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SheCanCode's Spilling The T
SheCanCode's Spilling The T
From Psychology to SoundCloud: Dianna Simmons, A Frontend Engineer's Journey of Impact and Innovation
Join us for an inspiring conversation with talented Frontend Engineer – Dianna Simmons - at SoundCloud, who has charted a remarkable journey from Maryland to Los Angeles. From her dual degrees in Psychology and Criminology to a life-changing experience in City Year and a transformative leap into software engineering, she’s now shaping user experiences at SoundCloud while making a difference in her community. Don’t miss this video about her career, passion for technology, and commitment to giving back.
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Hello everyone, thank you for tuning in Again. I am Katie Bateman, the Managing Director Community and Partnerships at SheCanCode, and today we are discussing, from psychology to SoundCloud, a front end engineer's journey of impact and innovation. And I've got the incredible Diana Simmons from SoundCloud with me today, who has charted a remarkable journey so far and she's now shaping user experiences at SoundCloud whilst also remembering to make a difference in her own community. Welcome, diana, so lovely to have you here.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, Kayleigh. I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thank you for coming on and having a chat about your role at SoundCloud and your experience as a woman in tech, but we'd love to kick off, if it's okay, with a bit of background about you, to set the scene for our listeners.
Speaker 2:Yes, okay. So about me. I currently live in Los. Angeles. I think you're are you from. I didn't even know that you were British.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that I was going to be.
Speaker 2:British. You know, when you started speaking I was like, oh my goodness. So I, um, I grew up on the East coast and um America, and um, I grew up in Maryland. Um, I lived there until I went to college. I went to university in Maryland and then when I graduated, I was like I can't do this anymore, I don't want to be in Maryland. You know, I spent my whole life there. I was like I can't do this anymore. I don't want to be in Maryland. You know, I spent my whole life there. So I moved as far as way as I could in America. Right, I moved to California. My parents were really mad at me. But when I moved here, I did a service program. I knew after I graduated college I knew I wanted to give back in some way. I was going through like. I was like should I join the Peace Corps? Should I join Teach for America? I was like what?
Speaker 1:should I do? But I was like, oh, I don't know, the Peace Corps seemed a little intense.
Speaker 2:Two years, two year commitment. I was like I don't know why I'm ready for a two year commitment and so I was like, okay, well, let me try that. And I mean I'm really happy I did. I wish I did City Year actually before college, because I feel like I really became more myself out of that experience. I learned like work ethic and how to balance volunteering and like basically like a lot of life skills that I didn't have going into college. So I was really thankful for that experience. And then, after City Year, I was really thankful for that experience. And then after a city year, I was still in the kid track. So I started I became a behavioral interventionist, working with kids in the LAUSD school district. But then when I was working with them I love kids, I really do, obviously, right, like all these jobs have kids are kids related.
Speaker 2:I graduated from school with a psychology and criminology dual degree so I thought I was going to do forensic psychology, right, that's like like the most obvious path with criminology and psychology. And I used to love watching, like you know, the crime tv shows. So I thought that would have been cool. And I've been working with kids. I'm like, okay, I can do something with psychology. I'm now I'm working with kids, but I was like I don't want to go back to school. I was really. I was like I don't really want to go back to school because I kind of just did it, because I thought that's what I was supposed to do, like when I, when I went into university in Maryland, I chose psychology because I thought it was a cool class I did in high school. You know, I mean it is cool. I mean psychology is very interesting.
Speaker 1:It's a good, solid subject, but yeah where did you? Go.
Speaker 2:No right, and like I don't know, I didn't really know. I mean, I kind of felt like forced into college. When I graduated from high school, I went to a Catholic school in the Maryland area and they are very like 100%, it was all girl high school. They're like, all of our girls go to college. So you know, if you send your girl here she's going to go to college. She'll be, you know, great professional, a woman of virtue which I am a woman of virtue. But I didn't need to go to college to become this person that I became. What do I want to do? I do love working with kids, but I don't really think I could do this full time forever. Kids are a lot, you know, and I was like, okay, I don't want to go back to school.
Speaker 1:And I live in LA and LA is really expensive.
Speaker 2:If you, if you really know LA, I could imagine, yeah Right, I'm like 23. I'm like, okay, what am I going to do? I need money, Like I need to find what I'm actually interested in. I remember in college I did a general assembly tutorial for Java, which I mean, I don't know, if you're getting into engineering, you don't want to start out with Java. It was really not great, but I thought it was interesting. So I was like, okay, let me backtrack and maybe try to see if I could do that as a as a career. So I did another online tutorial for Ruby on Rails Again, not a good starting point to do on your own, you know and I felt miserably. I was like I can't do this. I need someone to teach me.
Speaker 2:Right and I didn't want to go back to school, but I was like, well, I need a teacher though, right, that's like that's just how I learned. I was like I can't learn on my own. I need someone to like physically sit me down. So I researched right.
Speaker 2:I was. I don't understand, like, how people, whenever I meet self-taught engineers, I'm really impressed. I'm like I I mean the concept even like getting your, like your environment set up. You know, I'm like I don't, I don't understand how people really did it. But, um, so I was like I was doing research and I was like, okay, I don't understand how people really did it. But so I was like I was doing research and I was like, okay, I don't really want to go back to school, but I obviously need to learn. So what do I do? I looked up bootcamps. So I found a few bootcamp, but the one at UCLA extension was like the best price one. So so I went with that one and I was like, oh, it was UCLA. So like, oh, that's kind of cool. Right, I'll have that name, but it really didn't matter, I could have just did this anywhere, right.
Speaker 2:But I did at UCLA Extension, I did the six months course and I mean, you know, no regrets, it was the best decision I ever did. And I mean a lot of people from my cohort aren't even engineers. So I mean, especially the women it was. It was mostly like guys and then, like you know, there were women there and I was, and we became really good friends, right, because we're all going through the same experience together and most of them are not even like coding now, they're just like. I guess they use it as like a life experience. But I was like wait, I can't. I can't waste twelve thousand dollars, you know on life experience yeah, I was like great for you.
Speaker 2:But when I commit to something I need to be fully in, otherwise I you know, you know.
Speaker 2:so I was like okay, well once and then once I graduated I was like, okay, this is real life now. So what am I going to do now? I have all this experience and thank God for my coding boot, an interview there and it was my first like tech interview. So I like I was really nervous and it was in person, you know, before the pandemic. So I was like really nervous. I was like I wore my Star Wars t-shirt, so I wanted to look cool, so I wore Star Wars t-shirt and jeans, cause everyone was like, oh yeah, tech, you don't have to like be dressed up for tech. I was like okay, so I wore my cool t-shirt, wore my jeans, I was ready for, like you know, to answer all the coding questions.
Speaker 2:And then he literally just sat down and talked to me. It was so funny. We just talked for like an hour and he was like look, you're an entry-level role. Everybody you know like and you're coming out of bootcamp, I know you can do an entry-level role. I'm really more so interested. Are you like a personality fit? You know, like are you willing to learn, type thing, and I was like I mean, I am willing to learn.
Speaker 1:That really is one of my first job, like I'm willing to learn yeah, because you never know as well what to expect in those interviews, especially if you've never worked in tech. Like, what do you expect in those interviews if somebody just says that I can see that you can do the job because you've been through the boot camp and actually some really good companies? Just think you know what we so desperately want more women in our tech team. If you're going to act yeah and soak up what we're going to teach you, then please come on board and we'll just teach you.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, that's exactly what it was. And and like I think he was like it was between me and a guy you know, he was like, well, I mean, there's a lot of guys like you know you want to try it. And I was like, yeah, and he literally I almost think he he kind of under, he kind of played me a little bit when I first started, Cause he charged me, he, I was getting paid $15 an hour, which was less than what I was getting paid for working with, you know, kids. I was at first it was a little demoralizing and I was like, well, I did all this stuff and I'm getting paid not a lot of money, because he wanted to try me out, Right, I mean, it's such a man thing, but you know.
Speaker 2:But I was, I was desperate, I was like, okay, well, at that point I had been trying to get a job for like three months and I was, you know, so when I was balancing the boot, like me practicing on my own to keep my skills sharp, working, I was bartending at the time to help me pay for that $12,000 boot camp, which I don't understand how people wasted money for that, right. So I was like I needed that job, so I did it, and I mean good, Thank God I did it right, Because then we got bumped up to salary probably like five months after that. So it worked out, but that was my, that was my first job, yeah.
Speaker 1:And then and then you have a career route as well, because I it's, it's fascinating how you, how you went through that journey and like that shift to technology. Like what, what was that was? Was there some? Did you see someone else doing it? Like what was somebody that you knew inspired you? Or like how, how did you go? Tech, that's for me.
Speaker 2:I know, that's very random especially as like you know, I didn't make it.
Speaker 2:I didn't know anybody who did this, like I wouldn't. I don't even know if I've met. Oh, actually, I was dating a guy. I was dating a guy who was, who was in software. I love the fact that you forgot him. I really did. You know, I'll see him pop up on Instagram and I'm like oh wow, it's that guy that I forgot, that I was dating him and he was doing it and I didn't really believe such an impact on your career and you forgot him he actually he had an app and um, he had investors and everything.
Speaker 2:They put him in his, like his team, in an apartment in um in little Tokyo and I was like, oh, this is so cool. I thought it was cool. I was like, wow, you, you can deliver for free and you're working on an app. You know, you're so chill. I'm like what my life you know. But I generally think like okay, like if you can do it, I can do it too exactly, and it does take someone else to see.
Speaker 1:We have loads of ladies in our community who say my husband was doing it and I noticed, like in COVID, when we were all working from home, what he was actually doing and I was sitting there thinking, actually that's a good role, and he gets paid well and he gets to work remote anyway, right, and loads of that he was getting paid and I'm like LA is so expensive.
Speaker 2:I'm over here struggling, you know, and you're, you know, living for free. So I, you know, I really did forget about that guy I love.
Speaker 1:I'm sure his ears are burning right now. I'm sure he.
Speaker 2:He did message me. He was like oh so what coding boot camp did you do? Asking for a friend? You know I'm like well what about, uh, your experience?
Speaker 1:you mentioned um Year. How did that shape your personal and professional outlook, and are there any specific moments that had a lasting impact on you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean so with City Year. I never have been like a very regulated schedule person, but they force you in City Year If you're late three times it's over, you can't, you're kicked out the program. Yeah, so that's where all of the everyone in the program. So I mean, right then, and there you know, I'm like, okay, well, I have to be on time, I need to make sure I have I'm dressed and we have. We wore uniforms to school every day. So you know it was very regulated, but I think that that regulation was good. I mean, I feel like I've always been pretty bad with waking up on time and sticking to routines and schedule and I think that was good for me at that point, you know, especially coming out of college. You know college, I feel like you, you're like especially senior year. Right, you're like the big, you're the big fish. You're trying to figure out what's going on.
Speaker 1:It brings some order as well, to, to, to your life, to, to get you in that room of like. It's a nice entry into the workplace, I suppose, because it does get you into that, um, that routine and by the time you're into the workplace it's kind of, you know, I know this, I'm regimented, I can do it but and then also it's about, like you know, leading a life and being a mentor to the kids, right?
Speaker 2:So, like I had to, they don't, you know, they don't want people who aren't passionate about life and excited about life, because we want the kids to be inspired, and I feel like that was. I wish I can go back and talk to them today, right, like I'm like, well, I wish you guys could see what I'm doing now. I never thought I would be doing this at 22, when I was working, when I was working with you, thought I would be doing this at 22 when I was working, when I was working with you, but it really, you know, really like we were their role models, they were their tutors, we were meant to be that person that they can look up to. I was. I was working with fourth graders, so I think that's also, like you know, to live, to live a more inspiring life. Even back then, like I kind of got that in my head, like I want to, I want to be that person for these kids.
Speaker 2:And even now, today, like I, like I want to go, my plan is to start a program for high school kids to help them figure out, right, because I love working with kids. Right, can't get it out of my head Thirty one still want to work with kids. But I want to help them figure out what they want to do in life. You know, and I didn't really Right, I went right after high school. I went right after high school.
Speaker 2:I went and I just did what I was supposed to do because I thought so, but no one ever really sat me down and was like OK, like what do you like to do? You know, what do you find interesting? You know, what are you passionate about? Are you passionate about anything like you know, like that type of those questions? So I think about those kids and I think about you know myself and wanting to start this program. But it really I, I mean, it inspired me for the rest of my life. I love city and I wish, I wish everyone could do a program like this, you know yeah, that's amazing and you're so right.
Speaker 1:People leave school and it's like you're meant to have all the answers and a lot of the time you don't even know what careers are out there and what jobs actually exist. Like this that we hear that so much in technology, where people say I didn't know this role existed, I didn't even know I would be suited for it. Right, inspire that next generation and say actually, have you thought about, kind of like, what my role is, like I have a great role, do you really?
Speaker 2:I'm really so now that I'm at this point in my career where I think I'm in a good place, but I don't know if I want to like continue down like the senior role or become a manager. I'm trying to figure it out and you know that's why I'm trying to. I mean, it's kind of nice to talk to you because I really am, I know, right, like no, no, I don't have a lot of answers.
Speaker 1:We we have that. I've had that conversation on this podcast. Um, quite a, quite a lot with ladies who come to this like crossroads of do I want to look after people that can be incredibly unpredictable, or do I want to stay siloed and work on my own and go off in that direction and work my way up? And it is that moment where you have enough experience where you can choose and you don't obviously have to pick that and stay with that career route. But yeah, you're all right. You reach a point where you think what, what am I going to do next?
Speaker 2:yeah, right, because, yeah, that's that's where I am. And someone even mentioned consulting. They were like, oh, maybe you can look into consulting. So next, my plan for next year is to basically figure out. You know, like I don't know what are my next steps, how do I also get this program off the ground too? But I'm like I need, I need, I still need money, right, so I still need to figure that out, that part out also.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it's kind of life is hard it is, it is and sometimes being a good company helps you to figure that path out, like where you want to go, and being a company that isn't rigid as well and just sort of says you know, I can notice good talent and can say like, have you thought about this? Some, some of our corporate ambassadors they we know when they're a good corporate ambassador because the ladies there they don't tend to leave, they move around different departments and they say it's not a company yeah, they just think, can I have a go in something else?
Speaker 1:and that company says, yeah, because we'd rather not lose you as talent. We'll, you know, please go off and learn something new in a different department. Um, and we kind of get a feel for the corporate ambassadors that have ladies that are doing that. Um, that allow them to move around and move forward and try new things. So, um, you're an experienced at soundcloud so interested to hear about what it's like to work at soundcloud. Um, because, as a front-end engineer at soundcloud, what projects or features have you enjoyed working on the most? Because your job has this like intersection of creativity and technology, like what excites you about that?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I love SoundCloud. You know, I certainly never expected to work at a music company because that's never was like my. You know my thing, my passion, right Like never, music was never like in that path. Besides, though, I will say I'll nerd out for one second when I was in elementary school I actually I'm still obsessed with anime. I love anime. I used to make anime videos with to music. That was like my like. It was very weird. That was my hobby when I was like in elementary school. So I mean, I liked music in that regard. You know that I can make, you know, videos with it, but I never really had any sort of capacity with music. So working here, I mean it's such a, it's a fun company to work for. It's, you know, an entertainment based company I was at, I was at an iWord company before this, so much more fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's quite a difference, yeah, and I think what's cool about it is that it's it's still like um, kind. Like you know, it's still a smaller company, but I mean, I think that's what makes it special, though is that it's not as big. So, like I mean, we had, like literally last Thursday, the CEO the CEO invited some people out for lunch. You know, like he can do that right, because it's not like the hugest company, yeah, and he, we, literally it was like it's like 12 of us. We just all went around in a circle and talked about our lives.
Speaker 1:It was really nice. That's so lovely because you don't always get that from the top down at big companies. And you're right, people are suited for different size companies and the minute sometimes a company gets too big and you start to lose that culture, then sometimes people move on and it's time for a new workforce to come through, those that really love that, that big culture. But I personally prefer a smaller company where you, you have that team culture and everybody I've spoken to so far at SoundCloud agrees with that. You have that sort of family culture without it being too overbearing, because I'm not in the family culture vibe. Sometimes it does make a difference when the company is small enough that you can, you know, be agile and still move forward without having to go through like lots of layers of things to get things signed off. Sometimes that can be a real pain to work in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I really let's up in that way. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I wanted to ask you a bit about your volunteering work, because you also volunteer as well. So your volunteering work with sharing love with others is very inspiring. And how do you balance, though demanding career, your passion for community service? You already have said you've had plans to launch other programs, so how on earth do you balance all of that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I volunteer with sharing love with others. You know, obviously, like throughout my journey I've had that desire to, you know, work with people and to volunteer, and I do think it happened from high school. I think they like indoctrinated it into me to like volunteer to help people. I didn't really have a choice, you know, but I mean I'm happy that you know that I did like, I had that experience and that desire to do it. So I typically will volunteer about once a month with sharing love with others.
Speaker 2:I work with the founder. Her name is Maxine, she's wonderful. I text her all the time. I usually make all their flyers that you see on all their socials. I make their flyers. I even have a Canva account just for them, actually. So I work with them and I make their flyers and I mean it's just.
Speaker 2:I met her like four years ago when I used to volunteer with another organization working with middle school girls. I was I was mentoring middle school girls and we go out about once a year to, you know, to to show them and to show them different things and to volunteer with them. And I was introduced to share in love with others, with another group, and I was like, ok, well, I'm going to bring the girls you know down to volunteer, so then, to to serve the food and the clothes to everyone, and it was like the best experience, like she made everything really comfortable for the, for the girls. And I mean you, you really do see things when you're down there. It was, it was a fight broke out like down the street, and I was like, oh, I was, I was with the girls. I was like, oh, I was, I was with the girls. I was like girls, don't look, don't look girl.
Speaker 2:But I was like, but this is real life, so maybe also take a peek maybe just yeah it's a little tiny, peek, and then look and then look away and then come over with me but I mean, yeah, it's, it's been a great experience. I've been working with with this organization for about four years now and I mean, we had a Christmas event this past Saturday. I volunteered on Thanksgiving. Yeah, it's no, it's always a a good moment with them and you and everyone. They know this organization well like on skid row so they come up to us to get the food and to get clothes. They'll ask like, oh, do you have any? You have any pet food?
Speaker 2:they have pets so they'll ask for what as well, sometimes have cat food and dog food to give out too. But I mean, yeah, I mean I won't. So I'm planning on moving next year and I'm going to be really sad to leave this organization because it's been really great. But I'm still trying to figure out how to get them like grant money and stuff. Because it's really just her and I mean she really does pour all her love and she's literally every Saturday she's out there, she makes big trays of food for everyone. It's really amazing that she has that time and dedication.
Speaker 2:But I can't be myself without volunteering. I don't feel right, like I feel like something's missing. So that's what typically. You know, I always find a good organization. Like I've mentored the girls. But I had to take a break, though, from that. I was mentoring girls and helping out with this program for about two and a half three years during the pandemic. It was too much work and I actually did. I got. I got a little burnt out, so I stopped. I stopped for a while, so but now now I'm rejuvenated, so now I'm going to start a new program.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and finding something that works for you. You are right, I volunteer and when I sometimes I've been asked in a volunteer interview before about why are you doing this, and actually people always think you're going to go. I'd love to give back and and, yes, you do, and of course you do. That's why you're signing up. But actually, you right, you just said what I was thinking that you're not yourself if you're not volunteering. So sometimes it's actually for you and fine, and that time that I set aside for volunteering. I know it's for other people, but it's actually for me it's me time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's almost like therapy in a bit. Yeah, I don't. I don't think other people get that and like I'll tell my friends I'm going to volunteer like you come with me. You know we certainly will need the extra volunteers, but I mean it's just, it's always felt unbalanced and like my dad's uh, my dad's a pastor but and like he has a pantry, like a pantry back in Maryland to work, to get the food out, you know. So I'm like I mean I don't know if it's like a genetic, you know.
Speaker 1:I mean it's ingrained in you that, yeah, I mean, you are right. I have um friends that are volunteers and I've known them, I met them through volunteering and they've gone on to do other things and I've gone on to do other things and it is something that stays with you right through to even through to retirement. I know people that are still going because I think once you volunteer, once it's there and you just set aside the time to do it, like you said, those care you have to be careful not to burn out if you are doing other things, um, but yeah, it is finding something that works for you and then it doesn't feel like work anyway, because it's actually far more worthwhile than your day job, I find.
Speaker 2:And you know one good thing about SoundCloud too they're very, very big on giving back. So we have giving back opportunities within SoundCloud and we can take days off to volunteer. You know, I mean, I feel like I really I preach SoundCloud a lot because I mean, obviously we've gone through all the financial issues, like every other tech company, but like, at the end of the day, I know that they do care about their employees. You know and like, and that's just one way right. Like the fact that we can just take time off to volunteer is like kind of crazy to me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, time off to volunteer is like kind of crazy to me, yeah, like I've never really heard of it. Yeah, how to retain really good talent. Some companies really understand how to do that. Um, so somebody that now has you know, has experience in tech and you and you've been through that what advice would you give to someone looking to transition into a tech career, especially those who've with a, especially those without a traditional computer science background? We have a lot of ladies who just think I can't do that, I haven't got a computer science background, like what.
Speaker 2:What would you say to them. I mean, honestly, I tell my friends, I actually send my my friends who are interested in tech an email that I've put together like it's basically just a bunch of links of different jobs you can do in tech. So I'm like there's, you don't have to do, you don't have to be an engineer. You know you could. You can be a QA person, you can be a designer, you can be a product person, you can be a project person. There are so many different jobs in tech that people don't tell you about too. You know, or you can freelance and just do your own projects, or you can start your own company. There are, you can do whatever, and I just really feel like the sky's the limit for tech and that's why I love it so much. You know, it really has given me so many opportunities. I actually I just made an app, like you know, like you can do just so much, so many things, and like you know, that's what I love about it yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1:And you, you are absolutely right on people don't know all of the roles that are available in tech and that they're not all techie techie jobs either. Um, and that that more like working on your um community projects as well, and the program that you want to start just telling young people these, these are the jobs available. They're not always the technical jobs that you think they're going to be, and that's why this podcast was started to share all of the different careers in tech, because people have this stereotype of going into tech and being technical and being a certain person. Um, but actually that's not true at all. And, um, the ladies that we speak to on here, they come from all walks of life and find themselves falling into the tech industry. So, um, we get asked a lot is it too late to to learn as well? And I think it's. It's never too late to just think, actually, I could do tech as long as, like, like you, you grab hold of it and think I'm not wasting this twelve thousand dollar boot camp. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean I will always be that person. I'm not wasting any money if I spent it. Yeah, I mean, there's just yeah, that's just me. I'm a very driven committed person. When I start something I have, I mean even literally like this app. I started this app four years ago, like, and I was like I can't, I can't stop it If I it was going to be.
Speaker 1:You know, it's going to be like that little hit, hit, like your voice in my head.
Speaker 2:You better finish this thing. Yeah, um. Yeah, it's always time to start. Think about what you, but I think you can also, going back to what you're passionate about, you can do. You know you don't have to. Let's was like if you like, if you're more creative and design person, you can look into ui ux, right and look into that type of career. Or if you are more like a people person, you can look up partnerships, right, and and marketing. It's just so many different things you can do, right, like the sky's the limit. So just research start. I mean, I would say you can even hashtag UPT or perplexity, like, hey, what are all the different? Tell me all the different things I can do in tech. This is what I like to do. What can I do within like a tech company? Right? Like I mean, I think that's how you use AI to your advantage, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. That's a brilliant idea, cause, yeah, you don't know, I mean, we know people that want to inspire and give back and go and talk in schools and tell people about their roles, but if you're not lucky enough to have one of those people come in and you're not quite sure, then yeah, that's a great idea. Um to to um to to find a role that's suited for you in tech. Um, yeah, you, you have done a lot already, um, but I'd love to know what what's next for you in your career and also in your community endeavors, um, and are there any upcoming projects or aspirations you'd like to share? I know you mentioned um, a project you'd like to to launch.
Speaker 2:so, um, yeah, well, yeah this is a very loaded question because I've been trying to figure out how to um yeah, the idea if I want to stay an engineer has been coming up right, like I'm like, okay, do I want, now that I've been doing this since 2018, do I want to continue down this path of engineering? I have been working on my app. It's a happy hour finder.
Speaker 1:Do they have happy hour?
Speaker 2:in Britain. I feel like they do right.
Speaker 1:They do. Yes, a lot of happy people yes.
Speaker 2:So I mean and this was I mean I used to love going to happy hour when, like four years ago, no-transcript yeah, so, yeah, so that was that. So that's almost done and I'm gonna launch it next month, so, yeah, so that's, I'm gonna do that. But I mean I'm gonna, I'm gonna so and I'm going to launch it next month, so yeah, so I'm going to do that. But I mean I'm going to so and I'm planning on moving from LA to New York next year too. So I want I'm planning to stay within SoundCloud, because I really do love this company and we have an office in New York and we're fully remote, so I can, yeah, so it works out for me really nicely. What an opportunity as well.
Speaker 2:I'm also hoping to start the program. I don't, I mean I'm doing a lot next year, but I want to at least try to plan out the program and figure out how if I want to do it more so school-based or community-based I'm still trying to figure that part out, but definitely the program working with high school kids. I definitely want to do that and, um, try to figure out a type of future for that program. Share love with others. Yeah, I'm really sad that I won't be working with that organization anymore, but I'm going to be closer to home now, so I'm like maybe I can come down.
Speaker 1:Moving back to the east coast, that would be nice to be back on. I know things are far apart still in the US, but at least you'll be closer to home than LA yeah that's my thinking too.
Speaker 2:I was like so I mean, I've been out here in LA, you know, for nine years. I moved right out of college, um, and now that I'm older I'm like, okay, where do I really want to settle? You know, roots down and really, you know be my person and myself, and I think it's on the east coast. So, yeah, I gotta move back home.
Speaker 1:Yeah well, and we are already out of time. I would love to have you back on here, um, in the future to hear about your move and your journey and how you're getting on um Stiltz, soundcloud and everything else that you're doing on the side as well, and that you managed to find that time to do everything else outside of your day job, which is inspiring in itself for our community. Um but, diana, thank you so much for coming on and chatting about um, your role and sharing your valuable insights with our community today. It's been an absolute pleasure chatting with you. Thank you daily to everybody listening, as always. Thank you so much for joining us and we hope to see you again next time.
