The Event Calendar’s Product Marketing Manager, Jaime Marchwinski, on continued learning, her passion for marketing, and what keeps her motivated.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Jaime Marchwinski grew up in the suburbs. It was there that she met the man she would later marry. “I actually met my husband in high school,” she says, “but we were just friends. Or at least that’s what I thought!” He asked her to prom, and she said no. “I went with someone else, and he didn’t go at all. I hadn’t heard from him for seven years, and we started dating immediately. At least we have a good story to tell our kids!”
Marchwinski moved to New York City for college. While there, she fell in love with the city and lived in many of its boroughs for fifteen years. She recently moved to New Paltz, New York, where she enjoys long runs in the mountains near her house and spending time with her kids and husband.
Though she had a previous career as a pastry chef, Marchwinski has worked in tech for seven years. “After my first daughter was born, I was looking to transition into something I could do remotely,” she says. “I started taking some coding boot camps and worked as a freelance website manager and developer for a while. From there, I got a contract job as a technical support representative. After that, I came to The Events Calendar and worked in technical support for almost three years before transitioning into marketing.”
Now, Marchwinski works as the Product Marketing Manager for The Events Calendar, creating all of the marketing materials for product releases, from blog posts to Knowledgebase articles to landing pages. She also posts to our social media networks and recently launched a private Facebook Group for The Events Calendar users. “I also set up and host our monthly webinars and send out all our email communications. There are so many facets to marketing and what my role entails. I’m probably forgetting something!”
The pace of a career in tech appeals to Marchwinski. “I love that things are always changing,” she says. “New products and updates come out, companies are always changing, and no two days are the same. It keeps things interesting!”
But it’s the customer experience that makes the role rewarding for Marchwinski. “I love launching new initiatives,” she says. “When I became the Product Marketing Manager for The Events Calendar, I redid all of our email automation. I love being a part of the customer journey from the moment they begin interacting with our plugins.” She also launched an exit intent popup, encouraging users to enter their email addresses before leaving our site. “It garnered way more leads than I expected!”
Marchwinski says all of the leaders at The Events Calendar and StellarWP have been extremely encouraging throughout the years to help her move up in her career and find the opportunities that suit her.
Of her working style, Marchwinski says she works early and often. “I like to start work early in the morning before distractions come into my day. Then I have time to focus on meetings and other things later,” she says. She feels lucky to have a career she finds invigorating. “Find something you’re passionate about and never stop learning. We spend so much of our lives at work, so we might as well find something we are passionate about.”
For Marchwinski, her biggest motivation is being a good role model for her children. “I want my girls to see what it’s like to be a mom who also has a passion and a career,” she says. And, for her, being a good role model means continuing to learn and grow. “There is a never-ending amount of ways to continue learning. I listen to marketing podcasts, subscribe to newsletters, and consume as much information about my field as possible. Never let it feel stale, and you’ll continue to be excited for your work.”
Marchwinski encourages women with an interest in technology to pursue their interests. “Tech is something that will always be around and evolving and growing. You can find your niche here, and there’s so much flexibility in how you can work,” she says. “Find your niche. Find what you’re passionate about in the tech industry and learn everything about that niche. Things change quickly, so never stop learning.”