Ep #125: Getting Schooled in Market Segmentation w/ Quinn O'Brien

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Quinn O'Brien, the CMO at Carnegie Learning, an ed-tech leader that is shaping the future of learning through AI. Letting us in on his unique career background so far, Quinn shares the story of his humble beginnings working as a receptionist at a marketing agency, and how that role piqued his interest in the brand side. He also shares stories from his past role at Lenovo, where he spent a large part of his career, and what he learned from launching his own company. 

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Key takeaways from this episode:

• Follow your passion. It sounds cliché (and maybe it is) but that doesn’t mean it’s untrue: following your passion will take you far in your career and in life. In Quinn’s case, this meant looking for opportunities in the world of education, where he felt he could truly make a difference.
• Understand each market segment’s pain points—inside and out. Once he had made the leap into the education industry, Quinn quickly realized just how complicated the system was in North America. By taking the time to gain a deeper understanding of each market segment, he was better able to identify their pain points and therefore, provide solutions.
• Get clear on your definition of success. In a fast-moving industry like education, Quinn and his team need to ensure they have a crystal clear vision of what success means to them so they can stay consistently focused on their goal. With the concrete benchmark of helping teachers overcome daily challenges in mind, the company is in a better position to hit the ground running when it counts.

Learn more about Carnegie Learning here: https://www.carnegielearning.com/ 

Learn more about Quinn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinnobrien/