Employee Spotlight Series: Jessi Smithson, Services Manager

Here at Lilt, we’re passionate about helping localization leaders tackle big challenges and move the industry forward.

Internally, we’re just as focused on building a culture of inspiring and motivated individuals to help build the foundations to make that a reality. In our Employee Spotlight series, we’re excited to highlight the talented Lilt employees (or Liltonians, as we like to call ourselves) that have helped us get to where we are now.

In this week's post, we're showcasing Jessi Smithson, a member of our growing team in Indianapolis. Jessi has been working at Lilt for over a year and has helped customers manage projects from start to finish. 

What's your role at Lilt, and what does your day to day look like?

I am a Services Manager here at Lilt. I work with our customer accounts and help coordinate with their internal stakeholders, the linguists involved in their projects, and our internal Lilt teams on localization projects. It’s my job to make sure that these projects all stay aligned with goals and objectives.

What led you to join Lilt?

At the time, I was looking for a new opportunity to take the next step in my career. I had read about Lilt on a job posting site and saw that they were hiring in Indianapolis. Two things immediately drew me into Lilt. First, our mission statement - to make the world's information accessible to everyone regardless of where they were born or which language they speak - is very important to me and is very impactful. Second, the opportunities that the company offers, like the possibility to travel to our offices in Germany, and the personal growth that Lilt offers, like our learning stipend to grow personally and professionally.

What do you like to do outside of work? How do you maintain a good work/life balance?

I enjoy spending time with my family and dogs. I also have started practicing yoga and meditation more and more, which helps me stay focused both during and outside of work.

Out of Lilt's company values (Meticulousness, Quickness, Humility, Toughness), which speaks to you most and why?

Meticulousness: I try to be detailed and aware of information I provide to others. I work with people of all different backgrounds, languages, and time zones, so it is important to provide extremely clear information the first time to keep moving forward.

What's one skill that you've learned while working at Lilt? 

There are a few important things that I've learned so far while at Lilt. At a growing company like this, there are always things to do. There are never dull moments, but no matter the challenges or successes, you have to be ready to move forward.

Since joining Lilt, do you think of translation/localization differently?

Definitely - you don't realize just how important translation projects are for companies of all sizes. Sharing content with everyone is very impactful and needs a lot of management. 

What's the best career advice you've ever received?

I think the two most important pieces of advice I've gotten are to always listen and to venture outside of your comfort zone. 

What languages do you speak or have you studied?

I studied Spanish in college.

Do you like to listen to music while you work? 

Yes, I usually listen to calm music, like acoustic music. It helps me stay focused and keeps me relaxed, but the music isn't distracting which helps me stay on track.

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Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts in our Employee Spotlight series! We'll be highlighting people from across the company, from Product and Engineering to Marketing and Sales.

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