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Each month, we recognize one of our Most Helpful Humans in Hosting®.
Meet Calvin Williams
Although he has lived in Oregon, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee, Calvin Williams is a Michigander through and through. After attending high school in South Lyon, Williams graduated from Central Michigan University and has been in Lansing ever since.
His interest in tech fully formed in 2004 when some college friends introduced him to World of Warcraft. Although he’d been playing video games since childhood, he’d never built a computer to play them. Once Williams learned how to build a PC, he was hooked.
Williams has managed the Customer Success team at Liquid Web for the past two years.
Why did you join Liquid Web?
I heard buzz about the company culture at Liquid Web and knew it was something I wanted to be part of. I first applied to join the Liquid Web team in 2011 but didn’t get in. So I tried again the following year. I stayed persistent thanks to local friends who worked at Liquid Web and made the job sound so appealing.
What draws you to the hosting industry as a career?
The hosting industry is a very large pie with a lot of flavors. One size doesn’t fit all here, and, ultimately, there are many hurdles and challenges that face many organizations looking to establish their online presence. Hosting, to me, is the often overlooked aspect of an online presence but is the most vital. It is the foundation for establishing availability to the clients each organization is trying to reach.
Is there something specific about Liquid Web you just love?
Beyond the phenomenal coffee machines in DC3 and endless LaCroix? But for real, Liquid Web has allowed me to grow and learn throughout my career. I love the support I’ve received here along the way.
What’s your favorite part about the company culture at Liquid Web?
My favorite part is that we genuinely try to embody and live out the human element of our work. Our clients and colleagues are people, and we do our best not to forget that. We live that out by extending grace to those clients who are in disaster-stricken areas.
In your eyes, what’s the difference between Liquid Web and other employers?
Although we are a growing company, and with growth may come additional oversight, ideas, and voices, Liquid Web continues to be a place that will accept and implement new ideas to bring a better experience to our clients.
Tell us about an amazing customer experience you have had at Liquid Web.
My favorite experience was a few years ago before Covid when I traveled to Portland, Oregon to visit with one of our largest clients. At the time, the client was in the middle of a few big projects, and progress slowed as frustrations increased. Meeting with them in person and putting faces to the names put a 180-degree change, and we were able to collaborate with our client and put that project to a close.
What are you known for at Liquid Web? What do people specifically come to you for?
Being in Customer Success, people come to me for all kinds of reasons, especially if there’s a client impact. It’s my hope that I’m most known for always being available and helpful to anyone who needs it.
What is one thing you wish our customers knew about their hosting?
The key to a successful stay with Liquid Web is a strong partnership with their account executive and customer success manager. Like any relationship built on mutual respect and trust, open communication will help that relationship grow and prosper. We want nothing less for our client relationships as well.
What is your nickname at Liquid Web and why?
Although not a Liquid Web nickname, my family and close friends call me Dewey.
Work aside, what are some of your hobbies?
I am a man of many hobbies, which range from playing music (saxophone and drums), biking, PC gaming, and my most recent pickup is disc golf.
What is your favorite TV show?
Black Mirror, hands down.
What is your favorite app?
Whichever one doesn’t force me to watch an ad at every tap. But I do play a lot of BloonsTD6.
If you could have dinner with one famous person [dead or alive], who would it be?
Elizabeth Warren.
You can find Calvin at Twitter and LinkedIn.
We hope you enjoyed our series, and stay tuned for the next Helpful Human profile.