🦸‍♀️ Queens of the Kingdom: Sally82

Xarly

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As part of our Women's Month celebration in the Community, we've interviewed some of the most interesting Queens of the Kingdom. Here's one of those interviews! Sit back and get ready for some girl power!

"The biggest challenge for me as a woman in the gaming industry was to find the right balance between showing vulnerability and leading with a strong point of view. "

We've interviewed @Sally82, Senior Producer at King. If you wonder what this means, a senior producer is responsible, among other things, for the development, launch and ongoing growth of the games, for the motivation of the team and for the innovation and implementation of new features that make the game more fun and revolutionizing!!

Here's what she shared with us:

"I joined King 6 years and half ago. I worked on 4 games so far, with hundreds of talented people! I’m now moving to the R&D department, in order to focus on innovation and think about how we are going to delight our players tomorrow."

💫 What was your dream job as a child?

I wanted to be a teacher, to help people become the best version of themselves. I got very inspired by my parents on this:

-         My father, who, as a teacher, made people grow around him. I remember some of his ex-students ringing the bell of our house to thank him for what he did. He was also teaching prisoners in a jail, so that they could be reinserted after they served their time.

-         My mother, who despite a very difficult childhood, stayed optimistic, positive and pro-active to build the life she wanted to live. She started to work when she was 16 years old, grew as a software engineer, which at the time was still rare for women, and found time to do sports and to organize social events with friends and family.

Even though I didn’t pursue that dream (I did get a job as teacher for a few months at the beginning of my career ☺), this has helped me build strong social and soft skills, which, mixed with my energy, positivism and the “never give up” attitude, brought me where I am today.

💫 What do you like about being a producer at King?  

I love being a producer at King because it is like been a mini CEO of my own company: I look after product, process and people, and I enjoy these 3 areas! And I love that been at King allows me to surround myself with a diverse group of very strong leaders, from whom I’m learning every single day!

💫 What are challenges women face in the gaming industry?

The biggest challenge for me as a woman in the gaming industry was to find the right balance between showing vulnerability and leading with a strong point of view. At first, I thought that showing vulnerability would be very negative, and so I was refraining myself to do so. But then I started to get feedback from people like “You don’t need help; you are so strong”. I actually needed help! And I still do today! I decided to open myself, talk about my mistakes, my struggles, my fears. And people started to support me and help me. That has been a game changer for me!

💫 Any advice for the women out there wanting to join a gaming company? 

Soft skills are a good strength to have: listen to others, build empathy while being assertive, share your mistakes, speak up! Be yourself, believe in yourself, don’t give up. Find the right allies and build trust with them so that they will help you when you need it the most.

💫 Do you have a motto? If yes, want to share it? 

My motto is: never give up!

💫 Who inspires you and why? 

My first boss! She was CEO of the first video game company I worked with. She inspired me so much! She was very strong but vulnerable at the same time. She was dealing with everything: product, selling our services/ideas to clients, processes, making sure we had the right tools and frameworks to move as fast as possible, and people, giving opportunities for people to grow. She is the one who offered me to be a producer in the gaming industry, after I started as an art director. I was about to quit because I considered I wasn’t doing a good job as an art director. But she saw in me a great leader, and she offered me to shift from art direction to producing. This opportunity has changed my life! I’m very grateful for that.

Thank you, @Sally82 , for your time, for these inspiring answers and for making the world playful!!!❤️

And now, let's all show her our love and gratitude below!!

If you want to read more awesome female Kingster interviews, check them out here!!

 

bearwithme

Wow @Sally82 what an amazing story - thank you for sharing it with us. You are a trailblazer and a definite role model for other women whether it i in the gaming community or anywhere that women are not normally prominent in. I always admire women who seek out and follow their dreams (even if it wasn't the original dream),especially in fields and that have been dominated primarily by men. 😊🙏

firebombmarkus

Hi @Sally82 and welcome to our adorable Community 😊 I am so inspired by the woman you became. It's always great, to be honest with yourself. Once you are, everything gets clearer. I am proud of you 💕 On the other hand, the story of your parents is amazing. It's a great feeling to help someone as your father did. I can relate as I am an English teacher. Thank you so much for sharing your authentic story with us 🤗 I love you! Keep going!

_Elsa_

Welcome @Sally82 to our community! Did you have to get a degree to get special training for your job? What is R & D Department?

Sally82

Hi there! Thank you all for the sweet welcome and messages!

@Elsa I got a degree in visual communication, to work as a graphic designer. Then I transitioned to my current role thanks to opportunities and using my experience. I kept training myself all way long, to be updated with the latest tools, trends, etc., but I didn't have to get any new degree :-). In my new department we focus on innovation basically, to provide our players with the best experiences possible. I hope you'll enjoy them :-).

@firebombmarkus I'm happy my story resonates with you, and I'm sure you're an amazing English teacher! I've been teacher myself only for a few months at the beginning of my career and I remember the faces of the students when they achieved something they thought they couldn't achieve. For me that was a super sweet feeling!

@bearwithme Thank you so much for your message! It has been a hard journey and it is still today because I love to take challenges bigger than myself, but I enjoyed it!

Sukanta_Biswas

Hello @Sally82

I'm sorry because I missed the post.

Thank you so much for sharing some of your life history with us.

I believe that girls are no less than men in any part because they are equal ahead of men in retrospect.

Like you, my motto is "Never give up" which is why I can move forward.

We look forward to your next interview.❤️