OtterHalf

What behaviour are you willing to tolerate at work? I stepped into the world of management at a relatively young age. Becoming Head of Marketing at Foodpanda, a global food delivery platform, at 27 was something I didn't expect. Back then, I was learning on the job and largely relied on what I’d observed about workplace culture in my first four years of experience. I had seen cultures that empowered people to thrive—and others that made showing up to work feel like a chore. As I assumed leadership roles in subsequent companies, I had the opportunity to attend leadership workshops, and what one trainer said stuck with me: "Culture is the worst behaviour that the leadership team is willing to tolerate." At first, I wasn’t sure what the trainer meant. But over time, I began to connect the dots between the behaviours tolerated and the cultures they shaped. I remembered instances where top performers were rewarded despite their less-than-ideal behaviours, and I witnessed the damage they caused to team morale. When I founded OtterHalf, a marketing agency that acts as fractional marketing teams for businesses, I wanted to build a company with a culture that makes people feel safe bringing their authentic selves to work. And we were intentional in doing that by landing on four core values that guide us in everything we do: 🚫 Don’t be an asshole We’ve all encountered difficult people, and we know this is non-negotiable. Whether dealing with clients, colleagues, or members of the community, it’s essential to treat everyone with kindness and empathy. There have been times when people, including myself, were called out for even remotely acting like an asshole—but this is a practice we actively encourage. 🌍 Be a force for good We strive to create positive change through our actions, whether it's working with clients who want to create a better tomorrow, volunteering or supporting non-profits in their marketing. We want to use our influence responsibly to leave things better than we found them. 🏃 Sustained momentum This isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. We believe in maintaining progress and moving forward, showing up consistently with a focus on long-term impact. 💪 Stronger together OtterHalf was born from a difficult layoff experience, but the founding team leaned on one another to turn it into something positive. That’s the spirit we carry forward today: supporting each other through tough times, lifting one another up, and coming back stronger as a team. Today, I am proud of the culture we've built. Despite being a 100% remote company, I see a group of people who consistently show kindness and authenticity, make meaningful contributions, maintain steady progress, and, as a team, grow stronger together. What behaviours have you seen shape workplace culture—for better or worse? P.S. The otters rarely hang out. But when we do, we gotta make sure it's packed with loads of activities. Merry Christmas, everyone! 🎄

What could be more important than executing a marketing campaign? 💡 When I first started my career in marketing, I loved conceptualising and planning campaigns, and I thought my job ended the moment the campaign was executed. Then, I joined L’Oréal, a fast-moving consumer goods company, and my view of that changed completely. My role shifted from marketing executive to data analyst, where I spent 95% of my time analysing numbers and charts for an international skincare brand. From that stint, I witnessed firsthand how upper management used data to make strategic decisions that shaped the direction of the business. That’s when I learned three important lessons: 1️⃣ The analysis work I did mattered—and there was no margin for error. A single mistake in pulling or calculating data could lead to flawed analysis, potentially derailing business decisions. 2️⃣ Tracking is everything. Ensuring that every marketing effort ties back to sales and performance metrics isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s essential. It showed me that marketing isn’t just a support function; it could be a revenue driver. 3️⃣ Data is power. Knowing how to interpret it, and using it to improve the business, could be a game changer. These insights stayed with me as I moved into the fast-paced world of startups. When I joined Foodpanda, a food delivery platform, the company was pre-Series A, and we operated with very limited resources. Execution was important, but with a lean team, we had to experiment a lot and understand the impact of every marketing initiative. Because of that, we had to pick our battles, focus on the efforts that delivered results, and double down on what worked. This approach taught us to focus on strategies that delivered results. To avoid executing blindly, I made it mandatory for my team—and myself—to conduct post-campaign analyses for every initiative, big or small. This practice has served me well over the years. Even today, I continue to apply this practice in my business, OtterHalf, a marketing agency that specialises in serving as fractional marketing teams for businesses and the clients we support. Recently, Edric Poon "The Podsmith", who runs the EP.IC podcast, asked me to share one marketing tip with his audience, which I did in this video post. But more than that, if I had to tell any aspiring marketer out there something, it would be this: "Execution is key—it gets the ball rolling. But it’s the post-execution analysis—knowing what went well, what didn’t, and optimising future campaigns from those learnings—that drives marketing success.“ Fellow marketers, is there anything else you would like to share? Feel free to comment 👇

How does your wellness impact your team? 🍀 I don’t often talk about taking care of myself because, truthfully, I haven’t been intentional about it. But here’s what I’ve realised—if I don’t take care of myself, there’s no way I can be 100% present for my team at OtterHalf, a marketing agency with a core focus on operating as fractional marketing teams for businesses, or my loved ones. So when Edric Poon "The Podsmith" invited me to share my experience on his podcast, EP.IC, about employer wellness, my first thought was, “Wait, is that a typo? Did he mean employee wellness?” But I showed up anyway! We discussed what starting solo taught me, and the constant challenge of balancing the "do-it-yourself" mindset with trusting and empowering a team, among other things. Edric also challenged me with some thought-provoking questions, such as: ✏️ My take on providing freebies to build a portfolio. ✏️ One thing I wish more people understood about marketing. ✏️ One thing that keeps me “alive”—a reminder to stay connected to my why, which I’ve shared in this video post. How do you ensure you’re taking care of yourself and your team? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts.