#205: Career | Do you really want to be CMO? Returning from Parental Leave, What's working in B2B marketing today with Amanda Natividad, VP of Marketing at SparkToro
Amanda Natividad, VP of Marketing at SparkToro and a former journalist, shares her insights on balancing work and family after returning from parental leave. She discusses the evolving landscape of B2B marketing, emphasizing effective email strategies and optimizing LinkedIn for engagement. Natividad also reflects on career aspirations, the path to a CMO role, and the newfound joy of working as a team of one. Lastly, she highlights the importance of prioritizing happiness over financial gains in today's marketing environment.
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Stress of Parental Leave as a Solo Marketer
Amanda Natividad, VP of Marketing at SparkToro, describes the stress of leaving for parental leave as the sole marketer.
She felt responsible for the added burden on her colleagues, despite their competence.
insights INSIGHT
Rethinking the CMO Path
Amanda Natividad realized she doesn't enjoy people management and some aspects of marketing, like demand generation.
She prefers hands-on work like writing and questions the traditional CMO career path.
insights INSIGHT
SparkToro and its Marketing Structure
SparkToro, a B2B SaaS company, offers an audience research tool leveraging social and search data.
The team is currently small, with Amanda Natividad as the sole marketer.
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Million Dollar Consulting is a practical and authoritative guide written by Alan Weiss, aimed at helping consultants build and grow their practices into million-dollar businesses. The book, now in its sixth edition, is updated to reflect modern business concerns and technologies. It provides step-by-step advice on raising capital, attracting clients, creating effective marketing strategies, and leveraging technology to reach a broader audience. Weiss emphasizes the importance of adopting a 'value mindset,' forming powerful alliances, and thinking globally. The book also covers topics such as firing non-beneficial clients, maximizing fees, and building a successful remote marketing model. It is designed for solo consultants, boutique owners, and aspiring partners in consulting firms, offering actionable tips and entrepreneurial insights to help them achieve significant financial success[2][4][5].
Amanda Natividad is VP of Marketing at SparkToro. She's also a contributor for Adweek, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, and a former journalist. Dave and Amanda catch up after Amanda's return to work after having her second child, talk about trends they are seeing in B2B marketing today and what Amanda's seen work at SparkToro (including email strategy and LinkedIn). Plus they talk about the path to CMO - and why Amanda enjoys being a team of one.
Timestamps
(00:00) - - Webinar Promotion Without Links and Returning to Work After Maternity Leave.
(07:12) - - The Emotional Impact of Parental Leave.
(09:48) - - Navigating Career Paths in Marketing.
(13:18) - - SparkToro's Audience Research Tool and Growth Strategy.
(15:39) - - VP of Marketing at SparkToro: Managing Top-of-Funnel, Organics, and Events.
(20:19) - - Rethinking the pursuit of status in business.
(23:18) - - Contemplating financial gains and their true value.
(25:29) - - Prioritizing time over extra income for happiness.
(31:45) - -Transitioning from Consulting to Content Business: The Evolution of Exit Five.
(34:20) - - The challenges and potential rewards of solopreneurship.
(36:35) - - Navigating Hiring and Trust in a Small Team
(40:24) - - Strategic Email Marketing at Sparktoro: Balancing Frequency and Impact.
(43:25) - - Sparktoro's Email Strategy: Quality over Quantity and List Management Tactics.
(45:27) - - The challenge of balancing marketing strategies.
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***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
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The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt) 