Hunter Walker
Marissa Mayer (left) with Shenna Bellows.
Marissa Mayer is not the CEO of Yahoo!
Mayer is a political operative from Connecticut, who is currently working with Democratic Senate candidate Shenna Bellows in Maine. When Bellows visited Business Insider for an interview last Wednesday, we also talked with Mayer about what it's like to share her name with one of the most high-profile executives in Silicon Valley.
According to Mayer, there was one occasion when she was mistaken for the other Marissa Mayer.
"I was actually in a Paper Source in Manhattan last year some time, and they asked me for my email address, and I love Paper Source, so I gave them my email address and my name," Mayer said. "It was a Yahoo! email address at that time."
Mayer said the woman who worked at the Paper Source instantly reacted.
"Oh, Marissa Mayer, like, you know, like, the CEO of Yahoo!?" the woman asked.
Mayer decided to have a little fun with the woman's error.
"I was like, 'Well, I am the CEO of Yahoo!,'" recounted Mayer. "I was obviously kidding because I don't look like the CEO of Yahoo!"
However, the woman at the Paper Source didn't seem to get the joke.
"She got very flustered," Mayer said. "Very clearly thought that I was actually telling the truth."
Mayer said the woman then applauded her.
"Congratulations on your ..." the woman said, before trailing off, unsure how to finish the sentence.
Mayer's boyfriend, who was also at the store, stepped in to help her find the right words.
"Your empire?" he asked.
"Yeah," replied the woman.
After receiving the congratulations, Mayer made her exit.
"I was like, 'Thank you,' and we walked out of the store," she said.
Mayer said that is the only time she has actually been confused for the other Marissa Mayer, but she said people often make jokes about their shared names.
"It gets a little old," said Mayer.
However, Mayer said she doesn't get jokes about her name "too often."
"She's not super famous," Mayer said thankfully.