Girla collection of memories
Collection 01 · 2018
Sunshine Girl
A collection about growing up, falling in love with my wife, and learning to name who I was becoming.
Buy on AmazonPeople leader · Writer · Poet
I'm Marissa, though at work most people call me MD. I believe a manager's job is to create an environment where people can do their best work, then build the trust, judgment, and ways of working that allow them to keep doing it.
I lead People teams and write about management, real life, and what it takes to help people succeed without making them dependent on the person in charge.

I write about

I lead Talent Success and People Business Partners at Cribl. My team works across leadership and talent development, employee experience, performance, employee relations, and culture.
I've spent most of my career close to managers and the decisions they make every day. I've learned that good People work does not come from importing someone else's playbook. It comes from understanding how a company actually operates, building what fits, and being willing to change it when it does not work.
Outside of work, I'm a wife, a mom of three, a poet, a former band kid, and the person most likely to start a kitchen dance party.
Read my full storyI write about management, parenthood, identity, and the experiences that change what we believe about ourselves and each other.
Pride + identity
A letter about entering the working world, finding my voice, and becoming who I needed when I was younger.
Read the storyLife + leadership
The story of my son's early arrival, and what it taught me about parenthood, work, and firsts.
Read the storyCareer + gratitude
A note about the people who saw something in me before I could see it myself.
Read the storyWhat Work Feels Like
Occasional notes for people who manage people and anyone trying to make work a little more human. I write when I have something useful or honest to share.
I started writing poetry in 2018, when my wife and I were navigating infertility. Since then, I've written two collections about childhood, coming out, falling in love, becoming a parent, and trying to hold onto the moments that pass too quickly.
Collection 01 · 2018
A collection about growing up, falling in love with my wife, and learning to name who I was becoming.
Buy on AmazonCollection 02 · 2021
A collection for my son about infertility, becoming a parent, and the small moments I never wanted to forget.
Buy on AmazonOriginal cover artwork coming soon.