An Inspired Chat with Caroline Dunn

We recently had the chance to connect with Caroline Dunn and have shared our conversation below.

Caroline, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
A recent proud moment was volunteering as a mock interviewer at the Women in Technology (WIT) career fair. I felt honored and grateful to give back to the women in my community. I started each session by asking, ‘I want this to be as impactful as possible. What do you want to get out of this interview? How can I help you reach your goals?’ That simple question set the stage for some powerful sessions. I was able to help women boost their confidence, reframe their perspective, and relax a little about the interview process. Watching them walk away with more assurance than when they sat down made me both proud and deeply happy.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, my name is Caroline, and I’m a tech marketing executive, engineer, and YouTube creator with over 38,000 subscribers.

Most recently, I published my book, A Woman’s Guide to Winning in Tech.

The book challenges the biases women face in technology while giving readers tools to succeed. I didn’t want to write another dry corporate handbook or a man-bashing manifesto. Instead, I drew from my experiences and added a satirical twist. Whether through my writing, videos, or career in tech marketing, my goal remains the same: to prove that anyone can thrive in technology and keep the door open for the next person coming in.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was my father’s daughter. He never had the opportunity to attend college. Yet, he was a relentless hobbyist with his homemade computers and soldering iron. When I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech, it wasn’t about breaking barriers; it was about following my passion.

I had no idea tech was supposed to be ‘a man’s thing.’ To me, it was an oasis of innovation. Imagine my surprise when I found out the world had other expectations. I realized I had to define myself not by stereotypes, but by the work I loved and the impact I wanted to make.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There have been countless times I’ve wanted to give up. Training for a full marathon (26.2 miles) is a perfect example. During a 14-mile training run, I became so disoriented that my vision began to blur. I wanted to quit right there. Instead, I took a short break to refuel, gathered myself, and soldiered on to finish all 14 miles.

That experience taught me a lot about grit. By the time I reached race day, the 26.2 miles felt more like a victory lap.

Marathon training taught me the same lesson I apply to my work: the hardest part isn’t the finish line, it’s pushing through the messy, painful middle and proving to yourself that you can keep going.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
One important truth I’ve learned, and very few people want to admit, is that men are not naturally better at technology. My book, A Woman’s Guide to Winning in Tech, is built on dismantling that myth.

Tech isn’t about gender; it’s about curiosity, persistence, and practice. Yet, time and again, I’ve seen women judged by a harsher measuring stick, with our mistakes magnified and our successes minimized. At the same time, men are praised for the exact same behavior.

Very few people admit that these biases come from both men and women, but they do. By pointing out these double standards with humor and satire, my goal is to make the truth easier to confront: technology belongs to anyone willing to learn it, and it’s long past time we stopped pretending otherwise.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
I’m regularly out of my depth, but I don’t let that stop me. For me, it’s not a signal to quit, it’s a signal to work harder. Challenge accepted! I can learn, I can strategize, and my curiosity keeps me moving forward. That grit is what’s carried me through both my career and my creative projects.

It’s also why I wrote A Woman’s Guide to Winning in Tech. We’ve beaten up too many women with imposter syndrome, making them feel like they don’t belong. The truth is, everyone feels out of their depth sometimes. The difference lies in whether you let it paralyze you or use it as fuel to grow. I choose the latter.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://winningintech.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winning.tech
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinedunn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winningintech/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/caroline
• Other: Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5CM5NLK