Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcy Baldock.
Hi Marcy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My career hasn’t been a straight line – it’s been full of learning, growth, and quiet pivots that led me exactly where I needed to be. I work as a Global Marketing Manager for a software company and I’ve been in the tech industry for a little over seven years. I’ve been in my current role for a little over a year now. For six of those years, I lived in England, where I had the chance to work with people from different cultures across the UK and EU, build a truly global perspective, and grow my career in ways I never expected. My life has followed that same pattern, with chapters that shaped who I am in ways I never could have planned. Never in my life did I imagine I would end up where I am today. So, let me start at the beginning.
I was born and raised in Southern California. I’m a first-generation American and the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents. Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, I was in bilingual classes throughout elementary school. While the goal was in those classes was to learn English and eventually transition into an all english speaking class, the reality is that I really picked up the language and culture from watching TV. Like many children of immigrant parents can relate, being first-gen is its own balancing act — trying to fit in, all while also honoring the culture, language, and traditions you’re growing up with at home. You’re constantly doing your best to assimilate without losing where you come from.
Neither of my parents had the chance to finish school, so they worked incredibly hard — both of them in factories — taking on whatever jobs they could to support us. Growing up, I watched them work long hours, pick up overtime whenever it was available, and sometimes even take on a third stream of income. That meant selling at the swap meet on weekends or cleaning gyms late at night. Seeing that level of sacrifice shaped me. Those early years taught me to be strong, adaptable, and resilient. They gave me a sense of responsibility that has carried me through every stage of my life and career.
Right after high school, I was working at an insurance agency and spending my free time on the band’s fan message board — this was 2002, when message boards were still a thing. At the time, I dreamed of becoming a fanzine writer and a fashion designer. One day, another fan posted asking if anyone wanted to help write for a fan website they were hoping to build. I was curious, so I sent an email. About a week later, I got a reply — and that email ended up changing the entire course of my life. The person behind that message lived in England, and when we first talked on the phone, it felt like we had known each other forever! Since I didn’t have internet or dial-up at home, I could only email him during work hours at the insurance agency. And this was before WhatsApp or social media even existed. If we wanted to talk on the phone, I relied heavily on calling cards. We’ve been together ever since. This year, we celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. We have two sons (18 and 12), and to this day, we’re still each other’s best friends. Around that same time, I landed a job at an apparel and retail company in Hollywood that worked exclusively with Hot Topic. That experience opened the door to roles at Billabong and later at Forever 21’s corporate office. It was fast-paced and creative, and it gave me hands-on experience from design to manufacturing.
When I was pregnant with our second child, a good friend asked if I’d be interested in working on a kids’ t-shirt line. By that time, I had attended Long Beach City College and had been working toward my Fashion Merchandising AA, though I never had the chance to complete it. Without hesitating, I said yes. That conversation turned into a collaboration, and we created a brand called Roman + Gemma, named after our youngest kids. We grew organically — building an online store, hosting pop-up shops, and eventually getting our pieces carried in local boutiques. It was creative and hands-on, and it was incredibly rewarding to see something we built from scratch out in the world.
Running the brand eventually pulled me into digital marketing — designing the website, planning photoshoots, managing social media, email marketing, and connecting with customers online. That was my entry point into the tech world. In 2018, we moved to England and decided to close Roman + Gemma. I knew I wanted to return to work, so I started applying for roles and eventually joined a small tech supplier. It was my first true tech role, and I learned a lot very quickly. COVID happened shortly after, which made settling in harder — new country, new job, two young boys, and a global shutdown. But we found our rhythm. After gaining more experience, I knew I wanted to take the next step — to go bigger and work for a global software company. A couple of years later, I landed that role and was able to expand my career even further. I was primarily working remotely, but I visited the London office once a month and traveled to Spain a couple of times for work. Living in England changed me in ways I didn’t expect; it stretched me, grounded me, and gave me a new sense of who I was. As a girl from Los Angeles, I never imagined I’d be raising my family across the world, traveling, learning, and creating a home there.
Last summer, we moved back to California with our boys and our 3½-year-old Shiba Inu. Coming back felt a little like starting over again, but I welcomed it. My parents are getting older, and even though they visited us in England several times — something I’ll always be grateful for — being closer to them now feels right. Other family members visited too, moments that may never have happened if we hadn’t moved abroad. And if I’m honest, I missed home-cooked Mexican food! Being an international family means having people you love on both sides of the world. No matter where you live, someone is always far away. There’s no perfect scenario; every choice comes with a sacrifice, which is why it never feels simple. When we returned, I picked up my career where I had left off. I had been working for a large software company, but after an acquisition and layoffs, I wasn’t able to transfer my role back to California. So I started applying again and, thankfully, found a new opportunity a few months after moving home — something I don’t take lightly given the current job market.
What I appreciate most about working in tech is that it has never really been about the software. It’s about people. My career has taught me how to work across cultures, personalities, and continents — and how to communicate in ways that build understanding and trust. I’m also part of my company’s DEIB leadership group, where we amplify the voices and cultures of our global teams — from India to Mexico to Canada and beyond. Representation matters, and I’m proud to contribute to work that brings people together. Outside of work, I’m a member of Latinas in Tech, which gives me the chance to connect with and support other women with similar backgrounds and experiences.
I don’t have an AA, a BA, or a Master’s degree. What I do have is curiosity, discipline, and a willingness to figure things out. I’m an introvert, but being quiet never meant being small. It meant I listened, learned, and found my own way of showing up — even in rooms where I didn’t always feel like I belonged. Every opportunity I’ve had came from persistence, intuition, and staying open to possibility. And through it all, I try to lead with kindness and remember where I come from. My parents and ancestors worked hard for stability they were not always given. Their sacrifices gave me choices they never had, and I carry that with me every day.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that success doesn’t have to look one way. My path wasn’t traditional or linear, but every chapter prepared me for the next. I’m proud of the journey — and I hope it reminds other women, moms, and anyone building a life on their own terms that there isn’t just one way to succeed. It’s all about timing, believing in the process, and most importantly believing in yourself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. I struggle with confidence. I have moments of imposter syndrome, I overthink, and I question myself more than I should. And like I mentioned, I’m an introvert, so I’m constantly pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. But in a strange way, that’s never been a bad thing, because every time I’ve done something that scared me, I’ve grown and learned something new about myself.
Even in my day-to-day role, there are things I don’t feel naturally confident in, like presenting. The thought of public speaking terrifies me! I also think that because I don’t have a degree, I sometimes worry that people can tell, and it makes me feel intimidated. So I’ve had to learn to remind myself of how far I’ve come and give myself a pep talk when I need it. Fear held me back in the past, so now I try not to let it get the best of me. I remind myself that I deserve to be where I am, even if my path didn’t look like everyone else’s.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My job as a global field marketing manager entails me running and executing campaigns aimed at enterprise customers (fortune 500 companies) that use our software. These campaign vary globally, can be in-person events, virtual events such as webinars or email/digital marketing. I make sure we retain our current customers and gain new ones, I’m most proud to be working with a global team, being remote can feel siloed, so it is not for everyone, it fits my personality and I enjoy it! It requires a lot of hours and can be frustrating, its very fast paced, but overall it does provide me to be creative and use by organization and entrepreneural skills.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband deserves a lot of credit. He’s my best friend, and we’ve gone through so much together. We were so young when we met, and we’ve grown together, always trying to become better people, not just for each other, but for our family. He is my support, my confidant, and the person who believes in me even when I have trouble believing in myself. And I believe in him just the same. The way we met is so unusual and unreal, and it changed the entire course of my life. Since day one, he has inspired me in so many ways. If our paths had never crossed, I truly don’t know where I would be.
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