On this Keepin’ it 100, Nelson is joined by Nicole Penland, Director of Demand Generation at Reciprocity, a risk and compliance SaaS company.
“The advice I would give is to find the area you're passionate about and learn about it. Understand what's happening within the industry that you're focused on so when you're ready to go, you're in.”
After pursuing a career in inside sales, Nicole leaped to a marketing role after earning recognition for her “campaign in a box” ideas. Nicole shares how to turn a good idea into a new initiative or new role in an organization and how to prepare to execute it in those critical first 100 days.
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Nicole is an award-winning marketing leader in the software industry. Prior to the current role, she held sales and marketing leadership positions at Symantec. She's an innovate, fearless, bold, leader with the ability to implement a customer first approach, diversity of thought, and unity of action.
Nelson: Hi everyone. And welcome to another episode of keeping it 100, helping revenue practitioners, better tackle a new role. I'm your host Nelson Gilliat, and today's guest is Nicole Penland, Director of Demand Generation at Reciprocity, which sells software to help companies manage governance, risk, and compliance.
So InfoSec teams have a better resting heart rate. That this is a really tasty episode. Unlike most B2B SaaS, Nicole got her start in the mortgage industry and unlike most marketers, Nicole started in inside sales until blazing her path internally to marketing. Here's Nicole's advice. So you can be your best in your next move.
Nicole: I can speak from my past is that I found a niche and I found something that I was excited to go and solve and build. And so I think that's, that would be the advice that I would give is find that area that you're passionate about whether or not it's field events or it's digital marketing, find what you love and then learn about it.
Understand what are the key trends what's happening within the industry that you're focused on, learn up or read up, listen up on all of those different pieces so that when you're ready to go, you're in, you're really in the know of what's happening. So
Nelson: that's an interesting point because you didn't have a marketing background. How did you learn about marketing? Was it mostly just by doing it or, or picking people's brains and your company, how did you skill up in that situation?
Nicole: I made a lot of mistakes. Let's be real. I also had great mentors and I was able to, I actually came in and had a team and they were very seasoned marketers and they were willing.
To help and to work with me on, Hey, I just don't understand what that is. And then my mentors were rock solid. So, you know, there were many times that I came to them saying, you know, am I D I'm doubting myself. Right. And I think that was, that's a question that a lot of people have is just this self-doubt.
Like, Hey, they moved me into this position, but. Why, why did they choose me? And I think one of the things that I always go back to when I start to have that self-doubt is Sheryl Sandberg wrote the book, LinkedIn. She had a lot of self-doubts. And so she would always try to change that internal dialogue and know that you have a right to have a seat at the table.
And so I have to continuously people have to continuously control that internal dialogue. Because whether you can, or you can't you're. Right, right. So let's make sure that you're always telling yourself positive language. Right. So super important.
Nelson: You become a mentor. Like how did that happen? Do you go out and seek mentees or do mentees come and approach you and how should people who like you have experienced and I've been successful? How do you go in and help those who are aspiring?
Nicole: It comes both ways. So I've been approached by someone that wants to be mentored, and then I've identified other people that I've seen that I just enjoyed working with. And I thought I think it can be a mutually beneficial relationship. And here's the thing is.
It doesn't have to be a director or mentoring. Individual contributor mentors can come at all different levels within the organization. I think what matters is the match and what you, what each person gets out of it. So I feel a responsibility to mentor. The next generation of marketers and sales reps.
And I enjoy watching. One of my greatest achievements is the success that my teams, people that have worked with me or under me when I see them succeed and move. Up and on and get to where they want to, to me, that's filling my cup. So I need to do that in order for me to feel whole.
Nelson: Do you have some advice about starting a new role email me and we'll get you on the show at podcast@usergems.com.
