My Name Is Molly Hinrichs — This Is Why I Joined Aha!

"Having respect for the world is when you allow people to be what they are." I have always loved this quote from early childhood educator Magda Gerber. She said it in reference to raising infants and young children — but it is just as applicable to adults. I have spent most of my career searching for a role and company that allow me to be exactly who I am while providing opportunities to learn and grow.

I want to bring my whole self to work. And I want to work with others who do the same.

I have never really vibed with the idea of compartmentalizing work from life — turning off my brain from one to engage in the other. If I care deeply about something, I care about it whether I am actively "at work" or not. As a writer and editor, I am constantly turning over phrases in my mind and thinking about how to tell the right story. I find joy in collaborating with others who share that passion.

I got my first taste of this when I worked as content manager at Emma, the email marketing company. The content team was small and nimble. I managed our blog, developed the company's first social media playbook, and wrote all kinds of content. The three of us on the team had backgrounds in English literature, linguistics, and creative writing — you can imagine how fervently we geeked out over email copy and subject lines.

Later I joined a marketing agency and then a technology startup to get exposure to broader marketing work — digital campaigns, search engine marketing, and web analytics. Eventually I started my own consultancy with a focus on developing content strategies and creating content for technology companies. Most of my clients were in the early stages of growth and had small or nonexistent content teams. I relished the opportunity to help them align content with business goals and make a real impact.

But I missed being part of a close-knit team and poring over words with other writers. I had also started my family. If I were to make a career move, I needed it to be for a company that recognized the value of being a working mom. I am equally passionate about my personal and professional priorities.

A strong company vision, equity in leadership opportunities, genuine relationships — these are some of the things I was looking for.

Around this time, I saw an open content position at Aha! on LinkedIn. One simple sentence caught my eye: "This is not your typical B2B content — we tackle complex topics in a human-centric way." I visited the Aha! blog and found myself reading one post after another. I loved the focus on meaningful work, purpose-driven planning, and sustainable happiness. I was hooked when I read about The Responsive Method (TRM).

Throughout the interview process, I spoke with members of the marketing team who were bright, engaged, and happy at work. We covered the requisite job-related questions and then we went deeper — talking about our personal ambitions, interests, and lives outside of work. By the time I received an offer from the team I knew I had found my new work-home — a place where I could authentically be myself.

Now I lead the content team, write and edit for the Aha! blog, and manage the production of our product management guides, among other projects. It is incredibly fulfilling to work with a team of writers who are perceptive and curious and who delight in the details as much as I do. Our editorial standards are high and we are always pushing each other to get better.

The marketers at Aha! are super talented and driven, while also being really generous with their time and feedback.

The way the company lives out its values continues to impress me. We deeply care about our customers and each other. We release new functionality in the application weekly. We join an all-company meeting every Friday to celebrate successes. And we continue to invest in the Aha! Cares program to support our local communities and promote greater opportunities for a broader set of people. I have the privilege of doing what I love alongside some of the best people I know.

That is why I joined Aha! — and why you should too.