From Pandemic Woes to Route, Monica Makes It Happen

A lot of people were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic—many of us experiencing the dreaded “laid off” talk over an uncomfortable Zoom call. But when Monica Mackay found herself in that position, she made some tangy, optimistic lemonade out of those lemons.

As one of Route’s freshly found software engineers, Monica has hit the ground running, making big differences every day. In lieu of doom, being laid off had Monica taking the opportunity to look for a new start, a new place, and new faces that would tap into her talents and grow alongside her career.

Lucky for us, Monica has been crushing goals and growing the mission, culture, and future of Route and every one of her coworkers.

So, this shout-out goes to our one and only Monica Mackay. Read on to learn more about her, her impact at Route, and what the future looks like from her shoes.

A Day in the Life of Monica

I was born in Mississippi and later, my family moved to Louisiana. So, I’m a Southerner, born and raised. Yes, I love Southern cooking—jambalaya and crawfish are some of my favorites. I actually like humidity and miss it here in Utah. But sorry, I don’t have a Southern accent.

I grew up playing sports. I mostly competed in soccer and tennis, but I did dabble in basketball, softball, volleyball, and a little street hockey when I was young. Plus, I’m a kickball champion, so you might say I’m a pretty big deal. 😏 I came out to Utah for school, graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Bioinformatics, and I’ve been working in tech ever since I graduated.

I still love sports and find any reason to spend time outside. These days you can find me playing soccer or tennis, rock climbing, paddle boarding, and, most recently, rockin’ a lot of Spikeball.

What Drew You to Route?

As a result of the pandemic, I, along with many others, lost my job. And, honestly, it was one of the best things that happened to me. I started looking for a new job and learned about lots of really cool tech companies. Most of them were tech startups and the choice ultimately came down to the people who I’d be working with.

From the very first interview (even though I was very nervous), I was comfortable being myself. I knew that Route was going to become big and that if I joined that team I would be able to grow and learn so much! And I felt confident that I would be surrounded by great people who were excited, smart, and kind.

What Pushed You Past the Tipping Point?

Route was growing super fast when I was eyeballing it, and I knew I needed to land in a place that would grow where I’d have opportunities to grow with it. I’ve been able to learn so much and we haven’t stopped growing, yet! I am always surprised by how much fun I can have at work. At Route, everything is just moving really fast, and we are trying to innovate and iterate on what we do quickly. I have learned tons since I have started working here and I am learning and growing every day—it was clearly the right choice for growth.

What’s Your Team Like?

I LOVE my team. Not to brag, but I work with the coolest and smartest people. 😎

I work with a lot of teams on a lot different problems. The hardest part is just prioritizing and staying on top of everything. At Route, priorities can change any minute. So you kinda have to be on your toes and ready for anything.

How’s the Culture at the Co?

The people at Route are determined, passionate, and kind. There are a lot of complicated problems to solve and Route is full of scrappy people who will get it done. And even though we are busy and have a lot to get done, we have a LOT of fun while we do it.

Authenticity runs deep here. I love being able to interact with REAL people. People who have problems but are trying to become better. People who care about who you are. Route promotes authenticity within its employees and its partners, which is why we are excited to hear other authentic stories and share them with the world