Leading with Humility: Meet Adam Warner
Originally published on GoDaddy Resources
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career journey, here at GoDaddy.
I am the Director of Field Marketing here at GoDaddy, focused primarily on our WordPress and web designer and developer solutions. Our team manages our Global WordPress event sponsorship and engagement and contributions to the WordPress opensource project and community. We are the conduit between the project, our customers, and our product, marketing, and other teams.
I started my employment career delivering newspapers when I was twelve years old, which was my first exposure to both entrepreneurship and providing customer service. Through many jobs and several side hustle businesses, I learned that building 1:1 relationships with customers, and therefore trust, were the keys to success in any endeavor.
In 2005, I was working as a customer service representative for an audiobook company, managing phone and website sales of cassette tapes, audio CDs, and what was cutting edge at the time, mp3 CDs. I was also running a photo-to-DVD memorial company on my nights and weekends and had an HTML website to promote that business. I was looking for a faster way to update the site and start a blog. It was then that I found the WordPress software and quickly became entrenched in the online community of users, learning all that I could and sharing that knowledge by publishing a blog featuring WordPress tutorials.
I was fortunate to convince the company that I worked for at the time to use WordPress for audiobook author blogs, and since then, I’ve been using WordPress almost daily.
In 2011, I co-founded a WordPress plugin business, and for the next seven years learned more about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and customer service, specifically in the WordPress web designer and developer community. I joined GoDaddy in 2018 to manage our sponsorship and presence at WordPress events and in the community.
What has been one of your proudest moments at the organization?
What I’m most proud of is helping to continually solidify GoDaddy’s commitment to the WordPress project and community of web designers and developers across the globe. I’m also proud to have built a Field Marketing team that advocates and engages multiple internal teams and individuals who are passionate about the WordPress solutions we offer and encouraging them to get more deeply involved with the WordPress project and the eco-system surrounding it.
What does work-life balance mean for you?
I was not good at finding the balance for many years. I could be considered a classic workaholic, but mostly because I’ve been able to turn my passion for WordPress and website building into a career. When you’re working within your passion every day, work doesn’t seem like work. That said, learning to consciously focus on a proper work-life balance is the most important thing I’ve ever done for myself, and my family. I now schedule everything in my calendar, including dedicated family and self-care time. I’ve learned to become strict with myself because if I don't, I know I’d be at my desk most nights and weekends.
How does GoDaddy help with this?
GoDaddy’s remote working culture and flexibility in schedule has been one of the lynchpins for finding work-life balance. The nature of Field Marketing work includes traveling to events and often being away from home, but at the same time I’ve been able to be more present with things like taking my kids to and from school, doctor appointments, and life’s other unexpected schedule changes.
How do you recharge after a busy work week?
Saturday mornings are one of my favorite times of the week. You’ll find me sitting outside having coffee with my wife, making sure to start the day as slowly as possible; making time to just “be” with one another and with nature.
What's your motto or personal mantra?
Lead your life with humility and empathy in all things and with all people. One of my favorite quotes is from Socrates, “The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and I am not quite sure that I know that.”
For me, it’s a reminder to be humble, not ego-driven, and to keep myself open to learning new things always.
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