Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
This video is featured in the Exit Interviews playlist.
Summary
Mary-Lynne Williams is the founder of Buffalo Firefly, a sound-healing and wellness company operating in Richmond, VA and Brooklyn, NY. Before stepping into this work, she spent over two decades in the tech industry as a product design leader, including roles at Microsoft, Meta, and Zillow, where she shaped complex digital products, led teams, and worked at the intersection of systems thinking, user experience, and human behavior. Her career in tech was successful by every external measure. Yet over time, Mary-Lynne began to recognize a growing disconnect between the work she was doing and the way she wanted to live in her purpose. She creates intentional spaces for rest and has recently opened a second location of her Sound Healing Center in New York City. Her story is not about leaving ambition behind, but about redefining success—trusting discernment, and choosing work that feels sustainable not just intellectually, but physically, emotionally, and spiritually as well.
Key Insights
-
•
Prolonged stress and undiagnosed illness were key factors prompting Mary Lynn's departure from UX leadership.
-
•
A retreat for women design leaders exposed Mary Lynn to energy healing, which catalyzed her career pivot.
-
•
Experience in leadership roles enriched Mary Lynn’s communication skills, aiding her transition to wellness coaching.
-
•
'Data-driven' design practices increasingly prioritize company goals over authentic user needs, diminishing job satisfaction.
-
•
Women leaders in tech often face pressure to conform to masculine behavioral norms, leading to a lack of mentorship and support.
-
•
Starting a wellness business required significant personal financial investment and lifestyle adaptation, including relocating to a smaller city.
-
•
Stepping away from UX design can heighten awareness of the impact of constant interface changes on users, especially older adults.
-
•
Imperfect, authentic content is gaining value in the age of AI-generated, overly polished digital experiences.
-
•
Career transitions can feel isolating as previous social networks shift, but new communities form in aligned interest areas.
-
•
Trusting intuition and taking oneself seriously are crucial pieces of advice for anyone considering leaving UX or tech for a new venture.
Notable Quotes
"What is it they say about death? It's not a door closing, it's a door opening."
"I couldn't be as good at this job if I hadn’t been in those leadership roles."
"I walked into the building and it just felt surreal. It didn’t feel right in my body to be there anymore."
"I wanted to be in a place where I was making people feel better, not worse."
"There was an expectation for you to behave like a man, but when you do, you're criticized for being aggressive."
"Decisions based on clicks can be detrimental to the user because they favor company goals, not user needs."
"The universe will absolutely provide if it’s the right thing for you."
"I put most of my retirement savings into making this happen because I didn’t think I was going to survive otherwise."
"The sloppier you are, the more real you’re looking in the age of AI content."
"Meditation isn’t about stopping thinking, it’s about becoming aware of thinking."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"A lot of design ops impact comes from influence, and influence comes from empathy and showing the benefit of what you are putting out."
Bria Alexander Laura Gatewood Corey Long Daniel Orbach Laine Prokay Deanna SmithThe Big Question about Resilience: A panel discussion
September 23, 2024
"Use the latest version starring feature so your team only gets updates when they’re ready, avoiding constant notifications."
Jaime CreixemsBest Practices when Creating and Maintaining a Design System
June 7, 2023
"Design ops people are mutants coming at this profession from different directions."
Holly ColePanel Discussion: Growing People and Teams
November 8, 2018
"We need to start thinking about fluidity in identity because there is no 'this' anymore; people are multiracial, fluid in sexual identity, neurodiversity, and more."
Dave Malouf Meredith Black Farid SabitovThe Past, Present, and Future of DesignOps: a 2-part DesignOps Community Call (Part 1)
February 17, 2022
"Most creative teams are always teetering on the edge of greatness."
Rima Campbell Amrit S BhachuIncrease Productivity and Drive Business Impact
September 24, 2024
"Just tell me what you’re telling me—executives want clear and simple narratives, not complexity and jargon."
Dr. Nikki SmithResearch Strategy: Connecting Insights to Outcomes
March 12, 2025
"Providing alternative content is often a kinder gesture than any lengthy alternative text could be."
Abby CovertStuck? Diagrams Help
October 27, 2022
"People really don’t get what we do until they can experience design in a tangible way around something they care about."
Brianna SylverLead With Purpose
March 31, 2020
"When you have findings that serve smaller populations, it often tends to serve the broader population as well."
Megan CamposWhat Did I Miss? The Hidden Costs of Deprioritizing Diversity in User Research
March 12, 2021
