Welcome to WUA: Talitha La Macchia
Talita La Macchia started at WUA a month ago as Digital UX Researcher. In this role, she focuses mostly on the Usability Lab. Get to know energetic Talitha a little better in this interview, in which she talks about how she ended up at WUA, her motto ‘everything will turn out okay’, and how she improved her study association’s content strategy!
Welcome, Talitha! Good to have you here. How did you end up at WUA, and what will you do exactly?
“A few years ago, I met a fun guy from Brabant, also an ex-WUA employee, who talked about his work. The name made me thing it was a hip hop festival (WOO HAH), but that was definitely not the case. Weird start of a conversation, fun outcome! The way he spoke, WUA sounded like a fun place, but at the time I was still a student, so I didn’t do anything with this information. At the end of my studies, I found the vacancy at WUA, and only then did I find out it was a market research organization. The vacancy for Digital UX Researcher suited me perfectly, and things went really fast after I applied!”
You’ve been here since early September. What do you like most about working at WUA?
“That the people here are very open and warm. You see that openness reflected in the direct approach of our colleagues. You know immediately what someone’s good for, what can and can’t be done and why. That openness creates space for growth: you can always share your own input and if the idea is a good one, you can get started on it. You’re guided, but you can also decide which people or means you need to continue. The warmth comes back in the sense of family that I get here at WUA. During lunch and Friday drinks, people also talk about what you do outside of business hours. They want you to develop yourself, and they’re also always looking at ways you can realize that.”
What do you truly believe in? What’s your motto?
“Everything will be okay. I noticed this when I had a busy, eventful year; everything turned out okay. And I recently found this quote: ‘the meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away.’ And I really believe in that. We’re always looking for something we’re good at, something we can tell others, and when you’ve found it, it feels so good to pay it forward. In my case, it’s bringing people together, conveying certain messages, and starting things from nothing when I believe in them.”
Have you ever had ideas that made you think: this is a really good business idea?
“Not in business, but for my study association in Groningen, I came up with an idea to improve the content strategy. The blogs were okay, but they could be improved visually. We quickly assembled a video team, and shortly after someone said he’d like it if he could be the cameraman. The idea for the videos came from the popular channel Tasty. We mostly looked at the promotion surrounding the short videos. From start to finish, I worked on the video content, and executed everything with a team. Very cool!”
The WUA motto for its staff is Living Dreams. What dreams do you have?
“I love dancing, and my goal is to master several dancing styles, including salsa. My dream is to have a salsa night where I’m just dancing all night. Dancing gives me so much energy, you meet the best people, and dancing has always been a huge part of my life. It was in the background for a bit but I’m getting back to it soon. And travelling of course, preferably to countries in Central and South America. Or Asia, I’ve never been there yet. But for now, I’ve found my place here in Amsterdam.”
What do you excel at?
“I’m really good at all kinds of crazy accents. Absolute favorites are: valley girl, British posh lady, or your random Rotterdam neighbor.”
In what way are you like your friends?
“We’re all very caring about each other, really paying attention to each other’s wellbeing. We’re also always there for each other; if there’s a problem, they’ll jump on a train in Groningen to get here three hours later. They’re also generally outspoken, extremely outgoing, a little blunt, and a little crazy!”
I’m happiest when I’m…
“Dancing at a fun party, carefree, preferably with my feet in the sand and the best friends around me. And nice, warm sunshine of course. I get a lot of strength from my good friends. We don’t see each other that often, but when we do, it’s always great. That’s why I’d be so happy if everyone were there. I have friends spread out all over the country, from different groups and years; having them all in one place would make me very happy.”
