Top 8 Lessons I Learned as an Interim CMO

Over the past 4 months, I was given the unique opportunity to stand in as Interim CMO while my incredible boss, Maura Rivera, was on maternity leave. When she first asked me if I had any interest in taking on the challenge, my initial reaction was something like this: 

Alas, I have immense respect for Maura, so her confidence in me was the push I needed to say yes. Plus, I went to undergrad at Cal Poly, where the motto was, “Learn by doing.” And I guess once a Mustang, always a Mustang!

What I could have predicted about the last four months was: 

• It was going to push me well out of my comfort zone
• It was going to be tough 

What I couldn’t have predicted was just how tough. The last 4 months have been some of the toughest times tech has seen in recent memory, which presented challenges I could have never anticipated. But I wouldn’t change a thing. As Dan Darcy told me, it was like getting a MBA crash course. 

So with that, I wanted to share my top 8 learnings as Interim CMO at a B2B SaaS company (and of course I am adding GIFs to help me out): 

1. Present solutions instead of options 

When I was suddenly managing a much larger team, I realized the impact presenting solutions vs options can make.

For example: let’s say you are presenting a strategy and you have 2 different options for execution. Instead of saying, “Here are the two options, what do you think?” and leaving it open-ended, say “There are two options here. I would recommend Option A because of X, Y, and Z. Do you agree?”

Your leadership team is constantly jumping from fire to fire. Presenting them your expert opinion and offering up an easy “yes or no” option is a game changer for them and it demonstrates your expertise and confidence.

2. Pay attention to other areas of marketing whenever possible

I don't necessarily mean take on projects in other areas of marketing (although that would be incredibly helpful if you are presented with the opportunity and have bandwidth). I literally mean pay attention. Whenever someone from another marketing department speaks, really listen.

Absorb what they are saying.

The lingo they use.

Ask questions whenever you can.

No one expects you to be an expert at every part of marketing when you are a CMO. But the transition will be a heck of a lot easier if you have a basic understanding of how different marketing departments communicate and what they care about.

3. You can’t do everything, so hire smart

As mentioned in Lesson 2, you won’t be expected to have advanced knowledge of every area of marketing when you become a leader. But someone is going to have to do it, so you better hire smart. Figure out what your weakest areas are, and find a team that fills those gaps.

Especially when you are a new leader, it can be tempting to try and do everything as a way to prove yourself. Learning to set my ego aside and lean on the team around me to help was a hard lesson to learn, but paid off in dividends (aka: my sanity) by the end of my 4 month stint. We hired the team because they are amazing at what they do... the best thing I could do is get out of my own way and let them shine.

4. Get comfortable with math and data

As someone who did everything humanly possible to get out of statistics in college, this one really stings.

In demand gen, I had to get comfortable with data and spreadsheets pretty early on in my career (so much for the no math thing) and I can’t imagine being in a leadership role without that foundation.

So if you are reading this right now and thinking, “But Sarah, I hate math!” I get it… I really do. But even if you have someone else on your team who is a math wizard, you should still practice pulling and interpreting data to get more comfortable.

Start by coming up with small hypotheses for the projects you are working on, and begin gathering data. If you don't know where or how to get the data, ask the aforementioned math wizard to give you a tutorial. Trust me, they will be more than happy to foist some work off on you.

5. And once you are comfortable with data, learn to tell a story

Ok so now you are a data pulling expert. Amazing! Next, you have to figure out how to take that data and turn it into a narrative. One so simple, even your math-hating former self would understand.

I can’t emphasize enough how important storytelling is to being a successful leader. You can have all the deep insight in the world, but if you can’t communicate what it is and why it is important in a compelling and digestible way, it won't do you any good.

I really struggled here. After spending so much of my career in the weeds, this was a muscle I wasn’t used to exercising. So, if you are looking to take the next step in your career, get really comfortable building decks and crafting narratives that are concise and compelling.

6. Getting out of the weeds is harder than you think

This one took me by surprise because I thought I would be thrilled not being so hands on.

Turns out, when you spend a lot of your early career ‘doing’ and ‘building,' letting go of that is hard. There is something reassuring about completing a task… checking off that box. It gives you something tangible to deliver, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

When you move into a leadership role, you aren’t ‘doing’ a lot. Instead, you are focusing your attention on whatever the fire du jour is, and giving guidance to the team on how to put it out. You are thinking of the big picture, and supporting your team as they get in the weeds.

The times I found myself struggling with imposter syndrome during my 4 months as Interim CMO, it was because that little voice in my head was convincing me I wasn’t contributing anything. When I wasn’t in the weeds, actually doing things, I felt like I didn’t have a purpose. I can’t say I ever fully overcame this, but I got a lot more comfortable with it by the end.

7. Don’t take things personally

Let’s be honest… I learned this lesson but that doesn’t mean I am good at putting it into practice yet.

I am hyper-competitive. It comes with the washed-up-college-athlete territory. So when someone questions what I am doing, my natural reaction is to go on the defensive. But being defensive as a CMO is going to cause you nothing but stress and sleepless nights. Turns out, it is the executive team's job to question everything. Poke holes. Figure out if you are doing things the optimal way.

I literally put a sticky note on my computer that said “don’t take it personally” and used it as my daily mantra to remind me to approach every question I got with an open mind. And, more importantly, to be comfortable with being wrong or changing direction.

I would be lying if I told you I came out of this 4 month stint a new and improved, zen-like leader… but I am more cognizant of my propensity to get defensive, and that is a crucial step in overcoming it.

8. Appreciate the heck out of your CMO

While I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity of a lifetime to learn and grow, it made me so appreciative of the amazing leader I have. I got a peak behind the curtain, and while I always knew her job was hard, I didn’t realize just how hard. And I am going back to my day job so grateful for her leadership and support. Thank you Maura Rivera ... oh how I've missed you!

For CMOs out there reading this… what did I miss that was a crucial learning for you when you were making the transition to CMO?