How This Developer (and Working Mom!) Found a Tech Company With True Work-Life Balance

When Isabel Martinez got a job at a global company right out of college, she thought her life was made. “I had graduated from high school in Mexico and then went to UC San Diego, and now I was working for this big name in tech—I was thrilled,” she says.

But Martinez found it hard to make a name for herself there—so she set out to work for a smaller company where there would be more opportunity for growth. Enter Logic20/20, a business and technology consulting firm, where she has worked for the last 15 years.

“In larger companies, management needs to know who you are in order to advance in your career, and sometimes it’s hard to network and gain exposure,” she says. “I don’t have to compete with other Logic20/20 employees to get attention or recognition.”

Here, Martinez shares her career journey, how Logic20/20 has gone above and beyond in supporting her and her family, and her advice to other women and minorities who want to succeed in tech.

During my last two years of college, I interned at a large corporation during the summer. Once I graduated, I was offered a job with them in San Jose, CA. I was beyond happy. As the years went by, however, I began to feel like I was just a number. In order to get promoted or even a raise, I needed to network to be well-known on multiple teams.

Then one day, as the result of an almost random experience, I came across a company called Primitive Logic. A friend and I had posted our resumes online and while I was at his house, he got a voicemail from Primitive Logic (which was acquired by Logic20/20 in 2019). After he called them back, he told me, “You should call this company—it sounds like the perfect fit for you.” My friend was right! Fifteen years later, I am still here, continuing to love the work environment and work-life balance.

Career-wise, it has been 15 years of learning new technologies and working with many different clients across different enterprises. I have grown exponentially during my employment at Logic20/20, and I have had the opportunity to meet many people, learn from every experience, and even make lasting friendships.

Personally, the last 15 years have been a difficult road in my life. I have dealt with the death of both of my parents, my cousin, my brother-in-law, and mother-in-law. My son was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, a genetic disorder that requires 24/7 care for the rest of his life. He has been in the hospital multiple times—once for five weeks. During all this time, the company has had my back. I would have to leave a project and when I came back to it weeks later, it was as if I’d never left. Logic20/20’s communication with our clients was done with professionalism and care, which resulted in the client welcoming me back to the office with open arms.

I am responsible for directing the development team in the design, coding, testing, and debugging of applications. I am also responsible for ensuring effective communication between team members and the client. I set timeline expectations as well as bring up any issues or blockers that arise.

I recently joined the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion committee and will be featured as a speaker this month. I will be talking about growing up in Mexico, the obstacles I have tackled as a Latina, my accomplishments, and my struggles, all of which have made me the woman that I am today.

I think this committee is very important, especially now because of the events that have surfaced as a result of the Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements. These events have given the world a much louder and more prominent platform to address multiple forms of discrimination.

The company’s management respects and encourages diversity and inclusion, offers flexibility to support family emergencies, as well as an open-door policy (virtually at the moment). I also appreciate the support from coworkers in projects as well as in my personal life.

I would say that Logic20/20 is a people’s company. We are the ones that make the company successful. We are one team inside the office and we are friends outside the office.

There is nothing stopping you from pursuing your dreams. If you can dream it, you can make it happen.

As you start your career, keep in mind that you can learn from your peers, not only in terms of new technologies, but also how to conduct yourself in front of a client and how to express your opinions in a professional way. Ask questions along the way; however, make sure you have already tried to answer it yourself first.

Never let anyone put you down because of your gender or your ethnic background. If this ever happens, you can turn it into a teachable moment.

Never say no to a project or assignment. Don’t be scared thinking you can’t do it.