Meet Joanna Pineda, Founder/CEO Matrix Group International

The purple-and-white business card of Joanna Pineda, founder of Matrix Group International, Inc., bestows upon her a somewhat unusual title in addition to CEO -- "chief troublemaker."

"I make trouble," Pineda tells washingtonpost.com. "I'll walk into a project and I'll say, 'What if we start over?' I hope that people use the title affectionately around the office."

This mix of professionalism and playfulness typifies the Alexandria-based Web design company Pineda founded in 1999, which has managed to weather recent economic times with most of its staff and clientele intact.

A self-described "liberal arts person who loves technology," Pineda's fascination with the Web dates back to her days at a small company called Business Information Network (BIN), where she worked with computer bulletin boards.

One fateful day at BIN in 1994, "one of the developers came into my office and he said, 'There's this thing called the World Wide Web, and I think you ought to check it out,'" she says. The two signed up for a web account and soon found themselves surfing, using FTP, writing their own HTML pages, and becoming ever more excited by the Web's potential.

Pineda became president of BIN in October of that year, and along with her prescient colleague, spearheaded the company's electronic migration to this nascent medium. By the end of 1995, all the company's bulletin boards were on the Web, and annual revenues swelled to $1 million within three years.

A Bad Feeling

Pineda launched Matrix in the bright digital spring of 1999 -- a year when hopes and starting salaries were high, stock options plentiful, and ambitions unlimited.

Wall Street's enthusiasm for the Web was not to last, however. Although the company was very busy going into 2001, Pineda's "bad feeling" about the coming year caused her to hold off hiring any new staff.

"I'm really glad we waited, because the first half of 2001 was just bloody," she says. "It was awful for everyone."

Life in the Matrix

With her staff stable at roughly 30 employees, Pineda cultivates an atmosphere of relaxed professionalism at Matrix. Individuality, creativity, and even family pets are welcome in the company's Alexandria offices. The purple business cards also match the purple pool table in the lobby -- a gift to the staff for meeting a particular set of sales goals.

Despite these almost stereotypically dotcom-ish quirks, "I think it's like any other environment," she says. "There's a lot of accountability, but we also have fun."

A typical day for Pineda is 12 to 16 hours long, half of it spent in meetings. Though the work is exhausting, the rewards are rich, particularly when she gets to witness her employees make progress in their career development.

When juggling the work on her various projects seems too much to bear, Pineda follows the same advice she gives to her project managers.

"Come up with your schedule ... and come up with your specs," she says. "Then when things are crashing and burning around you, just ask yourself, 'What's my next milestone?' And then you just keep hitting the next milestone, and the next milestone, and the next milestone, and before you know it, the project is done."

The Importance of Family

Pineda's family has been a critical support system for her during her climb towards success.

"I don't think this business would exist without my family," she says. "They have really sustained me during the tough times -- whether it's encouragement from my mom, money from my husband, money from my husband's parents, help from my brother, referrals from my sisters. Everyone supported the business."

In addition, "I got a lot of support from the women's community here in Washington -- particularly D.C. Web Women," she says.

Happy in Her Oyster

Although she's very happy in the environment she's created at Matrix, Pineda doesn't think this will be the last job she ever has. Her ambitions run the gamut from columnist to political appointee. For now, however, she's more than content.

"I love my job," she says, smiling. "Love, love, love it. I walk into the office, and I think, 'Wow, this is my oyster.'"

Staying Ahead of the Curve

Pineda's advice for women aspiring to work with the Web is to "get techie" and learn the nitty gritty as quickly as possible -- something she thinks many women may still be hesitant to do.

"I do not consider myself a techie, [but] at the office, they say I know enough to be dangerous," she says. Nevertheless, "even if you're not going to be a techie all your life ... I think it has really helped me."

Advice for Web Refugees

For homeless Web designers, content strategists, and other Internet refugees who may find themselves between jobs, Pineda's advice is to get back to basics.

"It's amazing how many bad resumes I get," she says. "You've got to make sure that the resume is in tip-top shape."

Pineda thinks the time is now for people to polish cover letters, go for that extra certification that could put them over the top, and above all, get real.

"There are lots of jobs out there," she says. "But ... expectations probably have to come down a little bit, in terms of work, the responsibility, and the salary."