Delivering Value: Tough Career Moments - Lessons from Growth, Marketing & Product Leaders

Scott is the VP of Growth at Persefoni, and his wide-ranging growth experience includes time at Reforge, HubSpot, co-hosting the Growth TL;DR podcast with Kieran Flanagan, and working on the Signals product with Brian Balfour.In our convo, we talked at length about why growth roles tend to turn over so frequently, what makes a strong leader, and more:Navigating the “messy middle” between senior IC and growth leaderHow a lack of clear expectations and boundaries shortens role tenuresWhy rapid feedback cycles are important, whether you are working on a landing page, a board presentation, your comms, or your visionFour traits of strong leaders: simplify everything, empower everyone, learn from everywhere, and have a sense of humor[00:18] Introducing Scott Tousley and his background[08:50] Scott’s work at Persefoni and some of the challenges he experiences[13:47] Why do growth leaders often have short tenures in companies?[18:16] Learning and developing the skills that benefit a growth leader[24:49] On feedback[29:15] Patterns and traits of strong leaders that Scott wants to exemplify[36:02] On work-life balance and how being a parent has affected how he prioritizes things[40:55] On his career growth[45:50] Connect with ScottLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotttousley/This episode was sponsored by Navattic and Madkudu.

[00:22] Introducing Shirin Bradfield and her background[08:23] Transitioning into a new role [17:54] Her work as Head of Growth and Self-Service[25:54] Soft skills that are beneficial in the growth space and a role like Shirin’s[37:50] Discussing Impostor Syndrome[41:01] On adapting to unknowns[42:45] On professional goals and career growth[49:05] Resetting focus and managing fulfillment[51:26] Connect with ShirinLink:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirinbradfield/

Shirin Bradfield is the Head of Growth and Self-Service at Optimal Workshop - a New Zealand based UX research platform.Shirin joined OW as a growth marketer with a one-line job description: “increase our revenue.” Today, she is Head of Growth and Self Service. Clearly, a lack of role clarity didn’t hold her back.In our conversation on the Delivering Value show, we chatted about why.Shirin shared her incredible backstory, her three-step process for expanding her role, and why adaptability is her most valued soft skill. She also shared that handwritten lists and music are her secret weapons against high stress and burnout.[00:22] Introducing Shirin Bradfield and her background[08:23] Transitioning into a new role [17:54] Her work as Head of Growth and Self-Service[25:54] Soft skills that are beneficial in the growth space and a role like Shirin’s[37:50] Discussing Impostor Syndrome[41:01] On adapting to unknowns[42:45] On professional goals and career growth[49:05] Resetting focus and managing fulfillment[51:26] Connect with ShirinLink:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirinbradfield/

[0:00:42] Introducing Benyamin Elias and his background[0:12:43] Growth and success in the tech industry[0:19:42] Developing the ability to instinctually know where to find value[0:25:43] On the challenge of adapting to a fast rate of change[0:30:08] How to avoid being bogged down by Impostor Syndrome[0:34:33] On learning from your mistakes through taking responsibility[0:42:33] On receiving feedback[0:51:24] On fast career growth and receiving more responsibility to the point of overflowing[0:55:34] Advice on managing work stress[1:01:30] Connect with BenyaminLinks:Twitter: www.twitter.com/benyamineliasArticles: https://diamondpencils.substack.com/

I’m joined by Ben Williams — former VP of Product Growth at Snyk, current founder and full-time advisor at PLGeek.Ben shared why he gifted a book with a personalized message to a new PM, how he reframed negative feedback so it stopped making him feel sick, and how he had way more fun after he stopped putting pressure on himself to know every answer.[00:14] Introducing Ben Williams and his background[04:10] Ben’s journey in growth and the bumps along the way[09:40] How his experience in the space influences his interviewing methods [12:01] His career “detour”[16:03] On the fear of failure and the characteristics that contribute to one’s success[25:14] Advice for people feeling uneasy in a new role[29:54] On being a leader for people who are struggling with impostor syndrome or fear of failure[34:34] On giving/ receiving high-impact feedback[44:32] How your values can influence your motivation and success[45:57] On realizing that you don’t need to have all the answers to deserve success[51:13] Where to connect with BenLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semanticben/Website: www.plgeek.com

[00:48] Introducing Sam Richard and her background[05:07] On a career in growth[11:14] Navigating the difficulties in startups and companies that are seeing fast growth[15:33] Advice for people who are having difficulty adjusting to a fast-growing company[17:30] Impostor syndrome in the growth space[21:38] On getting and responding to performance feedback [26:26] Navigating work anxiety[29:17] Growing from traumatic experiences in her career[33:10] Soft skills that need to be given more importance in growth careers[35:19] Advice for people who need to develop their ability to see the big picture[36:31] Advice to help people work through adversity at workLinks:Sam’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-crowell-richard/Sean Fanning: https://twitter.com/seandougfan

The podcast explores the host's personal journey into growth, including challenging workplace events and the mindset needed to overcome adversity. It discusses the difficulties of running tests, finding fulfillment through coaching, and leading a cross-functional growth team. The speaker reflects on layoffs, anxiety, and a traumatic public speaking experience. It also dives into overcoming panic attacks and the importance of communication skills in growth. The podcast concludes by reflecting on the journey and exciting upcoming episodes.

Welcome to the pod! In this short trailer, I share:Why I'm making this podcast.Background on who I amOutline my journey from marketer into the world of growth; including my time at Digitas, HubSpot, Wistia, and Postscript.Outline what I'm building at Delivering Value for the SaaS growth community.You can subscribe for email updates: deliveringvalue.co/podcastContact/ follow-me at:DeliveringValue.co andrew@deliveringvalue.cotwitter.com/acaplandhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/