Beyond Women’s Day: Kinstanian Women in Leadership

Taryn is in awe of female leaders showing “resilience, grit, empathy, entrepreneurship, perseverance, and adaptability.”

Taryn on Challenges and Advice

“It’s inspiring to see leaders who make a point to mentor their team and, above all, hold the door open for them to walk through.”

Nicole on Challenges and Advice

Nathan reached out to her during the COVID era to chat about how Kinsta was booming. He then offered her a unique opportunity: to be the first North American Sales Representative at Kinsta.

International Women’s Day has had us reflecting on the women in leadership positions within our organization.

She adds how it gives her hope that considerable changes can be made within the industry as a whole.

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To Taryn, Kinsta is the first company she’s worked for that “truly lives and breathes its core values. I thoroughly enjoy working in an equitable, supportive, and inclusive environment.” She even claims she looks forward to Mondays!

In her day-to-day life, Nicole is surrounded by brilliant women who celebrate each other’s successes and offer help when needed.

When it comes to her experience at Kinsta, Nicole doesn’t even think about our work environment as it relates to being a woman. She ties that to the significant focus the company takes internally on diversity and inclusion. “Our phenomenal team,” she adds, “ensures that this is constantly top of mind.”

We wanted to understand what working at Kinsta feels like for female leaders as we strive always to build an equitable workplace, foster inclusive leadership, and nurture psychological safety and fairness.

Rachel Devine is Kinsta’s Director of Sales Operations. She joined the company back in May 2020 as a Senior Account Executive.

Every woman at Kinsta has a unique background, a different take on things, as well as a distinct voice. We were pleased to share our four interviewees’ thoughts with you, to keep the conversation on women at work alive throughout the year.

Taryn has worked in Global Talent Acquisition for various companies across the tech industry for 15+ years. She went to art school in South Africa, moved to the UK, and started working in sales.

Taryn shares how it helped her thrive in diverse environments. It has made her who she is today and has given her the depth to connect with people from all walks of life.

To her, “Working in IT as a woman was not as easy a few years ago. It’s truly empowering to see how, at Kinsta, it feels much simpler than I’ve ever experienced it to be.”

The most precious piece of advice that Nicole herself has received was that “Standing out means upholding high standards in low moments.”

She adds, “Most female leaders I’ve worked with thoroughly enjoy sharing their knowledge and expertise as well as supporting females across the industry to reach their full potential.”

“Talent Acquisition is all about building relationships and connecting with others,” she then says, adding that her identity has allowed her to adapt to various situations and thrive in ever-changing environments.

While she initially joined the company from the perspective of stability and growth, she ended up staying for her hard-working, helpful, and friendly colleagues; the company’s industry-leading product; and the endless opportunities for growth.

When asked how her identity influences how she shows up for work every day, Rachel says, “My identity is the reason it is so important to me to work hard, treat everyone with respect, have a great attitude, and give it all I have every day”

“All I’ve ever experienced here was the constant, unwavering support of the company as a whole, as well as my managers. Everyone has empowered me since day one,” she added. “It’s what makes Kinsta feel like it’s deserving of my efforts and dedication, every single day.”

Viktoria’s Inspirations and Learning

“After all, we should all have the same opportunities and feel empowered to thrive — together.”

In Conclusion

Kinsta’s belief in the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace helps shape a positive environment for its female leaders. Our company culture values nuanced perspectives and experiences, and it empowers women in leadership roles to share their ideas and take on high-impact positions.

Nicole’s background is in travel management — a field that allowed her to blend her fondness for sales; her enthusiasm for building strong, culture-centric teams; and her passion for traveling.

We had the pleasure of chatting with four of the female leaders at Kinsta. We’ll dive into their answers to these questions and more, but not before introducing you to our interviewees.

The conversation around women shouldn’t be a one-time yearly occurrence. Kinsta asked 4 of its female leaders 10 quintessential questions about their professional experience. 💡 Read all about it in our blog post below 👇Click to Tweet

She appreciates Kinsta’s friendly atmosphere, consistently helpful management, and great growth opportunities. She considers it “as perfect a workplace as she can imagine.”

Discover more about us and our job opportunities for you to thrive in, on our careers page.

“After all, what is the point of being this powerful leader if you don’t make sure your people feel valued, supported, and cared for?” she adds.

As for the men, Taryn invites them to “Refrain from treating females differently and instead view us as equals.

She’s inspired endlessly by other female leaders around her too, and there are so many traits she sees in them that she values, from their trustworthiness, honesty, ethics, and high moral standards to their warm and friendly openness, helpfulness, and motivation.

Rachel on Challenges and Advice

In a world in which becoming a female leader is still incredibly hard, champions are what we need more of. Men can help soften hurdles for women who desire to advance their careers.

Rachel Devine

Rachel Devine, Director of sales operations at Kinsta
Quote by David Ogilvy

Who Is Rachel?

“Also, going away on maternity leave can be a fearful experience, as you are away from a job that you worked really hard to earn.”

“It’s time to take a long, hard look at your leadership teams: if everyone looks the same, has similar backgrounds and voices the same opinions, you are in trouble. Seek balance. You’ll see it provides a much broader outlook. Make access to opportunities genuinely equal, Invite women to the table and be willing to listen.”

“Due to industry norms, it may take longer to climb that career ladder, but we don’t have to ‘play the game’ and shout the loudest to be recognized for delivering great work. Persevere, demonstrate your expertise, and join a company where your values are aligned, and you’ll be rewarded!”

When she joined Kinsta as the first Senior Talent Acquisition Manager, she was responsible for building the Talent Acquisition team from the ground up. One year in, she was promoted to Director of Talent Acquisition.

Viktoria Korodi has been with Kinsta since November 2019. She originally joined as our Quality Assurance Associate and was later promoted to Quality Assurance Team Lead before becoming Kinsta’s Head of Quality Assurance.

Nicole Coetzer joined Kinsta in July 2022 as our Head of Sales Development. Prior to joining us, she spent over eight years at Pentravel, where she held the position of National Sales Manager.

Her piece of advice for women striving to achieve success in a male-dominated space is to “Seek out mentors and join relevant communities.”

What’s their worldview? What advice would they give other women to help them succeed? And what would they tell men regarding how to help make tech a more welcoming space for their female counterparts?

To Nicole, authenticity is key, and she lets her identity shine through at work. She draws on her values and experiences, her culture, her interests, and her unique perspectives to navigate her profession and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s success.

We also thank all of our interviewees for taking the time to talk with us and dive deep into the theme of women in leadership.

“I also really appreciate that our culture prioritizes work-life balance,” Nicole adds. “This is particularly beneficial for female leaders who may have additional responsibilities outside of work.

Rachel quickly rose through the ranks: She was promoted to Head of Sales Development after only 10 months at the company, then moved into her current role a year and a half after that.

“Many of us are taught that in order to be successful, you have to be intentionally intimidating and hard leaders. Combining genuine empathy, open communication, consistent coaching, and strength creates an extraordinary management style focused on the people.

The biggest learning she derived from her professional experience is that everyone is equal and should be treated as such.

Rachel shares some words addressing them, too: “Be open to collaboration, expecting and acting upon a basis of mutual respect,” she says. “That’ll be extremely impactful in shaping an inclusive environment for women.”

Nicole Coetzer

Nicole Coetzer, Head of Sales Development at Kinsta
Nicole Coetzer

Who Is Nicole?

There’s a plethora of female leaders Nicole is inspired by.

She addresses men, too, on how to facilitate women’s rise into positions of leadership.

Her piece of advice for women striving to achieve success in a male-dominated space highlights empathy as the real key to unlock success.