Where I Came From & How I Got Hear

Hello Everyone,

For those of you that I have yet to meet, I’m Marney, the new Great Things web designer.

I just wanted to take some time to tell you all a little about my background and share my experience as the newest member of the Great Things team.

My Love Of Art and Creativity

I have always loved being creative and making things. I started out as a painter and eventually an art school dropout.  I then became a dental lab. A A technician who literally made teeth.   After getting laid off at the start of the pandemic, I decided I wanted to transition into a job where I could work from home. I also yearned for a job where I would be appreciated for more than just being able to work quickly.

A Different Direction:  Coding

I decided I wanted to learn how to code and spent the majority of last year in a coding boot camp. I started out with very little computer knowledge, so It felt like an uphill battle from the get-go. But slowly I started to see the beauty in creating web pages out of nothing but a series of letters and numbers. I learned yet another medium in which to create things.

After graduating from my program, I had an aptitude for front-end design and was hungry for work. I applied for hundreds of jobs and received little to no acknowledgment whatsoever. The market is so saturated with new developers trying to transition into tech but have no work experience. It seemed impossible to stand out. I felt invisible. I thought I had finally found a career where I could combine all of my talents: visual arts, communication skills, and teamwork. But I struggled to get my foot in the door.

Even if I did eventually get a job, I was nervous about the horror stories I had heard about working for big tech companies. My programmer friends talked about these incredibly high stress positions where they felt unseen, unappreciated, and were trapped doing work that they hated because the money was good. I didn’t want to find myself in another job where I was disillusioned and burnt out.

Finding My Place

When I met Josh and was invited to join Great Things, I felt as though I had found the ideal position for me. I now work with a small team of wonderful, like-minded people that only want me to grow and succeed. We communicate openly and highly value each other’s insights and opinions. I feel seen and heard for the first time in my working life, and it is a wonderful feeling.

When it comes to the work, it is exactly what I have always wanted to do. I get to create beautiful things every day. Every project is different, so I stay engaged and am constantly learning new things. I also really enjoy meeting and working with the clients and helping bring their dreams to fruition. I especially love helping small businesses stand out and succeed.

I am so fortunate to have been hired at Great Things and be able to work with all of you lovely people. I truly feel as though I’ve found my place.

• – Marney