“What is it like to work with me?”
I asked this question to the people I've worked with the most over the last decade. These are their real, unedited answers.
Marina Qualls
UX Designer, Transamerica
“One of the reasons I went to work for Transamerica was to be part of Mary's team. Since interviewing, I knew having her as manager would make a difference in my first design role. Mary has been an amazing manager since day one. She is the best mentor I could have asked for, she always has her team's deliverables and well-being in mind, and she is constantly focused on elevating our design team and each one of us in our design career. She is astounding in meetings, dealing with different requests and stakeholders. Any company would be lucky to have her manage a team of designers, and any designer would be fortunate to learn from her.”
Anna Cook
UX Designer, Transamerica
“Mary is the kind of person who truly cares about her team. She understands what it takes to be a strong leader, and she knows how to make great things happen in complicated landscapes. She has helped guide my career with a wonderful amount of patience, empathy, and care. When Mary inevitably drives off into the wilderness to draw children’s books, I will still pay her for her guidance. Not joking.”
Maria Laly
UX Designer, Transamerica
“I have been fortunate enough to work with Mary for the past year at Transamerica. Immediately, I knew she was someone that is passionate about her team and how she does her job. I couldn't wait to be a part of her team! She takes such a strong interest in her designers and works with you to identify your strengths and opportunities to grow. Her ability to create a thoughtful, collaborative, user experience-focused culture is one that I hope to always be a part of. As a manager and a mentor, she has guided me to think in different ways and to consider different perspectives. She is both personable and professional and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to learn from her and to witness what an intelligent, resilient leader looks like.”
Jonathan Serebrin
Sr. User Researcher, The Home Depot
"Mary Mary is not contrary. When you need someone to attend a total solar eclipse with, Mary is the one to call. Just don't eat a Bojangle's salad in your glasses or you'll end up with a photo of it on the internet."
Kelly Ball
Sr. Content Strategist, HD Home, The Home Depot
"You're like, my best friend. I wish my desk was still next to yours because you made my days so much better. You’re really thoughtful, helpful, and insightful for our work projects. You’re one of those people that just really cares about other people, and you’re always there to listen and offer advice if someone wants it."
Christopher Gleason
Sr. Manager of Product Management, .com, The Home Depot
”Oh, Dude, you’re awesome.”
Sarah Duquette
Sr. UX Designer, HD Home, The Home Depot
”Mary is a saint. She works on a product team with 15 boys! And very rarely yells at any of them. She's also a damn good designer. Oh! And I would also hike with her any time. Need I say more?"
Ryan Shaffer
Sr. Project Manager, Team Gleason, The Home Depot
"Well, I am your BFF and vice versa."
Jay Dicenso
UX Architect, Team Gleason, The Home Depot
"This is so much pressure! I can't just sum up an entirely meaningful relationship into a few sentences! I need more time! I need more words!"
Kevin Abdo
Manager of Online Product Management, A/B Testing, The Home Depot
"Wait. YOU STILL WORK HERE? I swear to God, every time I check your Instagram you're off on some mountain somewhere. I just assumed you were living in the wild, living off dandelions and tree bark or something."
Kelly Christian
Online Associate product manager, The Home Depot
"She wears a simple palette of clothing, but you can count on her for an innovative best-in-class design."
David "Danny" Brosche
Lead UX Designer, Core Shopping, The Home Depot
"Watching Mary work is similar to watching a senior citizen perform a simple chore. She’ll get the work done, but then she’s going to need a nap. And snacks."
Alexis Robinson
UX Designer, HD Home, The Home Depot
"Mary is a highly skilled designer who thinks in context of the user journey and is able to confidently support and explain her design decisions. Her straight-forward approach to problem solving makes her an asset to our team. Although she is a thought leader who adds incredible value in collaborative environments, she does not require hand-holding to reach a solution. She values her time and thrives in an environment where she can focus on work that matters over menial tasks. And as an added bonus, she brings a refreshing sense of humor to the workplace!"
Stephanie Dulaney
Sr. Analyst, Online Business Analytics for HD Home, The Home Depot
"You are a majestic goddess."
Jonathan Horowitz
Product Manager, HD Home + Pinterest Squad, The Home Depot
"Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Well that wolf was Mary Larter, and the cry is User Experience design that resonates deeply into a customer's soul, letting them know that, 'Hey man, I've thought about you and I care about you - we are going to get through this together. Let's go.'"
DeSha’ Rogers-Givens
Engineering Manager - Core Shopping .com, The Home Depot
“My teams love working with you. They’ll never admit it, but every time they come out of meetings with you they are smiling. That says a lot.”
Eugene Du Plessis
Sr. UX Architect, HD Core Shopping, The Home Depot
“In life, I have experienced disappointment, but working with Mary has not been one of those times. Lunching with her is a different story.
My advice: Be careful of her laugh, it’s highly infectious (the good kind). Be careful of asking her opinion, she’s very accurate in her honesty usually with high levels of empathy. Be careful of asking her for help, she will usually help out more than is needed & add some extra food for thought. Be careful of her design work, it’s mesmerizing and some have been caught drooling openly. Be careful of her use of snapchat filters, it will change you. Sometimes resulting in uncontrollably spitting your drink out.
She has poor choices in sleeping bags and cars. Best twin ever.”
Amy Mathis Weyant
eCommerce Production Coordinator, Dick’s Sporting Goods
“The sun never sets on a badass. So the sun never sets on you.”
Babette Maxwell
Executive Editor and Founder of Military Spouse Magazine, Victory Media
”Mary is an extraordinary professional with a keen eye and incredible vision. In the two years I worked with her, she was insightful and intuitive with all of the graphic and artistic needs for the brand. It was a privilege to work with Mary and I'd recommend her any day of the week!”
Ellen K. Nau
My Mom
"You're the most beautiful girl in the world. You're beautiful inside and out. You're just so amazing. I'm so proud of you. Anyone would be lucky to see you every day and work with you. They really would. I mean, do I think you could stand to call your mother a little more frequently - yes - but that doesn't mean someone shouldn't want to work with you."
*It might be worth mentioning that my Mom doesn't actually know what I do, as like, an actual profession.
David H. Larter
My Dad
"You're a complete pain in my ass."
*To be fair, my Dad definitely doesn't know what I do.
Sean Zimmerman
Sr. UX Manager, HD Home (My Former Boss), The Home Depot
"Why are you asking me this? Are you quitting?"
Magic 8 ball
Occasional Decision-Maker & Life Coach
"Ask again later."
These My Peeps
You spend so much of your time with your coworkers. You spend long days, frustrating hours, you build things that fail big, you rely on them to have your back, you build things that win big, you learn, you grow - I mean, if you’re doing it right you experience an array of emotions and experiences with them. And, if you believe Jim Rohn, “you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” which would mean your coworkers become an important part of who you are. Here are some of my favorite people and moments throughout my career. These are the people who have helped make me who I am. (Feel free to cue up Sarah Mclachlan in the background to really add some emotional ambiance.)
