Nexcess Field Marketing Manager talks about the freedom of ideas in technology, how she defines success, and what makes it weird.
![Christine Crowder](https://res.cloudinary.com/lwgatsby/f_auto/www/uploads/2023/01/WITChristineClauderTransparent.png)
of all the people she knew Christine Clauder credits her mother with having the greatest influence on her career journey. “She didn’t give me cool technology,” says Clauder. Just kidding. ”
Born in Guam, raised in Japan. Crowder grew up primarily in Houston, Texas, before moving to Kansas City for 20 years. “That’s where I put my roots,” she says. “So I moved back to Houston about 10 years ago and still consider myself a Kansas citizen.”
Crowder says her mother’s fierceness produced a powerful daughter, likewise, if not in the way the mother wanted. “My mother is a petite and intimidating Japanese woman. She tried to raise me with the Japanese mindset of always taking care of a ‘house man’. but, She mistakenly raised me to be a strong and independent woman. Who cares… Anyway, my mom is great, but I’m her complete opposite.
she has always been interested in computersSo when her father gave her a PC (Gateway), Clauder began devoting all of her time and energy to learning everything she could about computers. “I never quit,” she says.
Crowder started his career at a car dealership in Kansas City. “At first, I was making solicitation calls and sales girlfriend calls trying to convince agencies that Facebook was the newest and best way to market to customers. condemned,” she says. “20years later, I was hired as the IT and Marketing Director for a large dealership in Houston. We manage computer systems, websites, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and more. ”
But she says she has a dog, #HankTheHellion, to thank for her work at Nexcess. “Simply put, I built a website about Hank that was featured on a major news network, but my previous host couldn’t keep up with the surge in traffic. My friend Samantha Mueller works at Nexcess. So when she heard about my problem, she asked Nexcess to save my bacon. Migrate your site, they did in less than 12 minutes. I got a job offer soon after that,” she says. “Personally, I think Nexcess just liked all her f-bombs on her website.”
Clauder is currently the field marketing manager for Nexcess. “My work is constantly evolving based on the company’s needs, so it’s hard to describe everything I do,” she says. “I’m the joyful voice of Nexcess Twitter. I’m a brilliant party planner. I’m a proud member of the Cultural Committee, but I don’t know what I’m actually doing. Let’s say we bring The Weirdness™️ to all the teams we’re honored to have.”
What she loves most about her tech career is the freedom of ideas. “It’s encouraging when I come up with unique ideas.” “This is very different from the non-tech companies I have worked for in the past,” she said.
For Crowder, her proudest career accomplishments boil down to boldness and tenacity. “Everything I have learned has come through sheer determination and curiosity,” she said. I’m proud that I was able to find a niche in the tech world just by being myself. ”
Simply being yourself is what she aims to bring to her work. “I’m not a cook, I can’t grow plants or vegetables, I don’t have arts and crafts skills, so I’m trying to bring a little joy to people’s lives.” Sometimes it means a sincere compliment, sometimes it means being there to hear what they have to say, sometimes it means making a joke and uplifting their spirits. It can also mean Humor is my love language. Just ask my husband, who stopped being funny about 10 years ago.
For Crowder, success is like her family. “my daughter A kind, intelligent, well-rounded adult and a talented rollerblader with a huge following on social media,” she says. “My husband is the catch I can’t throw away. My parents still care for me despite my shortcomings. Family is my success. ”
And a good day with her books looks like curled up in bed with a never-ending pot of coffee, reading an awful YA novel or bingeing on a ’90s TV show. “If I didn’t live in the humid, mosquito-filled tropics of Houston, I would be out on the golf course every weekend,” she says.
Clauder is excited about the leadership potential of women in the tech industry. “I think the inequalities most women have experienced, myself included, have made us stronger, more empathetic, smarter and more capable,” she says. , prepared me to be the incredible leader that I have witnessed personally at Nexcess.I am proud to be a part of such a unique, inspiring, female-led environment.”
She encourages young women to look to their passions and think about how they exist in the field of technology. say. “Technology connects the world and encompasses everything from marketing to coding to customer service and support. Don’t be afraid of the word “technology” just because it has an outdated definition. From emailing and texting to social media, writing papers, and reading news online, we are already incorporating technology into our daily lives. Conceptualize how your hobbies and interests can merge with technology. ”
Her advice to women just starting out in the field is to do it. “If you have even one iota interested in the tech industry, find your niche, but don’t just stick to the job description,” she says. “Find where your talents will benefit both yourself and the company. Your company will see value in you when you value yourself first. We also adopt rescue animals. It may not be useful, but it will never hurt you and your life will be enriched. ”
You can find Crowder with her family and Harley-Davidson in Houston, where she runs on coffee and crab legs.