Technology is a Skill Set and a Mindset

The Call Discovering My Tech Prowess On the JobI was working at a top advertising agency early on in my career when three factors started me down the technology path First our CPG client tasked us with building their very first consumer website Second there was barely any knowledge within the team about website development at the time And third I had exhibited what my higherups deemed quottechnical aptitudequot meaning I had a cell phone and used a computer rather than a pen and paperThat was about all it took to be a tech guru in an ad agency at that time and at that very early stage in my careeramp160I decided to step into that role and take on a milliondollar project for a multinational consumer packaged goods companyamp160The project required us to figure out how to make the client39s website appealing and relatable to women who were the client39s key demographic I tracked down the woman who had pioneered the testing and research for a similar initiative years backamp160and worked with her to build the research best practices and usability testing for the projectI executed it successfully and our client was happy It was an early win that gave me the confidence to double down on my newfound quottech girlquot status and the experience taught me that I love discovery technologyamp160and specifically the intersection between technology and the ad businessThe Power of Showing Up as YourselfThat project taught me the power of quotyesquotamp160amp160When I was singled out as having unique skills and handed a huge opportunity I decided to take the project on and figure it out I learned then that the best opportunities will require you to step up to the plate and out of your comfort zone to not overthink things and accept that you39ll need to take aamp160leap of faith in yourselfBut I also learned that saying quotyesquot will yield the best results if you understand what unique skills you bring to the table For me that meant recognizing that my skill wasn39t simply tech it was ad techI know plenty of incredible women and men who can take apart computers and put them back together again write codeamp160and design processing systems to aggregate data and information Within my career building and fixing technology isn39t actually what I do My tech quotsuperpowerquot is grasping technology trends and understanding how they can be applied both to the advertising business and to everyday experiencesRealizing that this is my particular tech skill greatly focused my work and lit exciting pathways in my careerWhen I landed at a huge multinational technology company years later at a time when it was clear that consumers wereamp160beginning to change their media habits this skill helped me understand new possibilities for advertising for display mobile gaming branded content and social advertisingIt was obvious to me that there were digital advertising opportunities hiding in some of the toughest media conundrums Advertisers were complaining about having a hard time getting in front of men who were opting to sit in front of gaming consoles for hours and hours a day Flip phones were quickly being replaced by smartphones Recast as opportunities instead of as problems it became clear that these technologies could actually be advertising channels that could command the very thing advertisers covet most attentionI embraced my role as the type of quottech girlquot whose gift was asking the right technology questions and empowering people with knowledge about emerging technologies and innovations Throughout my career I39ve worked with my colleagues in the industry to understand and leverage those types of opportunitiesThe Power of LearningIn all this I discovered that learning is essential because change never stops especially within technology I wake up to new roles and responsibilities just as readily now as I did in my 20sRight now technology is enabling almost every facet of business This is exciting for me as CMO of a company that is pioneering the automation of the advertising industry Technology and marketing have merged and that has put marketing right in the middle of the most important conversations and decisions companies make Some people fear technology because they think it will automate them out of a job I have seen firsthand how technology and automation can create more opportunity for us allI started my journey with websites I moved into display mobileamp160and social ads Now I39m having discussions about geolocation inline video vertical ad unitsamp160and even Pokamp233mon GO which is a perfect trifecta of mappingamp160meets gamingamp160meets virtual realityIt39s an exciting time to be in this business and being comfortable with change instead of shrinking from it has empowered me to make better decisions and be an even more essential player on my team within my company and I hope within our industryTech A Set of Skills and a State of MindBeing in technology for me has been less like a fixed status and more like a compass It39s helped me navigate my career by focusing on the ways technology intersects with consumers and creates exciting opportunities in businessTechnology has offered me an approach to the world that keeps my thinking fresh Because of technology I have a framework for staying openminded to new ideas and receptive to new approaches I know the value of trying a new strategy of never resting on my laurelsamp160and of continually evolving with the everchanging industryFor me technology is as much a mindset as it is a skillset and I39m glad I39ve been given the opportunity to apply my unique skills and interests to this fascinating businessThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers amp160amp160

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Technology is a Skill Set and a Mindset

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Mari Kim Novak

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