Sarah README

My view on demand generation

There’s a reason we’re not a lead gen team. We’re not creating leads; we’re creating demand. When I talk about demand here, I’m talking about the economic principle which refers to a person’s desire to purchase and willingness to pay, ideally, a premium. Demand is created with positioning, imagery, contexts, language. It’s all about the vibe, y’know? When I think of demand gen, our job is to amplify a compelling brand and high-value product by orchestrating placement, positioning, and timing. If everything is in alignment, people will naturally raise their hands to be part of what we’re doing.

Preferred learning styles

I learn best through repetitive observation. Fun fact: I tie my shoes upside down. I learned to mimic the movements of the folks who tied my shoes for me as a little kid. But, given my vantage point, I learned to repeat them but… backwards. As a learn by observing and doing now, I’m quick to ask clarifying questions and practice reflective listening so I make sure I’m interpreting what I’m seeing and hearing accurately.

Communication style

I default to open, direct conversation. It’s guaranteed I have a point of view in most situations and I will often share freely. I am conscious of creating space for others to weigh in first as I can easily be the person who is quick to volunteer an answer or opinion. I can be a bit of a Hermione Granger, if you know what I mean.

How I manage my calendar

A nonlinear workday works best for me. I keep my calendar open for meetings between 11a and 5:30P EST Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and I block my calendar from recurring/pre-scheduled meetings on Wednesdays and Fridays. Beyond dedicated meeting time, I allow my work to flow based on my energy levels, what I feel inspired to do, and (of course) deadlines. If you see me online early or late, please don’t interpret that to mean you should be online or repsonsive as well.

Preferred way to collaborate

A well-written RFC is a delight to read, review, and comment in. I also love what I call a “jam sesh”—an informal small-group conversation to work through something.

How I approach problems

I am painfully curious. I look for clarity and will go deep in researching a subject to validate my intuition and form a solid perspective. Emotional cues are just as important as facts to me. I want to understand how someone shared something, not just what they shared, y’know? Context is key.

Preferred way to be recognized/appreciated

I love surprises.

Thoughts/feelings/preferences when it comes to asking for help

If you’re asking me for help, I’m best able to serve when I understand the context of the situation (all the details) and what exactly you’re looking for my perspective on. When asking for help myself, I often structure my comms with a TL;DR to start and then a breakdown of the what (the situation with details), what I think we should do, the potential impacts I’ve identified, and other considered-but-not-recommended options.

What I find enjoyable at work

My best days are the ones where I’ve learned something new, solved a really tricky problem, or felt real, human connection.

What kind of work do I find easiest to do when

I like to bucket my time by day-of-week rather than time-of-day because I find calls to be really disruptive to my personal flow. I’m one of those people who, if I have an appointment at 1pm, it’s almost impossible for me to do anything productive in the hours beforehand (turns out I’m not alone). Calls do the same thing for me during the workday. I prefer to get all of my calls out of the way first thing in the morning or lump them into a single day. I try to keep Mondays and Fridays free of meetings for this reason.

How do I feel about getting messages after/outside of hours that are meant for me to see and respond to during active hours

Maintaining boundaries around Slack and email is pretty easy for me. Send away and know I’ll respond when I’m back online.

How folks can best show up for me when I seem off

Acknowledge it. “You seem a little off. Is anything going on?” I love a moment to cultivate more awareness of how I’m showing up in the world.

Things I am aware of that trigger anxious feelings/feelings of less than at work

Lack of clarity is a quick way to send me into a spiral. I can handle just about anything if I have access to the right information and clarity around the why/what it’s for.

Marketing areas of knowledge

Conversion optimization best practices, experimentation, creative analytics, globalization, process design, and delight.

Marketing areas of interest to learn

I’m interested in learning how to code (starting with this section of the handbook).

Current personal project

Growing a fall garden 🌱

Something I fear

Heights.

A quote I like

Rest until you feel like playing, then play until you feel like resting, period. Never do anything else.

– Martha Beck

How I eat fries

One at a time with an embarrassing amount of ketchup.

My sun, moon, and rising signs

Sun in Gemini, Moon in Libra, and Scorpio rising.