What’s your name and what do you do at DataGrail?
Marissa Cook – Manager, Technical Success
Tell us about your day-to-day work life.
Right now I’m really focused on building out the next iteration of Technical Success at DataGrail, so my days vary. Sometimes I am heavy in document creation for process updates, and other days you can find me in our Zendesk queues helping to answer customer questions and working closely with our engineering and customer success teams to resolve issues.
How do you get projects done/what is your workflow like?
Lots – and I mean LOTS – of coffee and hip hop. I am the most focused when I can be sipping on a hot cup o’ joe and listening to Moneybagg Yo or Future. My day is pretty sporadic between meetings and supporting my team, so I’m typically prioritizing different asks but making sure to schedule some planning/focus time for my mornings to be prepared for whatever the day has set out ahead for me.
What do you value most about DataGrail?
There are so many things I love about DataGrail that it’s hard to choose the most valued! If I have to pick one, I’d say it’s the trust that has been built here to make decisions, learn, and iterate. That has always been really important to me – to be in an environment where it’s okay (and encouraged, honestly!) to “fail fast” and keep moving. It really keeps me energized and motivated because I know that I’m truly making an impact every day and the team believes in me.
What do you enjoy about this industry?
Privacy is a human right. I am truly bought into that. Everyone that we interact with on a daily basis is fighting for every individual to have that right by staying up to date with privacy laws and automating their processes (by working with DataGrail) to build trust with consumers and provide back that transparent access and visibility. It’s exciting to be in an industry that is empowering people to take charge of their own information and data.
What is happiness at work for you?
Let’s be honest, “work/life balance” feels fictional. There are times to really lean into work and times to really lean into life. That’s why it’s so important to me to work with others that have empathy for the times when I need to lean into life; whether that’s taking an hour to go for a walk (in the beautiful Portland rain) or a week to jet out to wine country and unwind. Being surrounded by people who give you the space you need to take care of yourself, that is happiness at work for me.
How has your role changed since you first started here/what career growth have you seen?
I actually started as the first Sr. Engagement Manager and was responsible for helping new customers onboard to our platform with ease and efficiency. Since joining, my supervisor, Britt, has always reminded and pushed me to be an advocate for myself. From those conversations, it helped me to vocalize what I want with my career and the skills I want to flex and lean into more for improvement. That leadership helped me to move into managing the Technical Success team starting about three months ago!
What is your favorite city you’ve lived/worked in?
Bend, OR easily. I’ve been lucky enough to have a remote position that allowed me to move to Bend for a while. Getting to pop outside for a lunch time paddle on the river and walk downtown to grab a beer after work at one of the many breweries made life pretty good for me. You also can’t beat the beauty of the Cascade mountain range we’re surrounded by. Catch a sunset beer at Crux and you won’t be disappointed!
How would you describe the Customer Success team at DataGrail?
We are a team of forward thinking executors. Our responsibility is not only to get customers excited about our platform now, but also what the future of our product will look like and the continued value it will bring to their privacy compliance process. This means we are some pretty hyped people. Our team is full of good energy and laughs at all times. I so appreciate getting to work with everyone on our growing team because I know when there are challenging days, I can count on them for additional support or a “laugh until I cry” moment .
What should future DataGrail employees know about your team and/or the company as a whole?
We are fast paced, energized by the future of our business, and are eager to continue setting ourselves apart from the competition. This means we work really hard for the right to privacy and to set our customers up for success by providing that back to their consumers. Get ready to be excited about coming to work every day and collaborating with some of the best in this industry!
The team at DataGrail is shaping the new standard for Data Privacy Professionals.
Want to join us? Explore open roles here.