Who is
this diva?
When the Internet was very young, Julie Wainwright used her marketing skills to pioneer the idea of shopping online for everyday needs. As CEO of Pets.com and Reel.com, she created, designed and built some of the first “e-commerce” Web sites. Today, millions of busy people buy everything from groceries and pet food to prescription drugs and movies right from their home computers thanks to Julie's work.
What
do you do at work?
I am the CEO of Bellamax, an online
photo enhancement company. It’s a very entrepreneurial
company that is creating something new for the marketplace.
The only thing that is typical about inventing a new business
is that I do not have a typical day. Everyday presents
new challenges and adventures.
I’m often in meetings with customers, potential
business partners, magazine and newspaper editors, or
with investors and board members. As a result, I spend
time preparing presentations for these meetings.
I also spend time a lot of my time working with staff
members, especially the executive team that reports to
me, to provide them with feedback on projects and help
them solve problems. For example, I may meet with our
VP of Finance to discuss our two-year plan; our VP of
Marketing to review new brochures or advertising campaigns;
or our VP of Operations to I review proposals for new
ways of doing customer service.
How does your job help other people?
I believe that every individual can improve lives and
the planet by doing his or her best work every day and
inspiring others to do the same. I try to do this everyday.
Do you work alone or with
a team?
Developing and selling technology
solutions, which is what Bellamax does, is a team effort.
The VP of Sales needs to work with the VP of Development
to insure that what she/he sells can be delivered. The
VP of Marketing needs to work with Sales and Development
to insure that the products we are selling meet the needs
of our customers. The VP of Finance needs to work with
Sales, Marketing and Development to make sure that we
are doing a profitable business and the company is properly
financed.
I need to work with the entire team to make sure the company
is doing the most important things to move the business
forward, and we are doing it in a coordinated, timely,
and fun manner.
I encourage a collaborative, co-operative team environment
in which people bring their individual expertise to the
table to contribute to the total company goals.
What's
the best part of your job?
I love building something out of
nothing.
So, for example, someone has a concept about what will
work for a customer. We will further research the market,
build the product, and sell it. If we are right, the revenue
starts rolling in.
It is pure fun and highly creative. So, darn right, I
have fun.
What's
the worst part of your job?
The worst part of any business job
is laying people off when they are performing well and
the company can no longer afford to pay their salaries
due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, such as
economic downturns.
Where
do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years, I would like to be
still creating new businesses.
What
do you do when you're not at work?
I am an artist at heart. I write
fiction and non-fiction, read both, draw and sometimes
paint, see movies, work with various art groups to help
them obtain funding. I love animals, enjoy my dogs. I
also enjoy being part of my nieces’ and nephews’
lives.
Luckily my career has taken me all over the world, and
I am comfortable traveling in foreign countries. I travel
whenever I can. I often dine out with friends. I am divorced
and do not have children, although I do not rule out adoption
in the near future.
What advice would you give
a girl about the I.T. field?
I.T. allows you to combine creative and analytical skills
in a way that very few fields provide.
If you are very interested in solving problems, working
with teams of smart people and if you like being a creative
problem solver, this field may be for you.
What
were your hobbies when you were 11-14?
I was studying art, playing girl’s basketball, racing
go-carts, riding horses, participating in math contests
and helping my mother can and pickle whatever came out
of our large garden.
I also liked reading. And, as I recall, I was interested
in make-up and boys.
Describe technology you
wish was available now.
I would like a device that could
transport me to work without traffic—a teleporter
that I could use to get to work, Paris, London, New York,
Hong Kong (you get the picture) in seconds. Wow!
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