Meet a Helpful Human – Samantha Mueller

Responsive, helpful, and dedicated in ways automation simply can’t be. We’re your team.

Each month, we recognize one of our Most Helpful Humans in Hosting®. 

Samantha Mueller graduated from CUNY Brooklyn College with a BA in English Education in 2006. Since then, she has held a variety of jobs, including working as a Dental Assistant and adjunct teacher. Between 2016 and 2021, she worked as a grant writer for a Community Action Agency. In March 2021, she began Cornell’s Digital Marketing Certificate, leading Samantha to her current role at Liquid Web. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their dogs, Ziggy Woofdust and Stevie Licks. 

Now, Samantha helps customers and colleagues alike as the Content Marketer at Nexcess, one of Liquid Web’s Family of Brands.

After studying digital marketing, I looked around for jobs that matched my skills. My first interview with Liquid Web was on St. Patrick’s Day, but it was more than luck that brought me here. I was not just impressed by the company, but the people who interviewed me really made me want to work here. I liked the energy—open, honest, straightforward, and motivating. It was also different and inspiring to see women in charge. I decided Liquid Web was a place I wanted to be.

There is nothing more amazing to me than being a part of how people gain access to things. I’ve been on computers since I was in kindergarten, and I’m one system analyst job away from being Angela Bennett in The Net. Everything has gone digital in my life in one aspect or another. The things we grew up watching and viewing as distant possibilities (like in The Cable Guy, “You can do your shopping at home, or play Mortal Kombat with a friend from Vietnam”) … we’re doing those things now. I order pizza without having to say a word. You can play Dungeons and Dragons without being in the same room as your party. Or we can set up an entire managed site or store environment for a customer to use, all without them ever having to touch the server themselves.

We aren’t “the Internet” here—but we’re renting houses on its street. And even more exciting, we’re helping folks open up shop (our customers) right in the neighborhood and provide them with lightning-fast, highly secure, and reliable infrastructure paired with service you cannot beat.

The people of Liquid Web are truly unique. From the many hobby Slack channels like baking, crafting, and gaming, to our Culture team’s initiatives to create engagement and participation, to our COO’s taste in music, everyone feels like they’re at least a little bit like me, and that makes work incredibly comfortable. You can be yourself at Liquid Web because everyone meshes well.

Liquid Web truly puts effort into making everyone feel welcome. I’m impressed at how much fun energy there is here. And the activities usually yield pleasant surprises. During a Hangout Roulette session, which is where people are randomly grouped for a fun 30-minute chat, I learned that I wasn’t very far from my coworkers. One of my colleagues is only an hour south of where I live. Being remote, you can get the impression everyone’s far away, but in reality, I could bump into a coworker going shopping.

I didn’t expect this coming from the nonprofit world, but I genuinely feel like the Leadership Team at Liquid Web cares about us as employees. What’s more, they care about our customers too, and I’ve personally seen what level of kindness they extend. There is a big heart behind the technology, and it shows. 

When one of our customers was hit by tornadoes, we comped their service and sent them jackets and clothes. And there are the causes Liquid Web supports, like Extra Life, which supports children’s hospitals. The messages from leadership always showcase real, human, thoughtful concerns. 

I loved creating our Holiday Survival Guide eBook last year. By the time the guide was created, I felt like this was going to be incredibly useful for people, and that’s my jam. My favorite part of teaching was always explaining something in a way that spoke to students on their level and in a meaningful way. So I felt confident when I was done that the guide was really encompassing, and could even be used throughout the year—not just for the holidays—to really help entrepreneurs out. 

At Liquid Web, you’re on a team in the real sense of the word. When I was being interviewed, one of my future bosses told me that I’d have a seat at the table if I worked here. That line was why I said yes to this job. The fact that they’ve kept that promise is why I love working at Liquid Web. My opinions are heard, and I feel like I’m part of the team, not just merely present.

I’m on the organic side of marketing, so if you need something researched, written, or edited, I’m your girl. Organic marketing has to do with the channels we own—think our blog, knowledge base, and social posts. I love marketing because I’ve wanted to write professionally since I learned to write. I like being able to sit in on a conversation, pick out the things that would be most interesting about it, and then tell its story. That’s what marketing is—telling stories a few different ways, so no matter the audience, your message gets across. 

Managed Hosting doesn’t mean you’re giving up control. Managed means that we handle the “dirty work” of server management, maintenance, security, and support, so you can focus on what matters most: your actual work. Other things are handled too, such as automatic updates, core WordPress platform updates, and migration assistance for shops on our Nexcess Managed WooCommerce or Managed WordPress plans.

Managed Hosting means you know before your customers do if something’s strange in the neighborhood. This is just… it’s smart hosting, is what it is.

I’m finally back into gaming now that school is done. Currently, I’m working my way through Witcher 3. I think I also have around 900 hours of Animal Crossing logged by now. Does this count as a game? It’s just virtual housework. 

Either Forensic Files or Criminal Minds. Oh, and Workin’ Moms and I’m Sorry are without a doubt the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. They’re like a visual pint of Ben & Jerry’s for me. 

Henry Cavill, but only if he’s dressed up as Geralt of Rivia and brings one of the coconut cakes Tom Cruise sends him every year.