Hidden Gems: Meet Emilia D’Anzica of Growth Molecules

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emilia D’Anzica.

Hi Emilia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My parents don’t have degrees or training in anything in particular. What they have is a passion for creating food experiences that people remember. For over 30 years they opened New-York Style pizzerias in each of the locations they lived in. They have never worked for anyone but themselves. Growing up in a family that worked together serving others taught me skills that I have leveraged in my tech and other business experiences.

While my parents supported me in devoting 20+ years of my career to corporate America and my interest in going to university to obtain my bachelor’s degree and then MBA, they are also proud that I started Sonoma Creek Ventures 5 years ago with my partner, Jason. It is a company focused on luxury vacation rental experiences with over 200 5-star reviews.

The second company I started, Growth Molecules™, is a management consulting firm focused on helping companies retain and expand customers. We focus on business-to-business software as a service (SaaS) companies seeking to build and optimize how they lead product adoption. We offer diagnostics, recommendations, coaching, playbooks, training, and workshops to help individuals and companies grow. We also have a CSA Accredicated Academy that enables customer success professionals to develop essential leadership and business skills.

My most recent adventure is writing and publishing a book, Pressing ON As A Tech Mom: How Tech Industry Mothers Set Goals, Define Boundaries And Raise the Bar for Success, Being a woman in tech is challenging, but being a mother makes it even more so challenging and that is why my co-author and business partner, Sabina M. Pons wrote this book. We want to empower women in the workforce and educate tech leaders about why moms belong and thrive in technology. The book is on Amazon and has over 75 5-Star reviews.

I am constantly looking for new ways to develop myself, help others, and be a role-model to my three children

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?
A few painful ones come to mind, but I stick to three:

1. I worked for a tech company without maternity leave so when I had my second baby, I used my 5 1/2 weeks of vacation to be with her. During that time, my boss hired a woman to replace me and fire me when I returned. She didn’t have the heart to do it and quit before I returned. How do I know this happened? She called me years later to share the story. I was in shock and angry with the two men who wanted this to happen. I am also angry I devoted so much of my career to that company. It’s behind me now, and I hold no grudges, but this is one of the reasons I wrote my book, Pressing on as Tech Mom.

2. I have been fired abruptly despite having 13 consecutive quarters of either meeting or over-achieving my key performance indicators (KPIs) – I was told, ‘we want fresh blood in your role; it’s time for your to go. I was told I had to select my replacement and help her for the next two months if I wanted my final paycheck and bonus. I believe this is an example of ageism that so many people experience and it’s worse for women in tech. This experience could have led me to quit tech altogether but instead, I picked myself up and started a consulting firm four years ago. I have never looked back and now dedicate part of my time to helping other women struggling to find a job after being out of the workforce to care for others.

3. Having three children at home while leading a global team was challenging with all the travel my husband and I did for work. During this time, at 38, I decided to go get my MBA at night and on the weekends. It was hard, I was exhausted and often missed important events with my family. I don’t regret it. My husband took care of the kids and me and I now have a degree that changed my life. I am able to leverage the skills I developed during that time to help companies as they scale globally.

These challenges have made me a stronger person, not fearing to speak up, get up, and help others even when they go through difficult times.

We’ve been impressed with Growth Molecules, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Growth Molecules™ is a management consulting firm specializing in helping companies retain and expand customers. We focus on business-to-business software as a service (SaaS) companies that are seeking to build and optimize how they ensure product adoption. We offer diagnostics, recommendations, coaching, playbooks, training, and workshops to help you and your company grow. We also have a CSA Accredicated Academy that enables customer success professionals to develop essential business skills.

We have over 50 5-Star Reviews on G2.com and companies like Leading Hotels of the World, Gainsight, Aurora Solar, and Square as clients.

Top Services we offer:

1. Assessment and Playbooks: Building tactical and educational customer success programs covering programs from inception to edification. For a smooth flow from implementation to adoption, renewals, and support. We help companies build customer journey maps

2. Corporate Training and Workshops: Delivering virtual, hybrid, or in-person sessions, customized to meet your team’s needs. Training and equipping your team for Customer Success Kickoffs, workshops, and customizable learning experiences.

3. Technology Focus: We assess your technology stack and help you select the best-in-class platforms and implement them. As integrations partners, we help you maximize your investment. We have Gainsight & Churn Zero certified experts on our team to support you from onboarding to ongoing enablement.

4. Strategic Guidance: Fractional leadership, board advisors, & executive coaches to provide expert advice to achieve definite goals while evaluating growth capabilities with expert advice. Deep expertise in evaluating technologies, strategies, and programs.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My parents, my partner, my sisters and brother, my business partner, and my friends. They have all helped me when I didn’t believe in myself, wasn’t sure if I didn’t know if I wanted to continue in tech, when I didn’t know how I would be able to balance my mental well-being, being a mom, and working full time.

I am fortunate to have a strong family who always supports each other, friends globally who I know I can lean on, previous managers who have inspired and challenged me, and of course, my husband of 17 years. He has always supported my decisions and is my biggest cheerleader.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.growthmolecules.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmolecules/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growthmolecules
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrowthMolecules
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYoYPqni694HFd0ndo_ZSQ
• Other: PressingOnBook.com

Image Credits
https://villavisuals.com/