Marissa Ann Mayer, “Ginni” Rometty, Sheryl Sandberg, and Susan Wojcicki – women and technology make a formidable pair, especially when they are leading enterprises that create and propagate them. Most tech investors acknowledge that the industry would do better with women leading global and regional businesses. After all, world’s youngest entrepreneur is a 12-year-old girl — Lauren Boyle (EU Digital Girl of the Year 2015).  Considering the gender gap in marketing and advertising technologies, Goodway Group is incubating the idea of recruiting more women across digital technology verticals in 2017.

Goodway Group, a leading managed services programmatic partner to local, regional and Fortune 500 brand agencies, is ramping up hiring efforts for 2017 with a special focus on women in tech. Goodway is looking for qualified candidates to service its regional business operations. Goodway’s workforce is 100% remote, meaning all employees work from home. Most candidates have the ability to live in any location within the U.S. The company grew by 30% in 2016 and enjoys 75% women in its workforce based in over 40 states. This hiring effort is consistent with Goodway Group’s strong growth. In 2016, the company added over 100 employees to its workforce.

The management style explains why Goodway has been honored with Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award, recognizing the Best Places to Work in 2017. The Employees’ Choice Awards program, now in its ninth year, relies solely on the input of employees, who elect to provide feedback on their jobs, work environments, and companies via Glassdoor®.

“Our virtual workforce model has enabled us to grow quickly and tap into a huge pool of high-tech experts, many of them women, who live outside of the typical tech hubs such as, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles,” said Jay Friedman, COO, Goodway Group. “We love that we have representation at our company from almost every state. This diverse group brings us so much value, which is made even more apparent with the tech and advertising industries facing diversity and gender inequality issues.”
Unlike its competitors, Goodway has maintained consistent 10:1 sales to support ratio.  Only about 10% of Goodway is directly in sales while 75% is direct client support – media traders, account managers, campaign coordinators, strategists, and planners, etc. The remaining 15% of the workforce is administrative.
“Our strategy is to build lasting relationships with our clients through support and expertise, and our success in this strategy is demonstrated by our 96% client retention rate,” added Friedman. “Our independent nature has also been a huge benefit. It allows us to make decisions in the best interests of our clients and also partner with technology companies in the industry that best suit our and our clients’ needs.”

Here’s what women employees at Goodway Group had to say about their role and experiences in ad tech industry.

Jennifer Bird, VP Client & Creative Services, Acworth, GA

I first came to Goodway because I had very young kids, and both my husband (sales = travel all of the time) and I were traveling quite a bit.  I also had a 2-hour commute both ways so after school activities were out of the question for the kids.  I took a couple of steps back to come to Goodway, but have been able to exceed all of my goals and dreams in my career AND family life at the same time by working remotely.  In April, my son was life-flighted to the children’s hospital and diagnosed with a seizure disorder.  As you can imagine, our lives were flipped upside down, but I haven’t skipped a beat work wise.  I am able to continue to get my son to doctor’s appointments while continuing to work from waiting rooms or flexible hours because Goodway understands that life happens.

Lindy Jones, VP Media Operations, Waco, TX

I think it’s pretty safe to say I am the only person working in digital or programmatic advertising for about a 100-mile radius from my city! I started my career in Austin, Texas which has ample technology opportunities but with that came a 2x a day hour(ish) commute to central Austin and time lost with my loved ones, time lost for myself, and many times was a drain on my sanity.  Goodway has afforded me the opportunity to move back ‘home’ to the country which fits my pace of life with the luxuries of fields, farms, night skies, and family. I have a 10-month old, 2.5 years old, and a 6-year-old and the flexibility of working remotely has increased my quality of life with that flexibility which in turns allows me to be more productive at work.

Lindsay Downing, Digital Research and Strategy Specialist, Lake Tahoe, CA

Working remotely for Goodway has been a dream, to say the least. When I was looking to make the move from a regional agency to ad tech, I thought I would probably have to leave my tiny cabin in the woods of Lake Tahoe, and move to San Francisco, LA or another major metropolitan area to find a good job within a great company. I have lived in Lake Tahoe for the past six years and love the rural, small town feels coupled with world-class skiing, hiking, and numerous outdoor activities. Working virtually for Goodway has allowed me to stay in this amazing place while working for the best company (I may be biased) in the industry. Depending on the season, during my lunch breaks or before work, I am able to go hiking with my dog or cross-country skiing in my backyard, and then return to work with the best team I’ve ever had the pleasure working for. It is truly the best of both worlds.

Charisse Klock, Director, Client Services, Fort Lee, VA

My husband is a Sergeant First Class in the US Army and has been for 13 years. Since working at Goodway, we’ve been stationed at Fort Campbell, KY and Fort Lee, VA and this summer, we’ll make the move to Fort Bliss, TX. If not for my virtual position, I would have to find a new job every couple of years, and I most likely would not have been able to progress in my career as I have at Goodway. Also, Army posts are usually located in remote places, outside of big cities, with very little professional jobs around. When we were stationed at Fort Campbell, I had to commute an hour each way to work in Nashville, TN because that’s where the professional jobs were. Goodway has allowed me to work in the field I went to school for, continue to progress in my career and have peace knowing that no matter when or where we move, my career will be the one thing I won’t have to worry about.

Becca Smith, Marketing Designer, Peoria, IL

As a new mom, I am learning every day how important the battle is of finding time for myself. With Goodway Group, I am able to use my lunch hour to get out of my house for a walk and enjoy some fresh air and Vitamin D that I think everyone needs and cherishes. This was an unachievable goal when working in an office where the workplace attire was not comfortable for walks in the hot summer sun or cold winters!  Also, I know that they respect the fact that family comes first and when I had faced health issues with my son, there were no questions asked. I received only 100% support from every member I was in contact with at Goodway Group. This company helps ease the mind of every working mom who knows they need to be available at the drop of a hat if their child has a health scare, and Goodway understands that.

Julie Quick, Supervisor, Client Services, Oak Park, IL

I am a single mom and know how much this virtual environment benefits single moms. When you are the only one doing everything for the family… getting 2 hours back in the day that you used to spend commuting is more precious than money. Having flexible hours so you can drive kids places, be there for their games or just have dinner on the table before 8:00 pm is the most amazing thing in the world.

Amanda Martin, Director Account Strategy & Research, North Kingstown, Rhode Island

To put it simply, I’m still in the workforce full-time in the industry I love.  I have been and will always be someone who takes great pride and accomplishment from my career and not going back to work after having children never seemed to be an option that would make me happy until I was faced with the reality of working full-time and having two children.  After juggling my career and two sons for 5 years, I felt like no matter what I was doing I wasn’t doing the right thing.   If I was home with the kids I wasn’t at work, if I was at work I wasn’t at home with the kids.  To compound the situation, my first son is medically complex.  As my husband and I were considering if staying home was an option for me, both financially and mentally, I was approach by Goodway Group with an opportunity.  With a virtual environment, Goodway meant staying in the industry I love, living in the state I love, Rhode Island is not a digital hotspot, and being home with my family.  The decision to come to Goodway was my last attempt at making being a working mom work.  The decision has been a success, I’m more engaged at work, receiving a promotion in my first year, and with my family than ever before.  By eliminating daily commutes and office distractions, I’ve become more productive and more present with my kids.  If Goodway had not found me, I might have become one of the 43% of highly qualified women with children who leave their career or off-ramp for a period of time (Lean-In source).

Chelsey White, Digital Media Trader, Melrose, WI

I live in rural Southwestern Wisconsin (Melrose).  The closest job opportunity that isn’t a bar or a cheese factory (not kidding! lol) is at least a 45-minute commute, not including snow & construction delays (our 2 seasons here).  I have a 10-month-old son & absolutely refused to spend 2 hours of my day driving, leaving me with maybe an hour with him before bedtime.  My husband & I had made the difficult decision that I would find a part-time job that I was way overqualified for to reduce the drive time & be able to see my baby.  This would really have impacted our finances & limited the opportunities that we could provide for Tucker.  I was completely stuck between a rock & a hard place.  Tucker goes to daycare about a quarter mile away, & I am able to go nurse him during my lunch.  Also, in working with my amazing supervisor, Darcy, we put together a flexible schedule where I work 7am-3pm, then as necessary after Tucker goes to bed.  And on top of it all – I LOVE what I do!  I get to use my degree, am mentally stimulated every day, and feel fulfilled with the work I accomplish.

Jessica Murphy, Digital Media Supervisor, Atlanta, GA

As a single mom, working for Goodway Group has been a huge blessing for my little family. I now have the flexibility to go eat lunch with Addison on Friday’s if I want or attend her dance recitals without feeling stressed out about missing work. I always felt like I couldn’t have a career and be the best mom to Addie but Goodway Group has shown me that it’s truly possible to have both. I’m so thankful to work for a company that values family.

Anne Lehr, Digital Research and Strategy Specialist, Holly, Michigan

The benefits of a virtual environment have allowed me to cut 4+ driving hours out of my day (for work and childcare) and has allowed me to be only a room or two away from my son every day!  This was important for me when evaluating new job opportunities and with Goodway, I found everything I wanted… and more!

Jennifer Hadley-White, SEM Coordinator, Ft. Worth, TX

After working in corporate America, I became a stay-at-home mom for six years. Once my son was old enough for full-day school, I was ready to re-enter the paying workforce again. Because I had grown accustomed to being productive at home all day, I decided home was where I performed best and sought a work-at-home solution. As well as enjoying the work, being with Goodway Group allowed me to take my son to school and be home when he got off the bus. My son requires special education so being available after school was imperative the first few years.

Roohie Iqbal, SEM Supervisor, Houston, TX

When I had my first child, I was working in an office from 8am-5pm, which would actually mean leaving the house 7 am and getting home at 6 pm. I would barely catch some time with my daughter in the mornings and then a couple of hours in the evening before she would fall asleep. I did this for around three months when I realized I wasn’t happy and was being deprived of time with my child, which made me miserable in the office. Fortunately, a friend who had kept telling me about joining this great company called Goodway reached out to me again around the same time and told me there was an opening in their SEM department. I was a little hesitant at first wondering if I could fit the work from home lifestyle and whether this company really was as good as my friend raved about. However, I took the plunge, applied and got the job.

As soon as I started it definitely felt like the right decision. I had a chance to peek in on my daughter throughout the day, take breaks when I could and literally see her grow up. Instead of feeling like I was missing out, I was now happy that I was getting to see more of her and it actually made me more productive in my role at work to the point where I was promoted within 6 months of joining the company. I then had my second daughter last year and was so grateful to not have to go to an office after my maternity leave was over. My first daughter is now in daycare and the second with a babysitter in my home so I have the ability to drop off, pick up and if either of my daughters have doctor’s appointments, get sick or I have to be at a meeting at daycare, I am able to attend by having the flexibility of working it into my day.

2017 is expected to see a significant rise in innovations and technology adoptions. With new talent blending into the existing workforce, ad tech industry is turning into a well-rounded ecosystem with balanced gender ratio.