Women in Technology: Taylor Waldon

GiveWP’s Digital Content Marketing Manager on staying present, appreciating tech, and the way a love of stories drives her work.

Taylor Waldon runs on adventure and stories. “I’m a story junkie,” she says, “and I really like to live them. Sometimes, this gets me into trouble, nevertheless it’s all the time definitely worth the story I can tell in a while!”

Waldon spent her childhood in Southern California in a small country town within the suburbs of San Diego. “I used to be shocked the primary time I saw a horse crosswalk button. They’re about head-height above the traditional button,” she says. It was a spot where everyone knew everyone, and highschool sports were a town-wide event.

An avid soccer player at elite SoCal clubs, Waldon spent much of her youth training or playing in tournaments. Then, as a teen, she got her first taste of promoting while working part-time at her parent’s restaurant. “My first true marketing job was as their social media manager,” she says, “back when social media marketing was brand recent.”

Eventually, Waldon earned an undergraduate degree in English Literature and a Master’s in International Relations. After school, she worked in marketing in quite a lot of industries including food service, RV sales, and plumbing supply.

Now at GiveWP, Waldon gets to place her love of stories to make use of. “I get to see a ton of stories from wonderful nonprofits, people, and my coworkers,” she says. “That is my favorite a part of my job.”

Waldon is the Digital Content Marketing Manager at GiveWP. “I explain my role to people outside the tech industry as either ‘I do marketing’ or ‘I’m a author,’ depending on who I’m talking to.” It’s a job that gives glimpses into the tech world, which Waldon appreciates.

“I really like the access that I actually have to learn recent technologies and coding languages,” she says. “I’m not a developer, but working closely with them is one in every of my favorite things. I could make more informed marketing decisions by understanding the technology behind our products. It surprises me how much marketing and development have to work together to create a product that individuals want. Without that connection, there are gaps in features users want, or marketers can promote. Before working in tech, I never considered this connection.”

In her profession journey, one in every of her proudest accomplishments has been receiving her Master’s Degree in International Relations from the School of International Service at American University. One other highlight got here from her transient profession in international technologies when Waldon spent a month in Africa together with her former employer. “The GiveWP 100K party in January 2021 was probably the most fun and successful events I’ve ever helped put together,” Waldon says. “We held it in Gather Town, a virtual space where people connect in a Zelda-like atmosphere together with Zoom video integration. This was also once we launched the GiveWP Swag store. This mix of events helped us maintain higher sales in the primary few months of 2021.”

When asked about influences on her profession journey, Waldon says it isn’t a matter of who a lot as what. “Becoming permanently disabled on the age of 18 limited a lot of my options,” she says. “I desired to be an intelligence agent, which is why I got my Master’s in International Conflict. To do that, I might join the military as an officer after grad school. Nonetheless, my back injury prevented this and made it in order that I needed to search for a job with flexibility and stability. Luckily, I discovered my way there with the tech industry, which was way more accessible for a distant employee where people were already used to this working environment.”

Waldon tries to remain present and live every day to the fullest. “I had an epiphany once I was in college. After spending my entire college life fighting a back injury, a health care provider sat me down and told me my quality of life would only deteriorate from that time on,” she says. “He wanted me to live my life to the fullest before my mobility declined much more. So, I did. I sold my house, bought an RV, and hit the road once I was 22. I live for the moment since you never know when the moments will stop.” Waldon lives in an RV with two dogs and is currently writing a memoir. She also has a podcast called “The Legend of CA Man.”

As for the long run of girls in tech, Waldon doesn’t doubt that the opportunities are wealthy. “Nearly every occupation that has been male-dominated previously has eventually grow to be more of a women-dominated industry. For instance, promoting and marketing was a person’s world. Now, the bulk are women. The identical goes for teaching and philanthropy. As more women enter this workforce, there might be more opportunities for other women.” She encourages young women to explore tech and science fields. “Even when you don’t go into the sector of technology, having the knowledge and the skillset to start is a bonus in any profession path.”