offer customers this kind of experience, Adams tries to examine the bigger need expressed by the customer and where that need comes from. “Then I look at the details,” she says. “My job can, at times, require creative problem-solving, so I like to look at each problem in three steps: zoomed out to see the big picture, zoomed in to examine the details, then zoomed back out to see how it all comes together. Or big picture, fine details, then back out again.”

When asked what motivates her, Adams says her fun answer is coffee, and her honest answer is coffee and a pat on the back. “I have a habit of second guessing myself into stasis until I get a ‘keep going’ or ‘you’re on the right track!’ because a small encouragement does wonders for getting through the week,” she says. “I try to be encouraging to others in the same way.”

To find that encouragement, Adams says she has an incredible support system. “The people in my life have my back,” she says. “My friends, husband, and work environment are very supportive! I also read psychology textbooks and journals. Learning how the mind operates has helped me approach most situations with the end user at the forefront. It’s easier to guide someone to a solution when you recognize how they may have ended up in their current situation and empathize with how they’re feeling.”

To encourage those interested in pursuing a career in tech, Adams says looking at the vast opportunities in tech is an excellent place to start. “There’s more than one kind of opportunity in the tech field because all kinds of skills are needed in this industry,” she says. “I didn’t need to build websites or be a developer to bring value to my company. I just needed to be willing to learn something new. I personally wasn’t interested in tech as much as I was interested in a career change. Now it’s hard to picture myself doing anything else!”

She also says that if you’re interested in tech, you already belong here. “You learn a little to get in the door. Then whatever you don’t know, you can learn. But you have to be willing to learn.”

Adams is happy with a quiet day at home working on art projects when she’s not at work. Otherwise, she enjoys exploring new places. “Whatever I’m doing almost always includes some kind of coffee,” she says. She spends as much time as possible drawing and painting artwork mostly reflective of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. When she’s not working on art projects, she’s usually carving out time for video games, Dungeons & Dragons, and watching hockey with her husband.