Growing Forward: Lead like the top 1% in growth, marketing, & product

Shirin Bradfield is the Head of Growth and Self-Service at Optimal Workshop - a New Zealand based UX research platform.

Shirin joined OW as a growth marketer with a one-line job description: “increase our revenue.” Today, she is Head of Growth and Self Service. Clearly, a lack of role clarity didn’t hold her back.

In our conversation on the Delivering Value show, we chatted about why.

Shirin shared her incredible backstory, her three-step process for expanding her role, and why adaptability is her most valued soft skill. She also shared that handwritten lists and music are her secret weapons against high stress and burnout.

[00:22] Introducing Shirin Bradfield and her background

[08:23] Transitioning into a new role

[17:54] Her work as Head of Growth and Self-Service

[25:54] Soft skills that are beneficial in the growth space and a role like Shirin’s

[37:50] Discussing Impostor Syndrome

[41:01] On adapting to unknowns

[42:45] On professional goals and career growth

[49:05] Resetting focus and managing fulfillment

[51:26] Connect with Shirin

Link:

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

[0:00:42] Introducing Benyamin Elias and his background

[0:12:43] Growth and success in the tech industry

[0:19:42] Developing the ability to instinctually know where to find value

[0:25:43] On the challenge of adapting to a fast rate of change

[0:30:08] How to avoid being bogged down by Impostor Syndrome

[0:34:33] On learning from your mistakes through taking responsibility

[0:42:33] On receiving feedback

[0:51:24] On fast career growth and receiving more responsibility to the point of overflowing

[0:55:34] Advice on managing work stress

[1:01:30] Connect with Benyamin

Links:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/benyaminelias

Articles: https://diamondpencils.substack.com/

I’m joined by Ben Williams — former VP of Product Growth at Snyk, current founder and full-time advisor at PLGeek.

Ben shared why he gifted a book with a personalized message to a new PM, how he reframed negative feedback so it stopped making him feel sick, and how he had way more fun after he stopped putting pressure on himself to know every answer.

[00:14] Introducing Ben Williams and his background

[04:10] Ben’s journey in growth and the bumps along the way

[09:40] How his experience in the space influences his interviewing methods

[12:01] His career “detour”

[16:03] On the fear of failure and the characteristics that contribute to one’s success

[25:14] Advice for people feeling uneasy in a new role

[29:54] On being a leader for people who are struggling with impostor syndrome or fear of failure

[34:34] On giving/ receiving high-impact feedback

[44:32] How your values can influence your motivation and success

[45:57] On realizing that you don’t need to have all the answers to deserve success

[51:13] Where to connect with Ben

Links:

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

Website: www.plgeek.com

[00:48] Introducing Sam Richard and her background

[05:07] On a career in growth

[11:14] Navigating the difficulties in startups and companies that are seeing fast growth

[15:33] Advice for people who are having difficulty adjusting to a fast-growing company

[17:30] Impostor syndrome in the growth space

[21:38] On getting and responding to performance feedback

[26:26] Navigating work anxiety

[29:17] Growing from traumatic experiences in her career

[33:10] Soft skills that need to be given more importance in growth careers

[35:19] Advice for people who need to develop their ability to see the big picture

[36:31] Advice to help people work through adversity at work

Links:

Sam’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-crowell-richard/

Sean Fanning: https://twitter.com/seandougfan

In this first episode, I share my personal story (of how I got here). I talk about my journey into growth. The two worst performance reviews I've ever had. The time I had a panic attack mid-presentation. And, what I'd do different if I could start all over.

It's an honest and vulnerable look at my journey. I hope you enjoy it!

[00:48] Introduction

[01:26] My background

[02:39] What inspired me to start my business and this podcast

[09:02] The three main topics of the Delivering Value podcast

[11:42] My journey into the cross-functional world of growth

[18:02] Stress and failing in the growth space

[24:12] Challenges and traumatic events that I went through

[35:10] Why it’s hard to move on from challenging workplace events

[36:43] The hardest part about being a head of growth

[40:20] Having the mindset to overcome adversity

[45:01] Conclusion

Links:

Subscribe for show updates: https://deliveringvalue.co/podcast

Get in touch: https://deliveringvalue.co/get-in-touch

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

Follow on Twitter: https://twittter.com/acapland

Welcome to the pod! In this short trailer, I share:

• Why I'm making this podcast.
• Background on who I am
• Outline my journey from marketer into the world of growth; including my time at Digitas, HubSpot, Wistia, and Postscript.
• Outline what I'm building at Delivering Value for the SaaS growth community.

You can subscribe for email updates: deliveringvalue.co/podcast

Contact/ follow-me at:

• DeliveringValue.co
• [email protected]

• twitter.com/acapland
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/