My Name Is Micaela Wright — This Is Why I Joined Aha!

You could call me competitive. But I like to think of myself as addicted to achievement. It is something I attribute to my grandfather. He was a fire chief and my personal hero. When I was young, we would play rather aggressive games of UNO and Yahtzee! on camping trips. He was even known to throw his cards in frustration from time to time. The passion he instilled in me permeates every part of my life — including my career.

Ever since I was a kid, I have been on a quest to satisfy my craving to contribute and accomplish.

I worked hard in high school and college to get the best grades I could. By 20, I had graduated with honors from the University of Texas. I was eager to get into the workforce and start making a difference. As I began my job search, I looked for marketing roles at tech startups where I knew I could gain the most experience early on in my career.

I found that at Lucid Software in Utah. I loved the fast pace of a startup environment. From managing website transitions to building an email marketing program, I learned how to work across teams to make things happen quickly. I especially enjoyed working with engineers to find scalable solutions to complex technical problems.

Eventually, I grew into a role leading Lucid's conversion rate optimization team. We worked to improve the performance of our website by constantly testing our different approaches and adjusting based on the results. This type of work was perfect for me. Getting the results of our tests and then quickly assessing what we could do differently to improve the outcome was exciting. It scratched that competitive itch for me.

Over the four and a half years I spent there, Lucid grew from 70 people to close to 700. While it was fun to watch the company grow, I wanted to keep growing too. I also missed my family back in Texas, so I started to look for opportunities that would allow me to move back home.

I wanted to join a team where decisions were made quickly and I could make an impact right away. When I saw an open marketing position at Aha! I applied immediately. I was impressed by the company's culture and dedication to responsiveness.

Throughout the interview process, I felt a personal connection to everyone I spoke with. They asked tough questions and answered mine in return. I knew I could use my existing skills effectively, but I also saw an opportunity to learn from a team of experts.

With each interview, it became increasingly clear that Aha! was the place for me — I had found a group of fellow achievers.

Since joining the marketing team, I have been fortunate to work on some really big, complex projects. I recently worked with the engineering team to manage a major website rebuild. From SEO and conversion rate improvements to writing our product management and marketing guides, I revel in the chance to tackle new and different challenges every day.

At Aha! my competitive nature is welcome. We have high standards for everything we do. The entire organization is committed to doing what is right — not what is easy. This even extends into the things we do just for fun, such as our annual Halloween costume contest. (And yes, marketing won "best team costume.")

It is refreshing to work alongside people who share my drive to achieve — regardless of the task at hand, we do not give up until we get it right.

I am so grateful that my search for personal and professional accomplishment led me to such an impressive organization. I am excited to see what the future holds for Aha! and I am ready for all that I will learn along the way.

That is why I joined Aha! — and why you should too.