Etsy has been in the news a lot recently since its announcement that it was going public in March. While sales for the online marketplace have fluctuated, Etsy recently launched some new creative initiatives, including adding a new “Editor’s Pick” feature on its site. However, there’s no denying that Etsy’s success over the last few years has a lot to do with its strong leadership team, including Dana Mauriello, director of seller category growth for the retailer.

In a recent interview with LinkedIn’s New Economy Editor Lisa Fairshild, Mauriello shares why she joined Etsy, how the seller’s marketplace is evolving, and why we need a new definition of a “smart woman.” Below are some of our favorite highlights from the interview.

On Etsy’s biggest problem and how the company is dealing with it
“I’m working on how to grow our wholesale business. What’s unique about Etsy Wholesale is we’re trying to make wholesaling accessible to designers of small businesses. One challenge is trying to make it as accessible as possible with the right education and tools. We also need to make sure people are ready to start those relationships with retailers. It’s a fine balance between the two.

“The other challenge is that we work with both big and small retailers. We’re trying to get large retailers to come up with more favorable terms for small designers so they can build more sustainable businesses that will have more sustainable work. That’s a challenge I work on every day.”

On lessons learned from launching her own startup business, ProFounder
“Being nimble was really important to us. We had to make some really hard decisions as a business and it made me realize how important it is to find failure and success really quickly. [As a founder] I had to make the best use of limited resources, and I tried to bring that attitude of being really nimble and flexible and iterating quickly to Etsy.”

Her thoughts on women in technology and why we need a new definition of “smart women”
“I used to work in fashion. I loved working in fashion and beauty, but people didn’t think I was very smart. I haven’t changed. I was smart then and I’m smart now, but I didn’t get any credit for it when I was in that industry. When I transitioned to work in finance and tech, I got a lot of credit. I think that’s a problem. Even if you’re in tech beauty or tech fashion, you don’t get as much credit and that bothered me. Beauty and fashion are more expected for women, so people think it’s an easier path. If you’re in finance or tech or a confluence of both, it’s not as expected, so people assume you must be really smart.”

Do you agree? Do we need a new definition of a “smart woman”? Let us know in the comments section below.