Episode #1: How to be a Strategic CMO with Michelle Burrows
Whether you’re already a CMO or aspire to be, you’ll get plenty of strategic insights from my podcast guest, Michelle Burrows, CMO at Procare Solutions.
In this episode, Michelle shares her insights for revitalizing a much loved 30-year-old brand, building high-performance teams, and being a continual learner.
Three ways to listen!
Top 5 takeaways
- Interview stakeholders when shifting your brand’s messaging: “We revitalized the 30-year-old Procare brand in a very intentional fashion by calling our customers and asking for their reactions to certain words and phrases. We also interviewed partners, thought leaders, and our employees. We got a lot of really great data and leveraged that in the evolution of our brand.”
- Have the right team in place: “When I shifted from a VP of Marketing to a CMO, I called up other CMOs and asked for their top tips. They all said, ‘Before you can do remarkable things, you need a remarkable team.’ So when I’m new to an organization, I spend a lot of time understanding if I have the right people and if they’re in the right seats on the bus.”
- Don’t make hasty hiring decisions: “I’ve learned to wait for the right person to show up when it comes to hiring. As desperate as I’ve been to fill a role, whenever I’ve gone against my gut and hired someone who was okay, but not great, I’ve regretted it. So I wait it out to get the right person.”
- Hire higher: “It’s my personal belief that you hire higher-level positions before more tactical ones. I’d rather hire a director than two specialists that are diamonds in the rough, because I’ll spend more time coaching which takes me away from strategic responsibilities.”
- Be a continual learner: I’m always looking to connect with other CMOs or folks in senior positions who are doing something different or interesting. My advice is don’t be afraid to reach out; I’ve never had anyone say no.”