Growing Forward: Lead like the top 1% in growth, marketing, & product – Details, episodes & analysis

Irina Scarlat is the VP of Growth at ICEO (a venture builder) and has built marketing and growth teams at Uber, Revolut, Bitpanda, and Pearson along the way. In this conversation, she reflects on pivotal moments in her career, sharing how they shaped her leadership style and personal development. Irina talks about the emotional challenges of going through corporate restructuring, the importance of maintaining work-life balance, and the tools she uses to combat workplace anxiety.

Irina opens up about:

1. Being forced to reapply for her job at Uber after a massive shakeup

2. The challenges of leading a company-wide restructuring at Bitpanda

3. Her journey with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to manage imposter syndrome and workplace stress

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Irina’s pivotal career moment: reapplying for her own job

(01:03) Early life in Romania and societal expectations

(07:54) How international experiences shaped Irina’s career outlook

(09:18) Transitioning into the tech world and early ventures

(12:30) Joining Uber and building the marketing team from scratch

(18:44) Leadership changes at Uber and the emotional challenges of restructuring

(24:16) Deciding to leave Uber and transitioning to Revolut

(29:59) Key feedback that transformed Irina’s approach to work and prioritization

(31:15) Thanks to our sponsors for this episode, Navattic & Appcues

(38:11) Managing anxiety, imposter syndrome, and the role of cognitive behavioral therapy

(52:19) Leading a restructuring at Bitpanda and the impact on team dynamics

Resources:

Connect with Irina:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-nicoleta-scarlat-30a4b28/

Check out her website: https://irinascarlat.com/

Connect with Andrew:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

Thanks to our amazing sponsors!

Learn more about Appcues: https://appcues.com/value

Learn more about Navattic: https://navattic.com/value

Meredith Rosenbloom - VP of Growth Marketing at Zola, reflects on some challenging moments in her career that molded her into the leader she is today. She recounts her journey from sports marketing to growth roles at companies like Grubhub and Parsley Health while opening up about the challenges she’s faced along the way. Meredith shares the impact of critical feedback, managing career transitions, and returning to work as a new parent.

Meredith opens up about:

• Being asked to take on more responsibility without a title promotion at Grubhub
• Receiving feedback about her voice inflection and how it made her self-conscious
• The emotional and professional challenges of returning to work after maternity leave

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Meredith’s early hardships

(02:44) Tough feedback on personal traits

(06:15) Growing up with a strong work ethic and early career experiences

(10:35) Transitioning from agency work to performance marketing

(15:10) Navigating a title mismatch and trusting your manager

(21:00) Overcoming self-doubt and building confidence with coaching

(24:15) Thanks to our sponsors of this episode, Navattic & Appcues

(27:22) Returning to work after maternity leave and finding balance

(32:50) The importance of mental health and protecting personal peace

(39:40) Using breath work and self-care for stress management

(46:15) Career goals, family balance, and the value of empathy in leadership

Resources:

Connect with Meredith:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithrosenbloom/

Zola: https://www.zola.com/

Connect with Andrew:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

Thanks to our amazing sponsors!

• Learn more about Navattic: http://navattic.com/value
• Learn more about Appcues: http://appcues.com/value

In this episode, Joe Wilkinson, Founder and CEO at Artisan Strategies, discusses some of the challenges he’s faced in his career, his personal journey into handling workplace stress, and the lessons learned from handling transparency during company changes.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. The time when Joe trained an individual to take over the team he was leading, just for him to transfer to a different team

2. When Joe was stuck between choosing his friend or the company he was working at

3. Joe’s boss telling him, “Great job everything is going amazing! You are the only one of your peers who won’t get promoted or a raise. No reason why.”

Things to listen for:

[03:32] When Joe gained the courage to go off on his own

[07:21] His ‘aha’ moment into entrepreneurship

[11:33] When Joe’s trainee was supposed to take over his team, but was persuaded to join a different team

[18:10] Will he choose his friend? Or the business?

[29:49] When Joe was told, “Great job! But you’re not getting a raise” at his performance review

[37:30] Feedback can either make or break a relationship

[41:16] Joe’s self doubt journey

Resources:

- Connect with Joe on LinkedIn

- Check out Artisan Strategies

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode, Kate Syuma, growth advisor and creator of Growth Mates, reflects on the low points in her career, the challenges she faced in her transition to leadership at Miro, and her journey toward embracing uncertainty and authenticity as a solopreneur.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. Adjusting her leadership style after receiving feedback about being too reactive

2. Having an open career conversation with her manager and deciding to stay at Miro

3. The hiring mistake that happened after ignoring her gut feelings

Things to listen for:

[17:26] The pivotal low points in Kate's career

[23:41] The moment when Kate decided to stay at Miro despite a job offer in New York

[29:18] When her learning speed started decreasing

[33:53] Her challenge of balancing authenticity and the perceived image of a leader

[44:50] When Kate judged her own leadership style

[51:36] The moment when Kate made hiring mistake because she didn’t listen to her intuition

Resources:

- Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

- Subscribe to Kate’s newsletter & Growthmates podcast

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues

- Learn more about Navattic

In this episode, Talia Wolf, CEO and Founder of GetUplift, shares her experiences growing up in a family that valued hard work, her early jobs as a waitress and skydiver, her transition into the tech, marketing, and CRO world - and many of challenging moments along the way, including balancing her career and motherhood, the need to ask for help from your support system, and navigating critical feedback.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

Staying in a CMO role she didn’t like because she was afraid to start her own business

Being a woman in a male-dominated field and how she overcame her imposter syndrome

Receiving a “slap in the face” piece of feedback from someone on her team

Things to listen for:

[06:20] Talia's diverse career path, from skydiving to wedding planning and tech

[12:48] The challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry

[18:05] The creation of a supportive group among women to share vulnerabilities and experiences

[24:37] How having children changed Talia's perspective on work-life balance

[28:52] Learning from critical feedback and using it to improve as a leader

[33:17] The importance of accepting and building upon experiences or letting go in business

[37:44] Talia's upbringing and how it influenced her unconventional approach to CRO

[42:56] Struggling with self-doubt and imposter syndrome when starting her own business

[47:19] The impact of a supportive network in overcoming fears and boosting confidence

[52:03] Balancing the identity of a driven career woman with motherhood

[56:28] Learning to trust her team and achieve a better work-life balance after having children

Resources:

Connect with Talia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taliagw/?originalSubdomain=uk

GetUplift CRO Agency: https://getuplift.co/

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

Work with Andrew: https://deliveringvalue.co/get-started

Learn more about Appcues: http://appcues.com/value

In this episode, Samantha Leal, Growth Advisor, discusses her journey and experiences in the SaaS PLG marketing world, the importance of understanding and practicing critical thinking and effective communication in leadership roles, and the blend of art and science in marketing.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Samantha knew she needed a radical shift in her approach and decided to hold a no-holds-barred feedback session with her team

2. Samantha’s boss telling her word-for-word she “lacked critical thinking skills”

3. The moment when Samantha had to take over the marketing and felt like she was failing continuously

Things to listen for:

[03:13] Writing started to feel draining for Samantha

[13:13] Her ‘welcome to the league’ moment when she felt ashamed for not knowing her role

[18:09] Samantha’s wakeup call from office gossip

[33:36] The constant feeling of failure that she felt in her new role

[34:45] When her CEO told her she “lacked critical thinking skills”

[49:17] Samantha’s goals at the stage she’s in right now

Resources:

- Connect with Sam on LinkedIn

- Work with Sam

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode, Yuriy Timen, SaaS advisor and solopreneur, discusses career mistakes and growth, his experiences at Grammarly, including intense work ethic and empathetic leadership, and the importance of radical candor and strategic thinking in professional relationships.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. How Yuriy's upbringing during the collapse of the Soviet Union shaped his values and work ethic

2. Career mistakes and feeling self-conscious about switching jobs every year

3. Being told he lacked empathy and didn’t put enough emphasis on building interpersonal relationships

4. His experience suddenly becoming unemployed during the 2008 financial crisis

Things to listen for:

[02:12] Yuriy reflects on career mistakes and the struggle with self-consciousness during job changes

[11:24] How Yuriy's upbringing during the collapse of the Soviet Union shaped his values and work ethic

[16:13] Discussing the experience of starting to work at a young age and the lessons learned from his entrepreneur parents

[22:50] Yuriy's journey from finance to digital marketing, including his transition to Grammarly

[28:37] The pivotal moment of receiving tough feedback about his lack of empathy from direct reports

[33:21] Plans for a career break that turned into advising roles and discovering fulfillment in solopreneurship

[51:09] The importance of networking intentionally and his regrets about not prioritizing it sooner

[57:34] Reflection on work-life balance, aiming to be "empathetically intense" in future roles

Resources:

- Connect with Yuriy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriytimen/

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

- Work with Andrew: https://deliveringvalue.co/get-started

- Learn more about Appcues: https://www.madkudu.com http://appcues.com/value

In this episode, Amanda Natividad, VP of Marketing at SparkToro, talks about some of the low points in her career, the toughest feedback she’s ever received, how she navigates burnout, and how she’s been able to find her authentic voice as a leader.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Amanda was told ““Wow. Rand opened up a lot of doors for you!”

2. Amanda’s boss said it was obvious when she didn’t know what she was doing

3. When Amanda was told “You’re too junior” and “You’re too direct”

Things to listen for:

[06:34] When Amanda was told “Wow. Rand must have opened up a lot of doors for you”

[15:39] During the pandemic, she was furloughed from her job at Liftopia

[19:01] Amanda felt powerless in her personal and professional life…

[27:29] Being told “It’s so obvious you don’t know what you’re doing” by a manager

[31:11] Seeing feedback as positive and her co-workers wanting to help

[32:38] Being told “You’re too junior” and “You’re too direct”

[39:34] “I don’t know” shows maturity and awareness on a personal level

[45:57] The skills she wishes she worked on earlier

Resources:

- Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn

- Check out SparkToro

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode, Collin Crowell, VP of North America at Kameleoon opens up about one of his most humbling experiences at work that led him to reevaluate his identity, he shares insights into receiving tough feedback and how he used that to fuel his drive, and also shares his strategic approach to building successful teams.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Collin was told by readers that the titles he was in charge of were pieces of shit

2. The moment when self doubt creeped in for Collin because everyone was touting their success and great ideas on LinkedIn

3. When Collin worked his ass off for a company and was told by his favorite boss to ‘slow down’

Things to listen for:

[03:04] Being known as the “odd ball”

[04:08] The big leap moving from the US to alone in China

[08:25] Being told he worked at a ‘piece of shit’

[13:00] Flipping the switch to ‘I want to kick ass and take names’

[16:41] Knowing he lost before he even got in the game

[24:10] Major FOMO on LinkedIn

[34:05] Being told by his boss to slow down… and it was his favorite piece of feedback

[37:45] Most crucial advice to everyone

Resources:

- Kameleoon

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode, Liz Christo, Investor and GTM Advisor for Stage 2 Capital, unravels her highs and lows in her workforce journey. From getting told “you’re too ruthlessly execution focussed” to having to dramatically change her working style, Liz’s story unpacks the power of feedback, why you should develop a culture of support, and the significance of vulnerability.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Liz fought so hard to have a global org and ended up burning out and feeling stretched too thin

2. When Liz received the hardest piece of feedback, twice…

3. The story when Liz was not able to get companies to follow through, even when they were in complete agreement on what needed to happen

Things to listen for:

[07:33] Why Liz was described as “great at the “USA Crossword puzzle”

[09:19] Her biggest work burnout moment

[14:46] Not taking care of herself and the impact on her work

[18:53] Getting a new job and it testing her values and culture list

[28:28] Getting told everything that was negative about working with her

[36:34] Addressing feedback and making changes

[38:22] Her biggest imposter syndrome moment

Resources:

- Connect with Liz on LinkedIn

- Check out Stage 2 Capital

- Subscribe to Dear Stage 2 on Substack

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues