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Liquid Web’s Director of Managed Applications on what keeps her inspired and tenacious in the world of tech.
Jessica Frick was given her first computer—an Apple IIGS, a gift from her father—when she was 10 years old, years before her first experiences with the Internet and dial-up connection. Born in Illinois and raised in southwest Orlando, Frick was interested in tech from the beginning. As a teen, she began learning HTML and made money by building and editing websites. By college, she was co-authoring scholarly research on the viability of online learning environments in university settings, an interest that would turn out to be prescient for 2020’s educational landscape.
After graduating from college, Frick joined a renewable energy tech think tank in DC, which started working remotely in 2005. Later, she co-founded a private energy group that grew to manage millions of dollars in government energy projects. While much of the work was online and in tech, Frick found that she wanted to get back into the Internet-focused world. “I joined Copyblogger Media, where I managed the company’s operations and strategic partnerships. One of the partnerships I managed was with Chris Lema,” she says. “Chris later recruited me to join his product team here at Liquid Web. I’m so glad he did!”
Now, Frick is the Director of Managed Applications at Nexcess, a Liquid Web company, where she serves on the Product team for Nexcess. “I wake up every morning with a goal of making our products better for our customers,” she says. Her role involves working with each department to keep taking WordPress, WooCommerce, and Magento to the next level. “It is our goal to offer superior managed hosting products and to be the trustworthy tech partners we’d want for ourselves.” Her enthusiasm for the work is contagious. “I absolutely love WordPress,” she says. “I’m so excited about where our Managed WordPress products are going in 2021! I’ve been telling people that right now is the perfect time to sign up!”
The evolving nature of the tech industry keeps Frick engaged and passionate. “What works best today might not be the best solution six months from now,” she says, “and we have to keep our eyes on both the present and future to ensure we’re always at the top of our game.” Having spent nearly 20 years of her career in technology, there’s little that surprises her anymore, but she’s always delighted by the innovation and problem-solving she sees. “Imagination is such a powerful thing!”
In addition to tech, music is a great passion of Frick’s. “Music has saved my life more than once, and it’s one of the things I love most in the world,” she says. “I have more than a thousand albums, plus countless more on various hard drives. I was a college radio DJ and even performed club gigs on occasion.”
A self-proclaimed “born entrepreneur,” Frick has always been a hard worker. “My work style has always assumed that no one was going to just give me the life I wanted. I needed to work for it. There is no such thing as an overnight success,” she says. At the end of the day, Frick is most motivated by being a good wife, mother, friend, and teammate. (She loves spending time with her husband, teenage son, and dogs.) “I’ve lived through loss and challenges in my life, but I’ve also been blessed with some incredibly fortunate breaks. I try to stay mindful of that and to lead with a grateful, servant heart. I try to remember that we are all in this together. I have never regretted choosing to be kind and helpful.”
Having spent her entire post-college career in the Tech Industry, Frick says with confidence that things are much better for women today than they were 20 years ago. “With more women entering tech in every role, I’m excited to see more women and non-binary individuals rise as leaders and being celebrated for their phenomenal work without so much gender bias. This also goes for diversity of all types. We still have a way to go, but we’re getting there.”
One piece of advice Frick has for people interested in embarking on a career in tech is to keep going. “Keep going. No one knows everything when they’re just getting started. It’s okay to be new,” she says. “Keep learning, keep paying it forward, keep helping others, and being kind. One day you’ll look back to realize how far you’ve come, and you’ll find yourself helping the next generation. The beat goes on…”
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