Growth is not just a career goal for Laci Long – it’s also in her title. 

As the Senior Growth Marketing Manager, Website for AdRoll, a division of NextRoll, she’s responsible for the strategy, growth, and user experience of the AdRoll website.

Her typical days consist of projects ranging from A/B testing to designing new content and navigational experiences. She also works very closely with her teammates across the AdRoll Business Unit to develop integrated campaign landing pages.

When Laci isn’t digging into data on Google Analytics, she’s also spending time building her professional skills in programs like our Women in Leadership cohort. Here’s how Laci said NextRoll supports her gaining new career skills and gives her room to grow personally when she’s not growing our customer base. 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

It’s hard to narrow it down to just one thing, but I will try. I think the most rewarding part of my job is digging into user behavior to understand their needs and crafting web experiences to deliver on that. A large part of that is A/B testing, but I also really enjoy connecting the dots for our users on the website to make it easier for them to get what they need to either join us as a customer or to enable them with content to support their marketing strategy and campaigns.

Earlier this year I had a few opportunities to work directly with customers to provide website optimization tips and recommendations as well, which was incredibly rewarding. I love being able to share the knowledge I’ve accumulated during my career around conversion optimization and user experience with small businesses so they can grow their ecommerce businesses and thrive.

What do you think are the most important things to have in order to be successful at your job and why?

I think there are a few important factors that go into being successful in my role. First and foremost I have an amazing manager and mentors within the company who push me out of my comfort zone to continue to learn and grow. They are wonderful humans who have helped me expand my influence and learn the art of crafting a story when presenting to cross-functional partners to get them on board for new projects. They also push me to share my ideas before I have fully fleshed them out, which is definitely out of my comfort zone. This has really helped boost my confidence and move projects along faster.

Another important factor is education/training. Earlier this year I had the privilege to participate in our Women In Leadership program. The six-month program focuses on giving women within NextRoll critical leadership skills and mentorship to grow professionally. I loved that this program introduced tactics for developing skills such as facilitating difficult conversations, managing up, and strategic thinking while also giving me the opportunity to connect with women across the business to talk about real challenges in our day-to-day work. It was incredibly rewarding and I grew a lot in just that short timeframe.

In what ways has NextRoll set you up for success?

NextRoll sets up all its employees with lots of opportunities to develop professionally. We have access to LinkedIn Learning and programs such as the Women In Leadership program, plus lots of opportunities for mentorship.

Another key factor in being successful is maintaining mental health especially during 2020 and that is an area where I feel supported at NextRoll. We have Roller Recharge Days – where everyone in the company gets a paid day off of work to focus on mental health – and we have benefits such as our free membership to the Calm app and access to Modern Health.

What keeps you going strong at work and why? 

I think the two main factors that keep me going are working on a great team and work/life balance. I’m very privileged to work with such great people and honestly, that makes the biggest difference for me personally. I also appreciate that Rollers are encouraged and supported in balancing work and personal life. PTO is highly encouraged and our Roller Recharge Days provide opportunities to step away from work to avoid burnout.

Where and how have you grown the most since you started at NextRoll?

I think I’ve grown the most in terms of my storytelling around the work I'm doing and when pitching new projects or processes to my teammates. I’ve had a lot of great mentorships here at NextRoll, which have pushed me to be better in this area. I’ve learned that although I am a detail-oriented person – when trying to get buy-in for certain projects – I need to elevate the presentation to an overarching message that people can relate to and get excited about. 

How do you measure success in your career?

I like to check in with myself on a quarterly basis to ask myself two important questions. Am I happy in my role and energized by the work I am doing? And am I still growing and learning professionally? If the answer is yes to both of those questions, I know I’ll continue to be successful and will be able to avoid burnout. 

Are you ready for a career that supports your aspirations and growth in and outside the office? Learn more about how we support ambitious women on our Start Strong. Finish Stronger. site.