Natalie Severino’s Post

3 things I’m grateful for coming out of Field Effect’s year end summit last week: 1️⃣ Alignment across leaders. Every leader that spoke included key themes that were aligned with their peers. Even though we own different parts of the strategy, we are all rowing in the same direction with the same strategic principles, and that was clear. 2️⃣ Appreciation for teammates. We found ourselves a bit (ok a lot 😂 ) off schedule because everyone had so many shoutouts to give. We talked about how collaboration is something we rock at (especially in sales & marketing 🤩 ) and we all got way too excited about our annual employee award ceremony. I took a quick survey and it turned out that most of us were totally okay with being completely off schedule because it meant we took the time celebrate team and teamwork. 3️⃣ Alignment behind our long term goal. We talked about the the things we learned in 2023, the places we’ve decided to pivot and some things we’re going to do differently next year. Change can be daunting but our team was energized by what it means for our long term goal. Startups are chaotic and require resilience. Most importantly, they require vision and alignment around the ultimate definition of success. If you can’t see the North Star, it's hard to keep rowing together through every storm. ☝ These 3 things are pretty basic, but they are not a given, and they can’t be taken for granted. #feelinggrateful

Communication requires understanding of your audience, here are some good tips!

I'm still buzzing from the incredible Empowered CMO Retreat I attended last week in Charleston, South Carolina! It was everything I could have hoped for and more. Being surrounded by 100+ accomplished, inspiring, and energetic women CMOs was truly electrifying. I felt a sense of camaraderie and support that I've never experienced before. We bonded over dinners, blue crab catchin, and of course, dancing. And I sensed that the connections we made over those 2.5 days would be forever lasting. I was also inspired by the various sessions. From compensation negotiation to boardroom service to conscious leadership to mentoring to renewing our faith in the universe to AI's impact on marketing to CMO and CRO alignment, there was something for everyone. I left the retreat feeling energized, inspired, and empowered. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of such a special event. Here are a few of the takeaways: 💫 The importance of community: It's so important to have a community of supportive women who are cheering you on and pushing you to be your best. I'm so grateful for the community that I found at the Empowered CMO Retreat. 💪 The power of mentorship: Mentorship is essential for professional growth and development. I was fortunate enough to meet some incredible women at the retreat who are willing to mentor me and help me achieve my goals. 💡 The future of marketing is bright: AI is going to play a major role in marketing in the future, and I'm excited to see how it will help us to create better experiences for our customers. 💥 The importance of alignment between the CMO and CRO: To achieve success, it is essential for the CMO and CRO to be aligned on their goals and strategies. This means working together to create a unified customer experience and ensuring that all their marketing and sales efforts are working towards the same objectives. I highly recommend the Empowered CMO Retreat to any woman who is looking to be inspired, empowered, and connected with other amazing women leaders. #empoweredcmo #6sense #CMOretreat #womeninleadership #marketing #revops #cro

Amidst the intense R&D for our Parad'Ice Ice cream, I learned the importance of establishing core values early. Coached by the unequalled Alice Lopin, I initially struggled to prioritize values amid pressing demands. However, recognizing their importance for scalability, I listened to Alice and embraced collaboration and empowerment as two initial key values. 🤝 A way down the line, our successful R&D journey led to unique intellectual property, then we solidified branding. As our team expanded remotely, however, we faced challenges in clarity of responsibilities. Returning to our values, our digital leaders proactively addressed this, delineating clear ownership zones. This empowered the digital team and relieved the marketing group, fostering positive energy and clarity throughout the company. The importance of aligning actions with values early was a big learning for me. The result was a more collaborative culture a bit like a silent operating system. Without this early groundwork, our journey might not have been as positive. Grateful to Alice Lopin for insisting on the importance of values early on; I wanted to pay it forward and share, in case it can serve as a check and balance to the thought "but I don't have time for this now!!" Which most of us probably share! Protelicious Corp #ValuesInAction #Empowerment #Collaboration #OrganizationalCulture

Did you ever pause to consider the trove of untapped narratives sitting right across your office (or in your Slack channels for the sake of this metaphor)? Your team isn't just powering your operations; they carry the pulse of industry insights and customer success stories (and if they don't - why is that?). - Invite them to narrate their day-to-day victories.  - Craft a framework that supports their storytelling.  - Celebrate those who step up and echo your brand's voice. This isn't just about content creation; it's an investment in building thought leaders within your ranks – a move that can multiply trust in your brand. Yes, they're busy, and it's challenging to get them on board..but from my experience, once they realize the personal incentive they have here, they'll be more open to it. Yes, this might get them headhunted, but do you really want to hold back the winners in your team, if it's time for their next chapter? probably not (and it'll probably happen with or without your back). So I think this is a win-win, and I say - give it a try ;) #Thoughtleadership #Employeeadvocacy #Brandbuilding

🥳 It’s Day 1! Please join me in celebrating the launch of my company, Effervescent You!  🥳 Its mission is to ignite a more joyful world by helping people rediscover their effervescence in three flavors: 1️⃣ SPEAKING - on joy/happiness, workplace culture, habits & productivity  2️⃣ COACHING - helping high achievers bridge the gap between insight and action 3️⃣ CONSULTING - untangling organizational knots in areas like leadership skills & systems 🫧 WHY EFFERVESCENT? 🫧 Well, it’s defined as: vivacious and enthusiastic; full of life.  I’ve been SO lucky to have an incredible career in organizational and leadership development. And while facilitating 600+ learning experiences for 6,000+ people, leading global learning and development programs, and building the employee experience was amazing… ...the things I did on the side or in small parts in my jobs REALLY made me feel alive. Full of life. 🤩 Effervescent, you could say 🤩 What were those things? 🎯 Coaching, speaking, consulting, and writing. 🎯 Research tells us that we regret what we didn't do the most. And, because life is precious, I decided to take the leap and do the very things that set my soul on fire—to take what I was doing on the side and make that the main meal. 😋 SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU? Below and over the coming days, I’ll share more about the people I help. Perhaps it’s a loved one, someone in your community, or even you. 💛 Would you be so kind as to spread the word, in 1 of 3 ways? 💛 1️⃣ Share the website in comments with someone you think would resonate 2️⃣ Refer me to a person or org that might benefit  3️⃣ Share this post with your network The power of community in online spaces like this one is one of modern society’s greatest treasures. And if we spend so much of our lives working, shouldn't we find joy, purpose, and meaning in what we do? I sure think so, and I'd love for you to join me in creating a world where that's possible. #launchday #EffervescentYou #newchapter

Amidst the intense R&D for our Parad'Ice Ice cream, I learned the importance of establishing core values early. Coached by the unequalled Alice Lopin, I initially struggled to prioritize values amid pressing demands. However, recognizing their importance for scalability, I listened to Alice and embraced collaboration and empowerment as two initial key values. 🤝 A way down the line, our successful R&D journey led to unique intellectual property, then we solidified branding. As our team expanded remotely, however, we faced challenges in clarity of responsibilities. Returning to our values, our digital leaders proactively addressed this, delineating clear ownership zones. This empowered the digital team and relieved the marketing group, fostering positive energy and clarity throughout the company. The importance of aligning actions with values early was a big learning for me. The result was a more collaborative culture a bit like a silent operating system. Without this early groundwork, our journey might not have been as positive. Grateful to Alice Lopin for insisting on the importance of values early on; I wanted to pay it forward and share, in case it can serve as a check and balance to the thought "but I don't have time for this now!!" Which most of us probably share! #ValuesInAction #Empowerment #Collaboration #OrganizationalCulture

Trying to get promoted? Then OWN that you do, in fact, WANT to be promoted. You want to be promoted so you can: 🔥 Get the title and compensation you deserve. 🔥 Be paid for your ideas and not just the hours you put in at work. 🔥 Be part of the conversation so you can have a much bigger impact at your organization. 🔥 And bring more empathy, compassion, joy and diversity to the leadership table. Your organization needs YOU at the leadership table. And the first step to getting there is to really, deeply, down-in-your bones OWN that you want to be there, too. I am on a mission to celebrate 108 women who go after their goals and receive a promotion this summer. Which means if YOU get promoted – I’m going to celebrate right along with you. So please join me in celebrating: Kaila DeBesse Strickland for her magical 🪄 promotion to: ✨ Senior Director, Western Region ✨ at 818 Spirits! Abigail Scurfield for her magical 🪄 promotion to: ✨ Senior Specialist, Lifecycle Marketing ✨ at GNC! Estefany Morataya for her magical 🪄 promotion to: ✨ Senior Assistant Director ✨ at University of Southern California! Lexie Rindler for her magical 🪄 promotion to: ✨ Director of HR & Operations ✨ at Eskenazi & Company! Last summer ☀️ I set the intention of getting 10 women inside my community promoted in 6 weeks without working harder or spending more time at the office. We didn’t get 10 women promoted, we got 13 – and many of them were literally on vacation when they got the news. In 2023 I am expanding the Summer of Magic to EVERY corporate badass woman. If you or someone you know gets promoted this summer, use the hashtag #SummerOfMagic2023 so we can celebrate together. 🔮 Magic is all around you at work, you just have to open yourself up to receive it. ☄️ #WomensLeadership #WomenInLeadershipRoles #CareerCoachingForWomen

Just had one of those 'sit up and take notes' moments this week. Thanks to London Business School for pulling off a chat that still has me thinking. Robbert de Vreede from Unilever and Jon Ratcliffe, the brains behind Engage Video Group, sat down, and man, was it enlightening! The conversation spanned from the intricacies of purpose-driven marketing in a world where consumers demand authenticity, to the essence of leadership rooted in self-awareness and fostering open communication. Unilever's commitment to reforming the food system and prioritizing sustainability, even at the potential cost of short-term profits, was particularly illuminating. Robert's insights on the delicate dance between professional aspirations and personal well-being, coupled with his advice on embracing career opportunities with both excitement and caution, resonated deeply. Equally noteworthy was the emphasis on the human element in business. The discourse on work-life balance, the significance of kindness, respect, and humility in our professional journeys, and the call for businesses to be genuine torchbearers of positive change were truly inspiring. A heartfelt thank you to the London Business School team for orchestrating such an enlightening event. It's sessions like these that reiterate the transformative power of shared knowledge and collective growth. Eagerly await the next! #LondonBusinessSchool #Unilever #Leadership #Marketing #Sustainability #FiresideChat

Last week, I was reminded that my reality is far from the norm.   At our board meeting we talked about corporate strategy, performance, areas where we’re investing — it was a good meeting but one of the major items of highlight wasn’t on our results but rather around our Hootsuite leadership team.    I started my career in finance where I came to expect that I would most likely always be the only woman in a sea of men. I didn’t know anything else, it was my norm, which made me feel grateful to get a seat in the room.   Last week reminded me of my new norm, one I am now accustomed to — a leadership team with 75% of us identifying as women. As a leader, I have the privilege of being able to pick my team: focused around leadership, grit, flexibility and most importantly team work. Prioritizing those attributes has created a more results oriented and powerful team   In my boardroom last week, I heard:   “It’s refreshing and awesome to leave a board meeting with mostly women voices leading the charge”   “It’s interesting to hear the teams compassion and empathy to work together, hear each other out and deliver as a team”   “This team doesn’t look like what most tech company leadership teams look like, it’s exciting and the former is pretty sad”   As leaders, we are always pushing for more and achieving the next milestone, specifically for DEI, we have a lot more to do and it’s a journey with no end, just continual improvement. But last week, I was able to take a moment and take pride that Hootsuite is building progress towards the new face of tech leadership!   Thank you Tara Ataya for your help in painting this new picture and our Nest for representing what we believe in daily. *Post has been edited: I shared a post about our executive leadership team which is comprised of 75% women. I called this diverse and since removed that language based on community feedback. Although we have significant representation from women on our ELT - and that is something we can be proud of as women who still represent only 10 % of executives in the tech space - we recognize that as a company there is even more we can do. Thank you for your feedback.