Masha: Coding Blonde | The Business Blast Podcast #928

All right, everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. Today I have Masha with us. She is the founder of Coding Blonde, a blog dedicated to empowering women in technology and breaking stereotypes. Masha's mission is to introduce women to the different areas and dimensions of tech and help them find the right resources to learn more about it and to start their career in the industry. So welcome to the show.

Thank you. Very excited to be here.

Of course. Grateful to have you here. So the first one we ask on this show, Masha, is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?

Yeah. So there, there have been so many different stories, to be honest, that, um, have taught me a lot, but I guess the one that really stands out was, The way I ended up relocating here to Denver, Colorado, I've been trying to do that for a while because I was in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend here. But, um, I didn't want to just move for the sake of moving. I wanted to find the right move for me in terms of career and all that stuff. And I didn't really know what that looked like, but, I had some challenges because I'm European originally and I would have needed a visa. Yeah, a work visa essentially. So basically I was working at Google at the time and I was thinking, okay, I will easily relocate here because there's an office in Boulder. So I just need to work at the office that was located in London at the time. I need to work there for a specific amount of time and then look for opportunities in Boulder. When, well, when that came, there weren't any opportunities that I really liked and that I really thought that would be the next, the interesting next step. And because I needed to get a visa, everything that I would qualify with, qualify for with a visa needed to be— basically, I needed to be 150% qualified for the job. And that meant stagnation in terms of my growth. I was a little bit upset. And because I was so sure that I was going to go through Google, I was going to relocate through Google. And it was a great work environment. You know, I really enjoyed what I was doing. However, it looked like I couldn't. And around the same time, I was actually visiting my boyfriend in Colorado, and he forwarded me an email when I was on the way from Denver to LA to Coachella to celebrate my best friend's bachelorette party about some program, some random program at a university here in Boulder. It was called Global Entrepreneur in Residence. And it looked cool. It wasn't Google, but it looks cool. And the deadline was the next day to apply. So I decided that I can't just let this opportunity slip. I had to at least try, you know, if it doesn't work out, I can always say no later on. But, you know, the opportunity has presented itself to me. So when my friends were drinking at the pool, getting ready for Coachella the next day, I was writing business plans. For this program and submitted my application on time, just barely. But you know what? It ended up working out and it ended up being the best decision I have made. I could have made at the time the best pivot for my career. And I guess the lesson that I really— that I got out of it is be open to opportunities. If you really want to get somewhere, sometimes that opportunity might look like something else and might not be what you expect it to be. So just be open and try, because absolutely, what's the wrong— what's the worst thing that can happen?

I love that, and that is an awesome story. Oh, you made it happen even in an environment where you would have been, you know, drinking your face off.

So yeah, gotta be productive.

Yeah, totally. All— even at Coachella.

Yep.

Um, So my next one for you is what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?

Yeah, it's hard to define what is my expertise at this point. I feel like I'm a jack of all trades, but I guess the core, um, the core area is probably marketing. And, um, when it comes to that, I would say that the best, thing that you should keep in mind is that your goal is to create a community. Your goal is not to promote a product or a service, but to create a community around it that will be your advocates, that those are the people that will help you grow and develop, whether by recommending your product or giving you feedback that will make your product or service even better and take it to the next level. So yeah, community first and then everything else after.

Yeah. And then, so it could tie in, but what's your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily industry specific.

Yeah. Oh my God. I would say, listen to your customers. I really understand what they want and what their problems are because that's where you will find where your product or service can fit in, right? Where that problem lays. And to be able to address that problem in the most effective way, just listen to them. They will tell you all you need to know.

Absolutely. And I actually always say sometimes your like worst customers are actually your best teachers. You know what I mean? Because they'll show you like what you could be doing better. Um, so you should listen to them, I think, the most. Um, so the next one is, if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?

Um, don't think, um, in very rigid terms. Make sure that you set goals, but don't let them, um, overrule your life. Basically be flexible. If you see that pivoting is something that makes sense at this point in your life, pivot, and don't expect yourself to be at some point at some stage in your life because you, you never know what comes around the corner. So just be flexible and make sure that you are open to opportunities.

And then it's kind of going a little bit down a different path. In your opinion, what is the key to happiness?

Um, this is a question, I guess, that humanity has been trying to solve, right? So I don't think I will solve that for everyone right now, but what I have been kind of thinking, and, um, I have not reached, uh, the conclusion just yet, but I think that happiness means different things for everybody, um, on this planet. And it's just a matter of being really honest with yourself on what it is for you and, you know, not letting stereotypes or external concepts dictate that. So build it for yourself and then try to achieve it. It might look something, it might look very different for you and I, for example, you know, or for any given person you meet on the street. Maybe someone finds happiness in their career. Somebody finds happiness in living a healthy lifestyle. Somebody wants to have fulfilling family relationships. And maybe someone needs a dose of each one of those, you know, it's all about understanding what it is that makes you happy. And just, mm-hmm.

So it can be different for everyone.

It can be different for everyone. But the thing is, we have so many different stereotypes that society has kind of put on us.

Yeah.

Forget about those. What is it? What is it for you?

Yeah.

Don't think about, you know, the fancy car or whatever that your— somebody needs you to get, or that somebody expects you to have to achieve a certain status. No, just think of what will make you happy.

Absolutely. And then what is the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from it?

Would it be cliché if I say Becoming by Michelle Obama?

No, go ahead. I want to hear about it. I haven't read that. So tell me.

Awesome book. I mean, I listened to it and she reads it. I love audiobooks and especially when the author reads it, it just like adds another, I don't know, layer of spices on top of it. But Becoming is her reflections of her life from the very beginning, from her childhood. And she talks about how they have shaped and they have formed the person that she is becoming. And basically the whole concept is that she hasn't become that person. She's still in the process of becoming whatever is next for her. And I love that because when reading her story and how all these different experiences have shaped her and have added, you know, the different experiences and the different dimensions to her life, I was, obviously reflecting on my own and, you know, it again led to me thinking how everything, every puzzle has a place. Sometimes, you know, when the next puzzle comes, you just don't understand where it fits in the bigger picture, but it will fit and it will, even if it's a painful experience, right? It will fit eventually. It's just, yeah, you don't know, where at this point. So I don't know, kind of a philosophical way of looking at life and on your experiences and really that you shouldn't regret anything, that everything is, I don't know, a coloring pencil that will add a different color to your story.

So absolutely. And then what is your favorite quote and why?

My favorite quote. Oh my God. Um, I feel like I don't really remember quotes, but the one that really stands out is not really a quote. It's the title of a book.

Okay. That's fine.

And it's a book that I am, um, I am about to read and oh my God, it just escaped my mind.

That happens. It happens.

Um, it's, um, Oh my God.

It's okay. Don't worry. This makes the podcast like really authentic. I love when this happens.

Forget it. It wasn't, it wasn't aimed for perfection. It was the other thing. Aim for something, not for perfection. Ah, oh my God.

No worries. We got time.

Okay. One second.

Yeah. Yeah. No, look it up. We got time. This is, this makes it fun. Trust me. It's fine.

Okay, I love that book, but I don't know, I don't know why it has just slipped my mind. It just escaped. Oh my God, I was listening to another podcast yesterday and it was with the author of this book and I was thinking, oh my God, yes, this is it. But okay, one second, one second.

No problem. So for everybody listening, we got a little pause.

Yes. Okay. There it is. So the, the title of the book is How to Be Brave, Not Perfect, but I have kind of changed it in my mind into Be Brave, Not Perfect. So yes, that is, I guess, my favorite quote/book. Because I think it's just such a great reminder that you, yeah, just do things, just be brave. Don't aim for perfection because perfection stalls progress. And if you want to get somewhere, don't wait until everything's perfect because nothing is going to be perfect ever. There's always going to be room for improvement. And so just, If you have a project, get it out there. If you have an idea, start working on it. Don't wait for that perfect state, perfect moment. Just be brave. So yeah, that's, that's my favorite quote and favorite book that I'm about to start reading.

Yeah, no, I could not agree more. And like, failure is a part of success, so you can't be afraid of the failure. And one of the quotes, it's part of a quote, I think it's like, build the plane while you fly it. Yeah, you know, and it just means like you just got to start. You can strategize all you want and that can help, but at the end of the day, you got to take action. You just— it's the only way. Um, so yeah, couldn't agree more. Thank you so much for coming on. Love what you're doing. Um, the last one I have for you is where can our listeners best connect with you online, and is there any place online that you'd like them to check out of what you're doing?

Yeah, absolutely. Um, So they can find me on Instagram @codingblonde or my website, which is codingblonde.com. They can learn more about women in technology and technology in general. And yeah, they can find all my contact information there. I would love to talk to anyone who is interested in learning more about my work or learning more about women in tech and technology in general.

Perfect. Thanks again for coming on.

Thank you so much for having me.