Commsor 🦕

General Manager for Matcha - where individuals and groups invest in building connections and growing their professional network.

General Manager - Matcha

Wednesday Women

Building visibility for extraordinary executive women leaders - on LinkedIn, keynotes, podcasts, and panels.

Founder

2 Pizza Marketing

Host of the *new* podcast for small-team marketers: 2 Pizza Marketing. Find the show at:  https://anchor.fm/2pizzamarketing

Host

Gated

Gated is a startup built to help busy professionals focus on what matters most in this noisy digital world. See what we built at www.gated.com.

Founder & CMO

Google

Expert in Digital Strategy, Mobile, & Travel
Advocate for Remote Work and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Global Education Program Manager, Mobile

Mobile Strategy Lead, Travel

Crafting strategic recommendations that reflect the changing travel consumer and global market, for the long-term growth and success of Google's largest partners in the travel industry.

Industry Development Manager, Travel, Global Top Accounts

I manage marketing and research for Google's Travel team - working to inform the strategy of our largest partners in the travel industry.

Sales Development Manager, Travel

Account Planner, Travel

· Drove coordination of internal and external messaging for Google's Travel Industry Team, including production of public relations and direct marketing materials and identification of opportunity for thought-leadership.
   
· Centralized national industry brand message through speaker preparation programs and the development of Google Travel's Executive Storyline.
   
· Directed evaluation and re-prioritization of corporate participation in national industry association and partner events, including project management for TravelThink ­- Google's annual event providing insight and dialogue around key issues in the travel industry.
   
· Managed development and production of Snapshots ­ a multi-faceted program designed to convey Google's data-driven insights to partners.
   
· Supported industry research efforts by producing online content, hard-copy materials, and webinar presentations for studies including `Travel Shopping in Today's Economy' and `The Brand Value of Search for Travel'.
   
· Streamlined internal information flow globally for Google Travel and nationally for Google's NW Regional Office, across Director-level and day-to-day activity in the areas of Operations, Marketing, and Sales.

Industry Associate, Marketing Project Manager - National Travel Industry Development Team

Independent

Freelance Editor

Landmark School

· Taught individualized tutorials and classes in the Early Literacy, Oral Expression, and Communications Departments concurrently with supervising students as assistant houseparent, coaching sports, and fostering outreach as instructor of the Landmark School Student Advocates.
   
· Earned certification from the Massachusetts Department of Education as a Licensed Teacher of Students with Special Needs ­ Moderate Disabilities, 5-12.

High School Teacher, Recruiter, Residential Supervisor, Coach, Mentor

⚡The next evolution of Gated is here! ⚡

I'm a full-stack marketing executive and entrepreneur with a passion for user-first products and a talent for creating clarity from chaos. I believe deeply in finding your focus and going big. And I believe a go-to-network strategy built on human relationships is the best way to do that. 

- Currently, I am General Manager for Matcha - a platform for professionals, communities, and teams who want to invest in growing their network in a focused way. It’s part of Commsor, and the House of Authentic Connections. 
-Previously, I ran SaaS startup Gated as CMO & Founder, building a foundation on brand narrative and executing rapidly on multi-channel GTM strategy. 
- I've always been a passionate advocate for fast, frictionless user experiences on the web. Over 14 years at Google, I worked with Fortune 500 Travel companies to build effective cross-channel marketing strategy and create amazing user experiences.  
- I'm a major advocate of remote work and the benefits it brings for mental health, families, and the earth. 
- I am addicted to product ideation and helping entrepreneurs find product-market fit. 

When I'm not working, you'll find me busy working on my most important, fun, and ongoing project - my family. I am an avid fan of the outdoors, reading, and travel.  Bonus conversation starters:  Taskmaster, The Killers, Modern Stoicism, Mitch Hedberg.

So many talented folks are looking for new roles.  

Wednesday Women is proud to use our platform to highlight some executive women looking for their next adventure.  

💬 Comment below if you're between roles. 
😍 Please describe your dream role. 
🗣 Tell us a bit about yourself (this is not for any qualification for us, but there will be hiring managers looking at this post, so take advantage of the airtime 😁 ). 

⚡ Tag folks in your network who are looking, and let's help amplify them.  

We will be randomly picking six women to highlight over the next few weeks on our page. 

Want to know more? Please follow Wednesday Women, where we celebrate executive women leaders you should know, learn from, and be inspired by.

Our three goals are to grow the number of outstanding women...

💜 speaking on stages
💜 appearing on your LinkedIn feed
💜 and sharing their authentic journeys.

#opentowork #executivewomen #womeninleadership #wednesdaywomen

Melissa Moody 🦕

We're not the top. We're just a handful. 
B2B SaaS is *chock-full* of dynamic, talented, brilliant female wavemakers. 

They're killing it in sales, marketing, partnerships, community, operations, customer success, human resources...

And I'm deeply honored to be on this list alongside them. 

LinkedIn capped my limit so I can't tag everyone I want, but here's a toast to a few - from colleagues to cofounders to Wednesday Women - who regularly inspire me to be better in my life and career trajectory. Thank you.  

🌟 Brianna Doe
🌟Samantha McKenna
🌟Randi-Sue Deckard 🔬
🌟Tenisha Griggs
🌟Alina Vandenberghe
🌟Alexis Rivera Scott
🌟Corrina Owens
🌟✊Heidi Solomon-Orlick
🌟💥Janice B Gordon
🌟Jane Serra
🌟Kathleen Booth
🌟Katrine Reddin 🦕
🌟Leslie Greenwood

#womeninb2b #womenleaders

When was the last time you had an encounter with someone and gave them your full presence and attention? 

What impact would it have if you did? 

Ichi-go Ichi-e (いちごいちえ) is a Japanese proverb, rooted in Buddhist philosophy, that reminds us that each encounter is a once-in-a lifetime moment, never to be repeated. 

Literally translated as “one time, one meeting” - it is said as a reminder (often in conjunction with a tea ceremony) that every moment spent in an encounter should be highly treasured, because that particular moment will never occur again.

I am so deeply proud to be working on a platform that shares that thinking, reaffirms the value of human connection, and makes space in our busy world for intentional serendipity. 
#serendipiTEA

My team has been building incredible features for Matcha.so 🍵 while I’ve been away on vacation and if you want to hear more about how Matcha works for: 
- creating deeper connection in communities 
- building stronger teams
- growing your professional self through valuable networking (coming soon)

… send me a message. We’ll find a moment and have a once-in-a-lifetime chat when I return. 


[Bonus travel selfie after a snowy (!) hike up Mt Misen on Miyajima yesterday - wonderful place to visit 🥰🇯🇵]

Are you a professional who believes in the value of networking and 1:1 connection --- and also *doesn't really care* about Follower Count here on LinkedIn?  

I'd love to talk with you! 🙏 

I'm looking for 👆 who would be willing to: 
-  spend 20 minutes on a call with me 
-  answer some questions (no prep needed)
-  give light product feedback

Bonus points if you tag a friend who fits the description as well... 😉 



#productfeedback #validatelikeaboss #connection

Last Sunday wrapped up our third season of 2 Pizza Marketing and I want to thank the memorable guests that I had the good fortune to share the air with... 🎙  

Katrine Reddin 🦕 - bringing the heat (watch for Hot Intros!) to events and partnerships
Elizabeth H. - putting brand and story back at the heart of revenue growth
Ryan Narod - delivering memorable campaigns that break the B2B mold
Jesse Friedman - using marketing to shape how customers understand your industry
🔐 Teddy Cheek - unleashing the power in hyperlocal marketing
Stephen Karaolis - making the most of the modern PR approach 
Jon Itkin - unlocking customer understanding with the right language
Alex Schulte - reminding us to find mission and meaning in our work
Adam Shaw 🍷- showing the meaning of speed in marketing 
connor mylan kunz - making it through a pivot with grace and direction
Mark Huber - sharing all of the secrets to the first days in a new marketing leadership role
Drew Brucker - laying his A.I. secrets on the table, for all to learn from
Corrina Owens and Jane Serra - paving the way for strong voices of women in B2B (podcasting as well!)

A huge thanks as well to my dynamic cohost Ashley McGovern and her wonderful guests who shared their marvelous mess with our audience.

Our show's "why" is to make every small-team marketer feel like they have others out there living the same challenges and adventure.  

Get ready for Season 4 in just a few weeks...  🍕🍕 

I've been working remotely for 11+ years and I'm a HUGE advocate for it. 
That's why, when I was invited to speak on the Remotely Cultured podcast hosted Jeanna Barrett (and supported by First Page Strategy)... I accepted immediately. 

Sure enough: the podcast was recorded between Roatan, Honduras 🇭🇳 and Anchorage, Alaska! 🏔 hashtag
#global 

But we talked about SO much more than my experience with and perspective on remote culture at fast-growing tech companies. We ended up exploring: 

🤝 Creating connections for professional growth
📣 Building a network and engaging on LinkedIn
⚖️ The power of testing and iterating quickly

It was so fun to discover a new show (woman-led, too!) that features SaaS founders, marketing leaders, and product owners who lead distributed teams.

#growthmarketing 
#remotelycultured 
#remotelyculturedpodcast 
#podcast

You know where to look for the episode link if this sounds like a good addition to your playlist👇 

..
.
.
https://lnkd.in/gUxkYSZ2

Are you a marketer going it alone - or with a small team? 
I've been there. Still am. And the one thing that keeps me sane...

is meeting with others in the same situation.  #yougetme

It's how Linda Schwaber-Cohen and I first decided to start a Slack group... 
It's why Ashley McGovern and I host the 2 Pizza Marketing podcast...
 It's why I'm SO excited to announce... 

The 💥 new program💥 where small-team marketers (of all types) get monthly  1:1 connections - to share, be inspired, get unstuck, brainstorm, laugh, riff, and vent.

It's free for small-team marketers.
It's silly easy to join and seamless to schedule, get a match, and connect with Matcha's built-in UI. 

Sign up before April 30th to take part in the first round of matches! 👇 
https://lnkd.in/gwNyC8Vy

Is the year and your business moving CRAZY fast? 🏎 ⚡ 

I've been hearing this in multiple meetings all week, from multiple fronts and across different industries.  Marketers, especially, seem hit the hardest.  

Here's my collected wisdom from friends this week to help a) survive and b) thrive in this faster-than-ever-it-seems business world: 

1. Trade out quantity for quality.  When the world feels like more, more, more, you have to be intentional and CHOOSE to spend time on one thing. To skip posting on LinkedIn to have a meeting with someone valuable instead.  To look at your long list of to-do items and stick to the thing that should be priority.  
THOUGHT STARTER: How can you go deep, instead of wide, tomorrow? 

2. Don't abandon proven habits for trying crazy things.  Building businesses has been done well many times - learn from those and double down on the practices you know are fundamentally sound instead of running around trying to catch a plastic bag in the wind (i.e. the latest trend).  
THOUGHT STARTER: Who is one person you could call that you trust to give you candid, straightforward opinion on what you're working on.  Call them today. 

3. Be grateful.  Just like stopping to smell the roses, a moment to reflect on what you have accomplished can work WONDERS to release the stress of what's yet to be done.  This goes double if you're the manager of a team - share your gratitude with your team, even for little things, to slow down the rush forward ever so slightly. 
THOUGHT STARTER:  Look around your team and peers and congratulate someone on something they've DONE this week or this month.  

What would you add to my list?  I need to slow down, every day, so I'm always looking for more good advice!  


Big hugs and thanks to amazing folks like Jenn Steele Jelena Djordjevic Sophie Buonassisi 💌Andy Mowat James Furbush Brianna Doe Allen Hartwig 🥜 Gabriel Bell Ashley McGovern Kim Hackmann 🦕 Leslie Greenwood Corrina Owens for being cool this week (perusual) 

#focus #leadership

We all have goals. We all have things we know merit our focus.  
What I want to know is... 

How do you keep yourself accountable to those goals?  How do you not let them slip or slide, under the variety of other things that demand your time? 

Me? Here are my best strategies. 

1. I ask trusted people to hold me accountable for each thing I know is truly important. In some things, like career evolution, I check in with those people quarterly.  In other things, like a current project, I might be reporting my progress to those people weekly.  In either case - it's not a heavy lift for them. It's simply a role of accountability. 

2. I block calendar time.  Sometimes it's a chunk of time to knock out a critical task. Sometimes it's just a placeholder to remind me to think about where I'm at and set new goals.  But my calendar, especially recently, seems to be the final authority in my time so... if it's not on calendar, it will likely slip. 

3. I structure my incoming content around those areas.  There are so many great podcasts and newsletters out there, but I realized: we need different ones at different times. Example: I love Gen A.I. but in my current role, I need to be listening to different (PLG, early-stage growth) shows on Spotify on my walks. Example 2: Instead of listening to more "do more" content, right now I often elect to turn on shows that reinforce finding balance, slowing down to go fast.  

How about you?  What tips and tricks (or struggles) do you have when it comes to staying focused on what really matters? 

#weekendthoughts #introspection #backinalaska

Have you heard of 'Go-to-Network'?  
I know terms come and go - in B2B SaaS, especially.  
But this one has weight behind it. 

Because it gives direction about HOW you go to market.  
It means that starting with relationships and building the circles of connection becomes a part of all you do in your marketing, sales, and customer-facing efforts. 

- You build advisor relationships
- You build a social presence and thought leadership to springboard more conversations
- You invest in community and events that bring people together (with you and each other)

I talked about this tactical nature of 'go-to-network' recently on the Markigy: The Science of Marketing Strategy Podcast with Leanne Dow-Weimer
and you can catch the whole thing on 🎬 ▶ 
https://lnkd.in/gtpJcX6d

How to build community, without building A community? (part 3 of 6)

Be yourself (even if that's weird).

Because people don't make friends with companies.
They make friends with people.
And they enjoy brands who let their people shine through - in brand voice or more.

This one's real simple.
Be real.
Authenticity matters so make it part of your content and tone - and you can’t fake it.

Especially in today's world that revolves around social selling and presence.
(Hint... this is where social and content leaders like Amber Rhodes 🖤 Meryoli Arias set the bar)

My team at Commsor 🦕 set the tone for real talk with our re-launch of the brand in January - asking each of our supporters to share the campaign messaging in their own words. Simple posts, poetry, homemade videos... we saw all types. But what mattered was: it was real.

If you want to follow along with the other ideas that come out of my team's dino brains... There's a newsletter for that.

Subscribe to 'The Good, the Bad, and the Weird' here --> https://lnkd.in/gvjBv-PF

#community #marketing #authenticitymatters

"Don't be so emotional." 

Dramatic statement, I know.  Emotions are wonderful - they are cues to how we're perceiving the world, they bring us together as humans, and they make life the joyous roller coaster it is.  

And so often, this phrase is used negatively: shutting people down for feeling something that is fundamentally human. 

But #plottwist ... I agree.  

Storytime: I was going through a challenging few days this past week and could have let my emotions swamp me - self-doubt, frustration (I've gotten better at this over the years), anxiety.  In fact, those emotions were present. I felt them. They crept up.  They were seeping in.  

But I *knew* they would not make the situation (especially in a business case) any better.  

So I told myself "don't get emotional." 

Now, those words alone can be patronizing, condescending, unfeeling. 

So here's how it really looked: 
- I tried to observe and name the emotions that I felt. 
- I gave them time to subside, vs. taking any action right away. 
- I remembered that those emotions were INSIDE ME, my perception of events - not being served up on purpose from others.  
- I made time away from the work to release the emotions: exercise = the BEST for this.
- I only took action after I felt I was taking steps driven by thought, not by feeling. 

And guess what: It turned out awesome. 

I'm no hero. 
I am a lot like a Roman emperor and a former slave though.  #romanempire
We all are. 

"Another person will not hurt you without your cooperation. You are hurt the moment you believe yourself to be." — Epictetus



Sorry this got so deep on a Friday.  #friyay

Wednesday Women is all about celebrating and sharing the authentic journeys of executive women leaders you should know, learn from, and be inspired by. 💜

That’s why we’re so excited about the upcoming virtual event “Breaking the Double Glass Ceiling: Race, Gender, and Corporate Boards,” hosted by The Fourth Effect on March 27th.

In this dynamic panel discussion, moderated by Lanchi Venator, Mary Smith, Shelly Lombard, and Tricia Montalvo Timm will explore the intersection of race and gender in corporate boardrooms and share how they managed to break and shatter the double glass ceiling. 

Want to gain valuable insights and get empowered to increase diversity in your organization and ascend in your career?

RSVP here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dK4TqVC2

… and become one of the ripples in this massive wave that amplifies the voices of incredible women doing big and important things. 🌊

#wednesdaywomen #upliftandinspire #theripple #womenleaders #dei


How to build community, without building A community? (6 of 6)

Provide experience beyond expectation. 

Word of mouth for something memorable, distinctive, thoughtful... can go a long way. 

Just ask Wednesday Women - whose handwritten notes and limited-time scarves garnered thousands of free impressions for the growing initiative. 

Just ask Commsor 🦕 - whose surprise hoodies have made celebrity-level excitement a 

Just ask AudiencePlus - who is pulling together an experience-led event in NYC with their upcoming GoldenHour 

We all know that great marketing has to stand out. But it doesn't have to be BIG... it just has to be something above-and-beyond what is expected. 

What's the best "above and beyond" marketing touch you've seen? 



#community #marketing #authenticitymatters #memorable

My favorite mobile game since Wordle: 
The spammers they keep sending me text messages.
I keep hitting “delete and report junk”.

Rinse, repeat.

How to build community, without building A community? (part 2 of 6)

[This one's especially for those of you building with startup vibes or small-team assets...]

Align your efforts with others who are "looking in the same direction."

- Your advisors and biggest fans... probably you already through of. 
- Have partners yet?  Start by looking at companies that share your mission (at a high level), tone, or even visual design (looking at you Commsor 🦕 and Rattle 🦖 and SkillZilla🦖) A lot of fun amplification can happen at this level.
- Your team. Have you empowered them to share on social? 
- And here's the kicker... your competitors. Sometimes, in a challenging space or where you're creating a category: a rising tide lifts all boats. And working on the same problem can actually have benefits for two different companies.

Bonus: Here is one lesson I've learned in my work on this front over the last years... You're never going to get everyone agreeing/sharing perspective at 100% ... so don't bother aiming for it. Alignment, not perfection. 

#community #marketing
Matcha.so 🍵 2 Pizza Marketing
-  

"Authenticity Wins"
... in conversation
... in building sales relationships
... in corporate branding
... in life
... and yes, in LinkedIn ad strategy.   

Great article from Tara Robertson at Chili Piper that I had to re-share (unprompted).  If you're running ad strategy testing on this hard-to-grok channel, be sure to read her article.  (And get a bonus smile from the one and only Tim Davidson 🍓🥥)

https://lnkd.in/gwrfbx8M

#adstrategy #channeltesting 


chilipiper.com • 6 min read

Authenticity Wins: LinkedIn Thought Leader Ad Strategy | Chili Piper

When it comes to April Fools jokes... I feel like there are three main buckets: 

Legit Pranks. 
Did you hear what Purdue did to their fans? 

Things to make you smile. 
Did you see what Scotch tape released into the market? 

A great excuse to poke at others. 
Did you see the wink/nod from Chili Piper re: remote work?

I had a fun time last night, recording a quick 'Pizza Bite' episode of 2 Pizza Marketing reflecting on brand April Fools jokes I saw yesterday with my cohost Ashley McGovern - catch the full  (7 minute) thing and all of the references from above at the link below 👇 

https://lnkd.in/gwnPQmtt

#aprilfools #brandmarketing

How to Build Community without Building A Community: 1 (of 6)
⭐ Set others up as a hero ⭐ 

Start by changing your mindset and find a way to position your customers and your potential-customers as the hero of the story. 

- It immediately establishes that your marketing and product aren't just about you: a key part of building community, as Derek E. Weeks writes about in Unfair Mindshare: A CMO's guide to community-led marketing in a product-led world.

- It changes the way we create content, for example how a “case study” as we know it transforms into a story worth reading. 

- It ensures your content well is bottomless, with stories about people trying to get things done.  (Your content marketing team will love you.)

I love brainstorming this stuff and know some others who do too... Alex Schulte and Stephen Karaolis come to mind.  So let's riff in the comments! 

#riff #marketingshit #community Wednesday Women

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