The marketing industry has long been defined by the strong, smart and savvy thought leaders behind the leading brands. In recent years, we have seen a slight shift: From CMO’s to SVP’s, many of today’s marketing leaders are women.
In order to get an inside look at how female leaders can bring unique and effective influence into the boardroom, Experian Marketing Services invited four female marketing leaders from some of today’s most progressive brands to speak on a panel at our 2014 Client Summit.
The panel covered the current state of female empowerment in the workplace and included these four leading ladies:
- Margaret Beck, SVP Marketing at Williams-Sonoma
- Terri Funk Graham, CMO, RedEnvelope
- Rose Hamilton, CMO, Pet360
- Ashley Johnston, SVP, Global Marketing, Experian Marketing Services
Drawing inspiration from their own experiences, the panelists discussed the journey to leadership, gender challenges within the workplace and the distinct perspective they believe women marketers can deliver. Here are the 4 key messages to take away from this year’s female CMO panel:
1) Work hard, find balance and have confidence.
In today’s workplace, being a leader has little to do with your gender. What’s most important is the ability to create meaningful work that you have confidence in.
All the women of the panel agreed that finding a work-life balance is key. It is easy to get sucked into 24-hour work days, but there comes a time where you need to take a step back. If not, the quality of work can suffer.
Terri Funk Graham, CMO, RedEnvelope shared wisdom from her mentor, “If you’re demonstrating that you’re having to put so many extra hours to do what you’re doing it might come across that you can’t handle what you have.”
By thinking quality over quantity, the potential for success is undeniable.
2) Be aware of how you are being perceived
Feedback is a gift. Are you getting positive or negative feedback? Are you working 24/7? Or, are you not working enough?
Margaret Beck, SVP of marketing at Williams-Sonoma, shared tough feedback she received that gave her insight into how she was perceived and how she could change for the better, “It’s not about how hard you work; it is about what you deliver.”
The women on the panel stressed the importance of always being aware of your presentation and how others perceive you in your role. How you are viewed can have an immense impact on your success within the industry.
3) Learn from mentors and inspire your teams
“Early in my career, I started looking not just for a mentor, but several mentors. There are so many lessons and experiences we’re exposed to,” says Ashley Johnston, SVP, Global Marketing, Experian Marketing Services. “I believe mentors are everywhere and across all levels and functions of an organization, we just have to be willing to not only seek out the lessons but also listen to advice.”
As a leader, teams are looking to you to set the stage. Having this responsibility, it is important to remember to step out of your comfort zone and encourage different ways of thinking. By creating an open atmosphere, team members have the floor to share new ideas rather than being afraid to fail. Learning from one another’s failures and successes can create a cohesive workplace and an invaluable experience for both team members and mentors alike.
4) Find the opportunity in playing numerous roles
“You’re not just one thing — you’re many things,” said Rose Hamilton, CMO of Pet360.
Hamilton explained that female marketers have the opportunity to play numerous roles throughout their lives — mother, sister, wife, boss and mentor, among other things. The panel agreed that this creates a unique benefit for all women at work. If female marketers can adapt to numerous roles at work as well as they do in everyday life, the chance of success is great.
By sharing their stories, both the good and bad, the woman on the panel successfully expressed the overall theme of this year’s Client Summit — the value of storytelling.
Watch the video of the Female CMO panel: