BigTime Software, Inc. Career Growth & Development

Give us a snapshot of what you do to stay on top of your engineering knowledge and skills. 

The best way for me to learn is by doing. I find that actively engaging with new concepts helps solidify my understanding, and I often do this by reading documentation. When learning a new tool I go straight to the docs. 

When challenges arise, I take them on, knowing that anything I build while experimenting isn’t ready for actual use. So, I iterate multiple times, focusing on learning the technology, testing different approaches, and gaining experience with the tools and environment rather than aiming for perfection on the first try. Tech moves fast, making it impossible to keep up with everything. Instead of subscribing to every product newsletter or blog, I follow a few trusted professionals who curate key insights. 

Learning is built into my job — each challenge is an opportunity to build new skills, so I dedicate time weekly to experiment and prototype, whether solving a problem or preparing for future needs. In tech, learning never stops, it’s about staying adaptable and knowing where to find the right information.
 

What are your go-to resources for keeping your engineering skills sharp?

Documentation is my go-to starting point. It’s often underrated, but it’s packed with examples that give a solid understanding of what a tool can do. For example, when using a newer tool, like Terraform, React or Fast Endpoints, I go straight to the docs. It sounds tedious, but modern documentation is usually well-structured and easy to follow, often with examples and a solid quick-start section. I also don’t read them to memorize everything, just to know a solution exists. That way if I run into a problem later on, I have an idea of where to find the solution.

I also utilize trusted industry experts, as opposed to following every product newsletter and blog, because they help me stay updated without getting overwhelmed. For databases, I follow Brent Ozar; for .NET, Steve Ardalis. I pay attention to what they’re paying attention to. It’s kind of my first line of defense against getting overwhelmed by all the new products and trends.

My third go-to is prototyping — it’s where I pick up most of my skills. The key to prototyping is knowing when to throw it away. The first few iterations aren’t meant to last; they’re for testing ideas, learning and refining before moving forward.

What does the learning culture look like at your company or on your engineering team?

I’m really grateful for my current manager. Like I mentioned earlier, I spend about one day a week experimenting, prototyping and learning. While that’s often tied to some company initiative, sometimes it’s just about exploring new tools.

For example, if I know I’m going to be working with infrastructure as code soon, I might spend time building something with Terraform or testing out Terragrunt, even if it isn’t directly related to a current project. That makes me a stronger engineer, and when company problems come up down the line, I’ve got more tools in my belt to solve them.

The company also does a good job of supporting upskilling. There isn’t a strict process for it, but if there’s something I want to try — whether it’s a premium AI model for Cursor, a new design library, or a Pluralsight course — it’s handled on a case-by-case basis. And I’ve never seen someone ask for a resource and not get what they need, either directly or through a similar option.

Describe your career journey so far. What skills or experiences have you acquired along the way that have helped you get to where you are now?

I started my career in management consulting, which I have to thank for training up my hard skills and teaching me to work under high pressures and expectations. Consulting gave me a front row seat to how different types of leaders set their corporate strategy, make decisions and influence others. Seeing where these leaders were successful or not helped me shape my own leadership style. This ultimately led me to pursue my MBA at Stanford where I honed in my interpersonal skills and also explored the tech industry further. A key inflection point in my career was taking my first chief of staff role in tech as I learned the most by being in the room for the company’s toughest challenges. It’s one thing to see other executives handle a situation. It’s another to actually operate and be the one delivering a difficult message to an employee, pushing back on an executive’s decision or getting an off-track project back on-track. I learned from both my successes and my mistakes and so that as the general manager at BigTime Software, I’m confident with driving my strategic roadmap, managing a global team and working with our investors.

What support did you receive from individuals or resources that helped you step into a leadership role?

I’ve been fortunate to have worked with executives who were deeply invested in my growth. Their support came through one-on-one coaching, introductions to their networks and, importantly, trust to take on stretch opportunities that helped me round out my skill set. Over my career, I’ve reported directly to four CEOs, each of whom advocated for me with boards and other leaders. That advocacy meant that when promotion opportunities arose, there was already strong belief in my readiness, even for roles that might have traditionally required more years of experience. That level of sponsorship not only accelerated my career trajectory but also taught me the importance of cultivating future leaders. It reinforced that effective leadership isn’t just about delivering outcomes but actively creating pathways for others to succeed and rise with you. 

How do you encourage other women on your team to become leaders themselves? Are there any stories you can share that showcase how you’ve done this?

I always emphasize to my female mentees the importance of self-advocacy and being clear on their goals. I’ve been lucky to have had executives who wanted to support my growth, which always started with me providing a consistent view of my personal and professional goals and asking for their support. This doesn’t have to be a formal request or presentation — I intentionally raise this early on in my one-on-ones with my direct managers while demonstrating success in my role. By the time we get to any formal performance check-ins, it’s a natural conversation of what my growth path can look like in the company. This is how I navigated my role at BigTime Software as while I was only halfway through my time as chief of staff, we were already starting to think of landing spots for me within the organization. 

This advocacy also extends to support other women with their goals. Beyond my day-to-day role, I work with The W Project, a non-profit focused on placing more women in board roles. Helping women earn their first board role reinforces how powerful sponsorship and advocacy can be.