Happy 2021 everyone 🎉
We’re kicking off the new year by introducing you to an awesome member of our Drift team.
I know you’ve already met Fernanda Lavalle, Shannon Donovan, Mary Mitchell, Catherine LaMacchia, Nadine Shaalan, Kahlil Trocmé, Britnee Laughlin, Sam Boyd, Allison Betito, Carolina Caprile, Michelle Ai, Frank Schepps, Tate Knapp, and Pat Timmons.
In this edition of Inside Drift, I’d like to introduce you to Alexa Nguyen. Alexa joined Drift in 2017 as a product manager and has been an asset to our product team ever since. She is responsible for leading the sales engagement products: Drift Video and Drift Prospector. Alexa is a founding member Women at Drift employee resource group (ERG), which is dedicated to the growth, development, and support of women at Drift.
Ready to meet Alexa? Let’s go ⚡
Editor’s note: The following has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Kaitlyn Martins: We’ll start with the basics! Can you tell me a little bit about what you do at Drift?
Alexa Nguyen: I’m currently leading our sales engagement products, including Video & Prospector, both aimed at helping AE’s close more deals, faster.
Kaitlyn: What does your day to day typically look like? Has it changed at all since we started working remotely?
Alexa: My days are all pretty different, but one tradition my teams started doing while remote is a 10-minute Zoom stand up every morning. It’s a great way to feel connected to the other humans I’m working with: how they’re feeling, what they’ve been thinking about, and what’s happening in their lives.
Then, my day can span all types of activities – such as pulling numbers, whiteboarding with the team, learning from customers, and mapping out specific problems we’re learning about.
And honestly, the biggest change now that we’re working remotely is that sometimes I shower at 12pm 😂
Kaitlyn: Drift has grown a lot over the past couple of years and you have witnessed and been a big part of this transformation. Can you talk a little bit about your experience going from a 20 person company to an almost 400 person company in just a few years?
Alexa: I love change and a little chaos, that’s why I’ve always tried to work on our newest products at Drift. But I admit that change can be painful. The one constant that keeps me grounded and confident is our team. At every step, I’m able to look around and trust that our teams are putting aside our egos, we’re learning from people who are smarter than us or have done it before, and we’re adapting quickly.
We also all share this belief deep in our core that we’ll succeed – that shared belief alone is powerful.
Kaitlyn: What is the most exciting project you’ve had the opportunity to work on at Drift?
Alexa: It sounds corny, but all of them have been exciting. I’ve been lucky to launch and/or work on every feature our sales user touches – Video, Prospector, Meetings, Notifications, Email, and even the inbox product way back in the day. As new teams take over, it’s fun (and humbling!) to watch how our point of view about our customers and what they need changes.
Kaitlyn: Tell us about the Women at Drift employee resource group (ERG). What’s it all about and how did you get involved? What do you have planned for 2021?
Alexa: Meetings with the Women at Drift ERG are my favorite meetings. Our ERG is all about growing and supporting the womxn at Drift. We’ve spent the last six months supporting the Black Lives Matter movement: volunteering, reading, and raising donations. We’ve also been focused on creating a safe space for all of us to get closer, share our experiences in an honest way, and build a community that we can openly engage in and ask one another for help. I expect us to continue doing a lot of this in 2021 and to continue growing our involvement in communities outside of Drift.
Kaitlyn: How has Drift helped you in your professional development?
Alexa: Drift sets the bar for what a high performing team and company looks and feels like.
I’m surrounded by role models who inspire me to create good routines, adopt a high agency mindset, and grow consistently. There are so many nuances about how we work that I hope to carry on to other companies throughout my career.
Kaitlyn: What’s a fun fact that people might not know about you?
Alexa: When I graduated college, I drove from Boston to Kansas City in a gold minivan to start a 3D printing company.
Kaitlyn: Have you picked up any hobbies or discovered any hidden talents during quarantine?
Alexa: My fiancé and I started a two-person band. We have a shared playlist on Spotify that’s called “The Ultimate Baelist” where we add songs we want to cover 😂
Kaitlyn: Finally, what advice do you have for prospective Drift candidates?
Alexa: Be human, but come prepared! Bring examples that show how you personally contributed to the success of your previous companies. And always try to have some fun along the way – we like to laugh here.
Want to join Alexa on Drift’s product team? We’re hiring. Check out our open roles here.
