Women in Technology: Mandy Shepard

Liquid Web’s Manager of Salesforce on adapting, how her husband’s support has influenced her career path, and the role music has played in her life.

Mandy Shepard loves a plan but knows how to stay flexible. “You can only control what you can control,” she says. “Of course, everyone wants to know what to expect, but unpredictable things happen. Remembering you can only control what you can control keeps me grounded in those situations.”

Shepard maintains the love of music she developed in high school, embracing an eclectic variety of artists. “My iPod on shuffle is really something. You’ll get Def Leppard or Metallica followed by Josh Groban or some musical theater. Wicked, 80’s one-hit-wonders, 90’s grunge, and Barry Manilow all together!”

Performing live with a group of people, whether on the field or in the concert hall, is not so dissimilar from working with a team in the tech world. “Stuff happens,” Shepard says. “It’s how you respond and move forward that matters.” She has worked in tech for nearly 20 years, beginning her career working as a Database Specialist for a large bank, a top company as ranked by Fortune magazine, managing a database used for marketing efforts. “It could be stressful at times,” she says, “because we built a new database each month. It really grew my relational database skills, as well as giving my first taste of analytics.” It was also in this role, which Shepard considers her first job, that she learned how important it is to have colleagues you respect taking an interest in your work and job path. “I had some really incredible mentors— all of which were women— who helped me get my career off on the right foot.”

But her most significant source of encouragement is her husband, Joel. “He is so supportive of me as I work through my career journey,” says Shepard. “Each time I have discussed a new opportunity with Joel, he has been objective, honest, and ultimately supports me in whatever I choose to do. His support really helps me to pursue the career I want and become the person I want to be.”

Now, Shepard works as Liquid Web’s Manager of Salesforce, helping to keep customer data clean and organized. She also holds two Salesforce Certifications— Salesforce Administrator and Platform App Builder. “I love solving problems,” Shepard says. “ I love folks coming to me with a problem and working together to come up with a solution. That epiphany moment when you find the answer is amazing.”

In her work at Liquid Web, Shepard does her best to appreciate the people she is problem-solving with and for. “If it makes the lives of my fellow Liquid Web employees easier and better, then that makes me happy.” It is this spirit of camaraderie that endears Liquid Web to Shepard. “I love working for this company. I love the culture. We work hard, but it’s a really welcoming environment.” She knows that the people around you can make or break a job. “The best advice I have to offer is to follow what makes you happy. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I just know that I want to enjoy what I am doing, where I am doing it, and who I am doing it with.”

Shepard is excited about the future of women in technology. “Young women today are growing up with way more technology than I ever had,” she says. “I didn’t have a computer until my 3rd year of college.” There is infinite potential for people interested in tech, says Shepard. “Anything is possible. To quote George McFly, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”