[Online] Guardians of the Backend: How to Say No and Still Get Promoted!

Guardians of the Backend: How to Say No and Still Get Promoted

Join us for a dynamic talk and community conversation with backend engineer Leslie Pajuelo, who brings over a decade of experience working on the web, databases, and maps—starting with hand-coded HTML in the '90s. This session explores practical strategies for setting boundaries, saying no without guilt, and still being seen as a high-impact engineer—especially in backend and infrastructure roles that often carry invisible labor.

Who is this event for?

• If you’ve ever said yes when you wanted to say no—and regretted it
• If you’re in a backend, SRE, infra, or platform role and want your impact recognized
• If you’ve been told you need to “lean in” but that advice hasn’t worked for you
• If you want better ways to navigate influence, recognition, and boundaries at work

📚 About the Talk

This session draws from real life experience of an overly-direct, radically honest person who had to find ways to succeed, be seen as a helper not as a blocker. You’ll learn:

• How to say no without hurting your reputation
• Why backend engineers often struggle with visibility, meeting the real requirements and how to fix it
• How to negotiate scope, bandwidth, and technical decisions without escalation
• Language to reframe “no” as strategic leadership

🌎 LOCATION
Online! RSVP is required to receive the Zoom link. The link will be made available 1–2 days prior to the event. Make sure you have a Zoom account set up ahead of time.

⏰ AGENDA
12:00pm – 12:10pm – Welcome and Introductions
12:10pm – 12:45pm – Talk
12:45pm – 1:30pm – Open Discussion + Q&A

👩🏻‍💻 About Women Coders Inclusive Org - San Diego
(formerly Women Who Code San Diego)
Our mission is to empower a diverse community of women to excel in technology careers. We host events designed to inspire and support all members in their professional growth, welcoming anyone who shares this purpose. We prioritize the safety and security of our community, ensuring an inclusive environment where every member can thrive.
🔹 What We Do: We host regular meetups, skill-building workshops, and engaging speaker events designed to inspire, educate, and facilitate collaborations. Here, you can expand your skills, share your unique experiences, and grow your professional network in a supportive setting.
🔹 Why Join Us? This is your chance to shine alongside fellow passionate coders and tech enthusiasts who are breaking barriers and paving the way for a more inclusive future in tech. Together, we can transform the landscape of technology.
🌐 Join Us Today! Step into a space where you can make a significant impact and find your community. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, mentorship, or connections, you’ll find your place here with us.

🔷 CODE OF CONDUCT
Women Coders Inclusive Org strives to be inclusive, respectful, collaborative, empathetic, and accountable. We value the safety and security of our members and do not tolerate harassment of members or event participants in any form. Our Code of Conduct (https://womencoders.tech/code-of-conduct.html) applies to all events run by Women Coders Inclusive Org. Instances of behavior inconsistent with this code of conduct may be reported by contacting the Women Coders Inclusive Organization at womencodersio@gmail.com.

📸 MEDIA CONSENT
We may be taking photos of this event for promotional purposes.
If you do not want to be photographed, please let our organizers know. We want to respect your privacy. Thank you!

🌟 FEEDBACK
We always look for ways to improve, and we would love your feedback after you have attended this event. Please submit feedback to [womencodersio@gmail.com](http://mailto:womencodersio@gmail.com/).