Brianna Doe’s Post

Early in my career, I interviewed with a company that required 8 separate interviews. It took 2 months. I’ve also pursued roles with companies that sent the job offer after only 2 or 3 interviews. I had a manager who screamed at me when I made a mistake. I also had a manager who said, “Thank you for letting me know! How can we avoid this going forward?” when I messed up. I’ve worked with teams that gossiped behind each other’s backs and consistently missed deadlines. I’ve also worked with teams that made collaboration a breeze. ✨ As a job seeker, I didn’t just look for big logos or the fanciest titles. And now as an agency owner, my opinion hasn’t changed. Because whether you have a team, a manager, or clients, they all can have a huge impact on your mental health and career trajectory. 🙌🏽 Who do you want to work with?

If you're trying to understand & tackle influencer marketing and the creator economy, I have a little gift for you 👋🏽 A lot of my time is spent doing 1 of 2 things: hosting a podcast about influencer marketing and running influencer programs for brands. And two questions I've gotten for years are: ↳ Where do I start? ↳ How do I build a campaign (or program) that will drive real results? That's why I'm beyond stoked to partner with Trainual and give you a strategy template to help you leverage influencers for your business. I cover everything I wish I would've known when I got started. ✨ What I'm most proud of is the fact that this isn't a playbook. A one-size-fits all approach won't work, so I love that you can customize this to fit your brand - instead of the other way around. 💃🏽 I'll drop the info in the comments - let me know what you think! #TrainualPartner

I once had a manager who told me I should be more like my coworker. I was too quiet and (apparently) not confident enough. I also had a manager who understood me and gave me time to process before asking for my opinion. I’ve worked with managers who always took credit for my work & ideas and walked all over me. I also had a manager who celebrated his team during every all-hands and showed me how to advocate for myself. ✨ It’s so easy to put people into a box. ↳ This person’s too quiet ↳ That person must not be a team player ↳ So-and-so isn’t a good communicator But have you taken the time to understand your entire team, not just the employees that are most like you? Leadership is a privilege. And good leadership starts with creating an environment where people can comfortably express themselves, take risks, and grow. 👏🏽 If you want to be a strong leader, look at your team. How are you empowering them and giving them the tools to thrive?

If you don't know and follow Obaid Durrani, you're seriously missing out. For those who don't know, Obaid is the king of content, an incredible content creator, and just an all-around cool guy. And I got to chat with him on Stop the Scroll! 🙌🏽 We talked about everything: ↳ How he enables B2B companies to build their own media engines through his 8-part "Easy Mode" framework ↳ Why vanity metrics ARE valuable ↳ And how to activate internal company creators beyond just the marketing team ↳ (And Todd Clouser) Check it out (and stay tuned for Pt. 2 with Obaid): https://lnkd.in/gEkahNja Shoutout to GURU Media Hub, the best podcast team out there!

A few months ago, someone I trusted said, “Maybe building an agency isn’t for you. Maybe you’d be happier with a few consulting clients. Or just going back to a 9-5.” I was shocked. It wasn't like the agency was falling apart. Verbatim was going through some big changes, but nothing too wild imo. 😅 Here's the thing. Contrary to what we may see on social media, entrepreneurship isn’t easy. You’re probably signing up to: ↳ Endure some late nights ↳ Wear 50 million hats ↳ Cry sometimes (lol) ↳ Make hard decisions And contrary to what we all see on LinkedIn and Instagram, you might not make $1M in the first year. (I know, so shocking!) But you also get to build something of your own, learn new skills, and follow your own path. Entrepreneurship is challenging, rewarding, freeing, and confusing all at once. It’s a path worth celebrating. 🤩 And you know what else is? Working a 9-5. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a career that doesn’t include working for yourself, IF that's right for you. Every path has its own challenges. You just have to choose your hard. 🙌🏽 👋🏽 PS: I thought about what my friend said for approximately 2.5 seconds, said “No thanks!” and went back to building. And guess what? The business has never been better.

Fun update: I’ve joined Limelight as a Strategic Advisor! 💃🏽 At Verbatim, one of our specialties is B2B influencer marketing. And after talking to hundreds upon hundreds of marketers, it’s clear that so many companies aren’t sure where to start or how to find the right influencers. (Shameless plug: Check out my podcast if you're interested in B2B influencer marketing. 👋🏽) For us, it’s not a competition at all. Some brands need agency support, some need an online marketplace to help them find the right influencers, and many need both! So I’m incredibly honored to be involved and to help them build a product that supports agencies, brands, and creators. I’m a huge fan of what David Walsh and his team are building, and I’m excited to dive in!

Last week, my mentee asked me if my tattoos ever have held me back (in a professional setting). My honest answer: At some point, I’m sure they have. I’ve never had any issues landing a job. And we work with incredible clients at Verbatim. But I’ve also been told that my tattoos are unprofessional. That I should probably hide them if I wanted the job. And of course there are people that won’t want to work with me, or engage with me, because they make assumptions based on my appearance. The truth is, redefining professionalism for yourself can be tough. 🚫 Bad news: Not everyone will support you - for various reasons. Some hiring managers will write you off. You may lose out on opportunities because you’re seen as unprofessional, incompetent, you name it. People will judge you. ✅ Good news: This frees you up for opportunities that align with your values, with people who will allow you to show up in a way that feels natural & authentic. And whether it’s tattoos, your hairstyles, piercings, wearing clothes that some people deem “too colorful”… it doesn’t matter. Not every opportunity is for you. And that’s a good thing. Find the opportunities (and people) that are. ______ I’m Brianna, and I own Verbatim, a full-service marketing agency. We help good businesses tell great stories through growth marketing, social, content, influencer marketing, and web design. If you’re looking for a marketing partner that will help you scale, let’s chat: weareverbatim.com

One of the coolest parts about hosting Stop the Scroll is that I get to talk to incredible content creators and marketers. And Justin Levy is one of the best. In this episode, we chat about: ↳ Building meaningful relationships with creators ↳ Getting leadership buy-in on campaigns ↳ How to create impactful influencer campaigns on lean budgets I learned a ton, and I'm sure you will too. 🙌🏽 Check out the full episode: https://lnkd.in/g3tfQst3 Shoutout to GURU Media Hub and Jay Schwedelson, the best podcast team out there!

After 10+ years of managing side hustles, I've built the perfect tech stack (for me). I've tried the best of the best, the worst, and probably everything in between. So today, I'm doing a full breakdown of the tools I use in every aspect of my career. Quick, easy read - hope you find it helpful! PS: It's my birthday, so you're kind of obligated to read this. ✨

Today is Juneteenth. And while there has been some progress, and I love seeing more companies and leaders publicly recognize this day, the uncomfortable truth is that this was only 159 years ago. And there is a lot of work to be done. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some ideas: • Support Black-owned businesses • Educate yourself, your families, and your team about Juneteenth and Black history (rather than placing that labor on the shoulders of your Black colleagues, friends, and neighbors) • Advocate for diverse panels, speaking engagements, and events. And then pay your speakers (or offer a fair trade). Yes, even the Black speakers. Giving your employees the day off is great. Understanding this day’s history, traditions, and impact is even better. Anyway, if you need me, I’ll be celebrating one of my favorite holidays and building my company. 👋🏽