36 min
Board Seat Battle: The CMO’s Dream vs. Reality Revenue Rehab
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- Marketing
This week our host Brandi Starr is joined by Eileen Campbell, Founder of Womintuition.
Meet Eileen Campbell, a force to be reckoned with in the world of marketing and insights. From launching US operations for a global Insights agency, to serving as CEO of a $1B consulting firm and serving as CMO for one of the world's most iconic entertainment brands, she's done it all.
Oh, and let's not forget about the start-up she co-founded, which reached $30MM revenue in just four years. Today, she leads Womintuition, a growth advisory service and serves on a number of boards.
In this episode of Revenue Rehab, Brandi and Eileen will tackle addressing the gap between CMOs' aspirations for board positions and the challenging reality of securing these roles, while exploring actionable strategies to improve their chances.
Bullet Points of Key Topics + Chapter Markers: Topic #1 CMOs and Board Service [06:34] Eileen encourages CMOs who are pursuing serving on a Board to consider their current professional impression and the old stereotype of the CMO as the ‘corporate artiste’; “if I'm the CMO of a company am I being invited in to present to my own company's board? And am I privy to the concerns in that boardroom?” Because, she says, “if that's not happening in your own company, it's highly unlikely that you are presenting the skills that will be valued in someone else's company.”
Topic #2 Serving on Boards: Dream vs. Reality [12:42] Serving on a board requires significant preparation, Eileen explains. Understanding of financials as well as a willingness to fulfill legal obligations of serving on a board, all add up to serious commitment rather than an easy path to wealth or prestige. She continues, “there's a lot of legal liability associated with board work. So, you need to be aware of that, because that's certainly a risk. [There’s] also reputational risk. If you sit on the board of a company that has some sort of serious public relations problem, by default you will take some of that heat.”
Topic #3 Board Service: Self Evaluation [26:24] Eileen presents several factors to consider when it comes to motivation to joining a board, whether it's the pursuit of prestige and leadership recognition, seeking an income stream, or the inclination to give back and impart knowledge. She encourages CMOs to ponder; “I think just really understanding your own ‘why’, which I think is important in sort of everything in life, right? Why do I want to do this? Why does this matter to me? And that helps guide your choices.”
So, What's the One Thing You Can Do Today? Eileen’s ‘One Thing’ is: “I would seriously consider whether there's an opportunity for you to get P&L responsibility,” she says, “if you really, really, really want to serve on a board, it will be easier if you've had P&L experience, it's not an absolute, but it will be easier.” She continues, “and, if you don't feel like you have the skill set for P&L responsibility, you might want to question whether you have the skill set for board service.”
Buzzword Banishment: Eileen’s Buzzword to Banish is not one but two phrases ‘it is what it is’ and ‘low hanging fruit’. The first Eileen wants to banish because, she says, “I think it is the most passive aggressive thing on the face of the earth.” The second, she quips, is “mostly because I think it sounds dirty.”
Links: Get in touch with Eileen Campbell:
LinkedIn Womintuition Subscribe, listen, and rate/review Revenue Rehab Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or iHeart Radio and find more episodes on our website RevenueRehab.live
This week our host Brandi Starr is joined by Eileen Campbell, Founder of Womintuition.
Meet Eileen Campbell, a force to be reckoned with in the world of marketing and insights. From launching US operations for a global Insights agency, to serving as CEO of a $1B consulting firm and serving as CMO for one of the world's most iconic entertainment brands, she's done it all.
Oh, and let's not forget about the start-up she co-founded, which reached $30MM revenue in just four years. Today, she leads Womintuition, a growth advisory service and serves on a number of boards.
In this episode of Revenue Rehab, Brandi and Eileen will tackle addressing the gap between CMOs' aspirations for board positions and the challenging reality of securing these roles, while exploring actionable strategies to improve their chances.
Bullet Points of Key Topics + Chapter Markers: Topic #1 CMOs and Board Service [06:34] Eileen encourages CMOs who are pursuing serving on a Board to consider their current professional impression and the old stereotype of the CMO as the ‘corporate artiste’; “if I'm the CMO of a company am I being invited in to present to my own company's board? And am I privy to the concerns in that boardroom?” Because, she says, “if that's not happening in your own company, it's highly unlikely that you are presenting the skills that will be valued in someone else's company.”
Topic #2 Serving on Boards: Dream vs. Reality [12:42] Serving on a board requires significant preparation, Eileen explains. Understanding of financials as well as a willingness to fulfill legal obligations of serving on a board, all add up to serious commitment rather than an easy path to wealth or prestige. She continues, “there's a lot of legal liability associated with board work. So, you need to be aware of that, because that's certainly a risk. [There’s] also reputational risk. If you sit on the board of a company that has some sort of serious public relations problem, by default you will take some of that heat.”
Topic #3 Board Service: Self Evaluation [26:24] Eileen presents several factors to consider when it comes to motivation to joining a board, whether it's the pursuit of prestige and leadership recognition, seeking an income stream, or the inclination to give back and impart knowledge. She encourages CMOs to ponder; “I think just really understanding your own ‘why’, which I think is important in sort of everything in life, right? Why do I want to do this? Why does this matter to me? And that helps guide your choices.”
So, What's the One Thing You Can Do Today? Eileen’s ‘One Thing’ is: “I would seriously consider whether there's an opportunity for you to get P&L responsibility,” she says, “if you really, really, really want to serve on a board, it will be easier if you've had P&L experience, it's not an absolute, but it will be easier.” She continues, “and, if you don't feel like you have the skill set for P&L responsibility, you might want to question whether you have the skill set for board service.”
Buzzword Banishment: Eileen’s Buzzword to Banish is not one but two phrases ‘it is what it is’ and ‘low hanging fruit’. The first Eileen wants to banish because, she says, “I think it is the most passive aggressive thing on the face of the earth.” The second, she quips, is “mostly because I think it sounds dirty.”
Links: Get in touch with Eileen Campbell:
LinkedIn Womintuition Subscribe, listen, and rate/review Revenue Rehab Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or iHeart Radio and find more episodes on our website RevenueRehab.live
36 min