Cultural Connection through Music
As part of our ongoing series, we are highlighting the diverse people who make up dmarcian. At our core, we are people helping people, and that spirit shapes the way we work with each other and with the organizations we serve. Our team brings together a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, all united by a shared commitment to make email safer for everyone.
It’s hard to imagine that every person on this planet is more alike than we think. I grew up in a small town where the most exciting thing was the seasonal pumpkin patch that doubled as a haunted corn maze. The town had one major freeway, farm roads stretching as far as you could see and a guarantee that you’d run into someone you probably went to school with every time you stepped out of the house. The second I had that high school diploma in hand, I knew two things:
- I was not built for farm life.
- Music was my ticket out.
While other kids were planning sensible careers, I was in my bedroom tinkering with music software, listening to the latest EDM sets and imagining what it would feel like to be there. I didn’t just want to travel. I ached for it. I wanted to be immersed in a place where I didn’t understand a single word being spoken around me. I wanted food I couldn’t pronounce. I wanted to get wonderfully lost.
And then one day it happened—music actually took me there.
With a fiancé who had just as many stars in his eyes and the same love for music as I did (both of us from the same small town), we made a promise. When we tied the knot, we would take that once-in-a-lifetime trip across the world and do the one thing we knew we had been missing.
Almost two years later, we said “I do,” packed our bags, and set off to countries where the culture is rich and the music is endless. We traveled to France, Italy and the Netherlands, practicing our broken and newly learned languages and sparking great conversations with anyone curious enough to ask about our American accents (it was pretty obvious).
Here’s the best part: every place taught me something new about people.
In one country, conversations were loud, passionate and came with hand gestures that could double as interpretive dance. In another, people listened quietly, thoughtfully and when they complimented you, it felt like fireworks. I learned that humor doesn’t always translate well, but kindness does. I learned that a smile can patch over terrible grammar. I learned that rhythm is a universal language, even when you absolutely butcher the pronunciation.
Walking through different cultures felt like flipping through the world’s most beautiful storybook. I met wonderful people who insisted on introducing us to their entire families and cooking their favorite home-cooked meals for us. I heard wild stories about never-ending, week-long parties in quiet-looking villages. I learned dances that felt so foreign at first, until they became second nature. Every single experience expanded my understanding of what it means to be human.
I didn’t just collect passport stamps, I collected perspective.
Gathering these broader perspectives taught me to be more aware and flexible in working with people from different backgrounds. I can read a room fast. Is this a “let’s brainstorm loudly” meeting or a “let’s email a spreadsheet” meeting? Does this culture value direct feedback, or do we sandwich critique between compliments? I became fluent in adaptability.
Knowing that we’re all the same flesh and bone, each with a vibrant culture behind us, has shaped the way I approach everyone. Instead of being intimidated by CEOs, I get curious. Curiosity has always been my superpower. I ask questions. I listen deeply. I don’t assume. I share laughs, and most importantly, good beer recommendations.
Growing up small made me observant. Traveling big made me empathetic. Together, that combo lets me connect with almost anyone. Being with a global company like dmarcian has continued to introduce me to people from all walks of life around the world and allows me to collaborate with them on a daily basis.
At the end of the day, I’m still that small-town girl from the farm-dense town. I just happen to have a suitcase that’s seen some things and a heart that’s learned there’s no “right” way to live, just different melodies playing at once.
Want to continue the conversation? Head over to the dmarcian Forum.
