Tell us about your career path in marketing and how you ended up at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a professor?
My second job out of undergrad was in product marketing or a manufacturing company headquartered in Wisconsin. After a few years, I applied for and got a job as a sale representative with the same company. The role was to cover a territory in the Pacific Northwest and required me to move to San Francisco. I was in sales for 4 years when I realized I missed working in marketing and I went back to school to get my MBA at the University of San Francisco. After graduating, my career took me into product marketing for technology companies since I was living in the heart of Silicon Valley. I worked my way up through promotions and job changes to become a Chief Marketing Officer.
In 2020, during the pandemic, I moved back to Madison for personal reasons and began working for tech companies remotely. It also gave me the opportunity to get involved with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, my alma mater. The MBA program was starting a path with a focus on tech product marketing, and I reached out to offer my experience in Silicon Valley to help. After guest lecturing and participating on panels, the head of the Marketing department asked me if I was interested in teaching. I just completed my first semester in the Spring and really enjoyed it.
Looking back on your past jobs, what has been your biggest career lesson and how have you changed because of that?
Who you work for, and with, is just as important (and maybe more important) than the work you do. I have had managers who asked for my opinion and have been my champions internally, and I have had managers who criticize rather than coach and are arrogant. Working for the latter is stressful and makes for a miserable experience at work. Now I also interview my potential manager when I am going through the interview process. I think of it as a two-way dialogue - while they evaluate if I am fit for a role, I figure out if this company/manager/team is a fit for me.
My past experience with managers also influences how I show up as a manager to people who work for me. I want to be the type of manager I would enjoy working for, so I regularly ask people on my team for their opinion or to weigh in with their expertise. And when someone on my team is doing a great job, I make sure to let other managers and executives know about it.
You have worked many different jobs in marketing, what has been your favorite role and why?
My favorite role is one where I work with smart, talented, kind people and we accomplish difficult projects together. At McAfee as a product marketer, I worked on an acquisition and then integration on that company into McAfee. The people I worked with on that project 15 years ago I'm still in tough with today. At Lookout, when I was the head of communications, the research team found a novel piece of malware that ended up getting the company coverage in Vanity Fair magazine. At Sift, right after I joined as the Chief Marketing Officer, I led the marketing team on a project to rebrand the company from conception to launch - website, trade show booth, all digital and print assets - in five months. I would work again with many on the people who I worked with on those projects in a heartbeat.
You worked two jobs this year as an Adjunct Instructor at Uw0Madison and Interim Chief Marketing Officer at COFENSE, what are the daily responsibilities for these jobs and how do you balance them?
As an instructor, I am responsible for preparing my lecture presentations and examples, as well as grading assignments and exams. I am also responsible for answering students' emails and questions and ultimately assigning grades.
As an interim CMO at Cofense, I manage a team of 9 people and sit on the executive leadership team. My daily responsibilities are varied. It includes meetings with the marketing team to work on projects such as the ones we are working on now to update the design and messaging on the website, and to create new email campaigns for prospective customers. I also meet with the leadership team to make decisions about the marketing budget and how the marketing and sales teams' partner together to win new customers or to support our current customers better.
Because these roles are so different, I balance them by dedicating time to each over the course of the day and week. Most of my meetings and work with Cofense occur in the morning due to people on my team who are based in the UK. And then mid-afternoon into the evening I am either teaching or doing prep work to get ready to teach. When I have to grade exams or large projects, I usually do it in the evening or weekends when I can really focus.
What part of your job do you enjoy the most, that makes you look forward to going to work every day?
I enjoy figuring out the unique story to tell about a product, brand or company. It starts with digging into the product or company and really understanding why it exists, what it delivers for its customers and why customers love it. Finding a common theme and crystalizing it is my superpower. Sometimes it is a story the CEO or the Board had never considered. And then refining the story and making to come to life in both visuals and messaging on the website, digital assets, etc. is rewarding. But the best part is when customers recognize the company as the expert in the industry, and competitors state they respect our marketing (or copy it!).
What do you value most about having the opportunity to teach college students marketing?
Getting students excited about marketing and helping them understand the different aspects of it. I find myself invested in students' success so I'm thrilled when a student improves their grade from exam to exam or turns in a great assignment. And I am also learning from the students - I had to do some googling this semester about influencers I was unfamiliar with!
Based on your past experiences, what sills have you learned that you think are necessary for individuals working in marketing?
Learn how to write well. Almost every aspect of marketing requires it - either you are writing copy for an ad or website for the world to read, or you are writing proposals and reports for your manager or other teams to read. If you can communicate your ideas in a logical but concise way, it will play a big role in your career success.
You did freelance work for around 2.5 years; how does this marketing differ from working for a company?
The freelance work I have done has required me to be at a company for a short period, on specific projects. It provided me with the opportunity to experience a variety of companies - both products and cultures. For some freelancers, the inclination is to be detached from the company or the product. But perhaps due to my long career working directly for companies, I am committed to the company's success while I'm working there. I show up as if I'm a direct employee and that helps me perform better in the role and on the project. Therefore, I don't necessarily see the marketing work I do as a freelancer different than what I would do in a full-time role.
What advice would you give someone who wants to enter the marketing industry but isn't sure how or where they fit in?
Try everything! The great thing about marketing is there are a variety of roles that fit under the area of 'marketing'. If you are technically inclined, try product marketing. If you are analytical, try market research or pricing analysis or channel analysis. If you are good at writing and storytelling, try product marketing, social media marketing, working in promotions or on a website. If you are creative and good at graphic design, you can work on ads or a website. And you can move between roles in marketing, especially early in your career.
Knowing what you know now, what tips would you give your younger self coming out of college about looking for a job?
Coming out of undergrad, I was enamored with getting a job on a glamorous or trendy product or brand. But reality set in, and I simply needed a job to pay the bills. My first role out of college was at a small company but I was able to get experience in writing instruction manuals, and I created their website - graphics and copy. My second role out of college was at a manufacturing company but it gave me experience in pricing, inventory management, training and working with sales teams, and managing trade shows. Neither were glamorous products but the experience I gained helped me move forward in my career. So, my advice would be - pursue the roles even when you are not excited about the product and get the experience. It will set you up for a better job in the future.
