I go by Nilu because my full name has more twists and turns than Stranger Things. I’m one of those creative professionals who stumbled into the industry after becoming obsessed with all marketing-related stuff, despite graduating with a BA degree in TV Production. I love drafting short poems (forgetting about them, too), bargain hunting, and taking spontaneous trips to wherever my friends happen to be.
Guidepoint: What’s your favorite part of working on the Marketing team?
Nilu: The team itself. Also, many others. I cannot pick one, so I’ll list my top three.
1. Expansion. We are serious about brand evolution and business growth. So serious that our industry comes up with all sorts of metrics to figure out what resonates with you (the user), when it does (or doesn’t), and why it happens.
2. Variety. We thrive on diverse perspectives. This helps us drive organizational change from within.
3. Meaning. Our audience defines it, and it’s ever-changing. This keeps us on our toes.
Guidepoint: What do you find most interesting about working in the expert network industry?
Nilu: How little people know about it. However, we’re changing the status quo with every ‘’What’s that?’’ question at a time.
Guidepoint: What has been one of your biggest accomplishments so far in your career?
Nilu: Not (ever) having to doubt that I do what I love.
Guidepoint: What’s something you learned unexpectedly while working at Guidepoint?
Nilu: The multitude of topics our clients will research and how there is a market for everything, no matter how niche. Anything you can think of, we probably covered it.
Guidepoint: What’s something surprising you wish every client knew about Guidepoint?
Nilu: How big of an impact their feedback has, and how much it contributes towards enabling us to serve them better in the future. We want to know what their current pain points are so that we can take action. So please, talk to us.
Guidepoint: As someone in marketing, give us your shortest elevator pitch about Guidepoint and the expert network industry that you would give to someone who doesn’t know what it is:
Nilu: Guidepoint is part of the sharing economy model as Uber or Airbnb is; the difference being that we’re using knowledge as a currency. Our network of seasoned experts helps our clients get up to speed on any topic, within minutes.
Also, as someone in marketing, I can sense the look of disapproval of my future self rereading this pitch.
Guidepoint: What do you think the biggest challenge of B2B marketing is?
Nilu: Vulnerability. Or the lack of it. Countless industry jargons, humdrum mission statements, and brands typically pivoting off each other are all unfortunate results of not knowing what they truly stand for. Only honesty (the uncomfortable kind) can build a brand, as it takes a genuine desire to constantly learn what doesn’t work (and admit to it), the skill to dissect it, and the expertise to execute what your clients have taught you.
Guidepoint: Who is your biggest career inspiration whether internally at Guidepoint or externally?
Nilu: At Guidepoint:
Many exceptional people at Guidepoint contributed to my growth as an individual, but if I had to pick one person, it would be Mike Gold, our CMO. He gets things done, and he does it exceptionally well. He’d probably turn carbon dioxide into diamonds if he still had the time, but instead, he’s applying that same process (heat and pressure included) to work with potential. I am incredibly fortunate and will be forever grateful for learning so much from him. FYI, we’re still figuring out a way to clone him – meaning project deliverables won’t be ‘’Amazon Primed’’ until that happens. Sorry.
Outside of Guidepoint:
My mother. As an individual, woman, and the person I strive to become. Assertive while keeping a kind heart, brave, and true to oneself. Also, Doug Kessler (Velocity Partners), Joerg Koch (032c), and Koreen Odiney (We’re Not Really Strangers).
Guidepoint: Where do you hope your career takes you in the next 5 years?
Nilu: Some goals I’ve set for myself over the next few years include gaining new project management skills and expanding my knowledge about different marketing channels in a senior leadership position. I’d love to take my knowledge base to the next level to learn how to contribute even more.
Guidepoint: What would you consider yourself an expert in or at?