Employee Spotlight: Celebrating Hispanic and Latinx Heritage

Welcome to the Pixelberry Employee Spotlight! In our previous employee spotlight, we interviewed PB Engineer, Atul. This time around we want to introduce you to PB Writer, Cat, and our Head of Marketing, Cari, who'll share their experiences with both work, and celebrating Hispanic and Latinx heritage. 

Thank you both for taking the time to share your story. What inspired you to pursue your current roles?

Cat: For as long as I can remember, I've loved writing. I think I wrote my first (terrible) novel when I was around nine years old. It's changed a lot since I was a kid, but the feeling that I get when I sit down to write something I'm passionate about is one of the best feelings in the world.

Cari: I always knew that I wanted to work in business, and I went to college thinking that supply chain management and manufacturing was my future. Boy, was I wrong! I soon realized that was not the life I wanted and was a bit lost to be honest. At that time, I was also working as a sales associate at Borders Bookstore and realized I found joy in learning why customers loved certain titles. It was an amazing feeling to bring those worlds to life through the release parties and to see how strangers became friends through our book clubs. That's when I knew I wanted to follow a career in marketing, to build and celebrate brands that bring people together.  

Can't go wrong with passion and joy! Speaking of, why did you choose to join the Pixelberry Team?

Cat: From the get-go, I've enjoyed the format of Choices games. Plus, being able to deliver small, bite-sized pieces of a story can be super gratifying as a writer because you get feedback for your work every week. I also appreciate Pixelberry's respect for the romance genre. Romance is probably one of the most demeaned genres of literature, despite being one of the most influential and beloved. It was refreshing to join a company that recognized the cross-cultural importance of romance stories.

Cari: It was all cemented as soon as I met the team. I was blown away by how sincere and humble everyone was. Being around so many people that were not only talented, but also passionate about building worlds with heart really resonated with me. Now I get to geek out with all of them over games and the stories we love!

Yes! It's always fun to get excited about current games and stories out there. Do you have any recommendations for anyone who wants to get into this industry?

Cat: There are a ton of resources out there that can help aspiring game devs. Industry veterans often host panels or write articles about their experiences that are full of invaluable advice. Also, I recommend playing as many different genres of games as you can. Don't just stick to, like, survival horror games, even if that's your favorite genre. A well-rounded game dev should know a little bit about a lot of different kinds of games.

Cari: Self-learning is super important. Marketing for mobile games is a very young industry and we have to tackle new technological changes every year. If you're starting from scratch, focus your research on user acquisition, A/B testing, and app store optimization. This should set you on the right path to understanding the basics of growth marketing, which is always useful when interviewing for entry-level positions. And always remember to research the company and to use their products before interviewing.

Thanks for your helpful insights! Lastly, what final thoughts about Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month do you want to share with our readers?

Cat: Hispanic, Latine, and Latinx are umbrella terms that cover a lot of vastly different experiences. My own experience is incredibly personal to me, just like my mom's experience as a first-generation citizen is personal to her, and my grandparents' experience as Mexican immigrants is personal to them. There's no single Latinx person who can tell you, "This is what it means to be Latinx." I think that's one of the biggest misconceptions people have about the Latinx community. It's not a monolith, but an incredibly diverse collection of voices. There are a ton of Latinx game developers, particularly women, who have taught me a lot about the industry as a whole. When it boils down to it, I would encourage people to listen to as many of those voices as they can - not just this month, but as often as they have the opportunity to.

Cari: ¡Celebra tu cultura! It doesn't matter what your story is, always remember to celebrate your culture. It is not about where you were born, what language you speak, or how you look, but about how we keep the best parts of our traditions alive. Abuela's cooking, blasting merengue while cleaning the house, that extra cafecito to close a long night of talking, or bringing your favorite holiday drink to the office party! Many of these tiny details are what weave the true celebration of Hispanic and Latinx heritage. Don't let other people's perception of what we should be dim your light or reshape how you see yourself! 

Be true to who you are... we love to see it. Thank you Cat and Cari for sharing your stories with us. To our readers, thanks for taking the time to read our blog - we hope it inspires you in some way.

Until next time,

The Pixelberry Team <3