At Setup we believe in the power of uplifting others and sharing their stories. Since more than half of Forbes’ Most Influential CMOs of 2020 were women, we dedicated an entire series to highlighting prominent and influential women leaders in the marketing industry. 

To celebrate women in the marketing profession, we asked women marketing leaders from Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc, Rinnai America Corporation, and Celebrity Motor Cars (now at LotLinx) to share their personal triumphs, tribulations, perspective, and advice about working in the marketing industry. 

Meet the leaders:

Q1: What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing?

Timm: The cumulation of my experience as an artist. I started as a performer while in school studying to become a social worker. The artist in me was involved with stage shows, founding a magazine, one-woman shows, music camp, film projects, and so on. Marketing brings these two things together: requiring deep human understanding and creative flair. It’s also important to me, and for all of us really, to speak for ourselves and have allies to defer to us when it matters. Representation matters. Media outlets will often report stories about a deaf person and get information about that deaf person from everyone but that deaf person. As the Chief Marketing Officer for a Deaf-led organization, I have the opportunity to make sure that deaf people, from all backgrounds, have agency and have a platform for their voices and experiences to be heard. 

Page: When I was younger, I always found myself in the role of coordinating and organizing activities and events. I could look at things and situations and visualize what “could be'' and I would move mountains to bring that vision to life. I was very impatient with the process and if something did not go as I believed it should, I would really get upset with myself. The good news is, with maturity and experience, I learned the creative process takes time and it is ok if someone does not do something the way I would as long as it produced the same outcome. Ultimately, the ability to create and impact change through a creative process brings great satisfaction in developing a vision and a strategy to promote a company, product, or program.

Borden: From a very young age, I always loved being creative. Although I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology, I loved personal branding and advertising. When I started in the auto industry in 2009, I was just so enamored with the excitement and energy of the business. 

Q2: Are there specific challenges you have faced as a woman in marketing and how did you overcome them?

Timm: As a BIPOC Deaf woman, there are very few, if any, people like me in the marketing world. Not having enough role models or mentors to look up to is a challenge because there is no “tried-and-true" recipe for success. I’m in touch with a hearing woman who knows some American Sign Language and can offer some guidance, but it’s not enough. I’m frequently the one non-white male at the table. This is what drives me to inspire more Deaf women, and especially BIPOC Deaf women, to join the marketing field.

It’s a similar experience for Deaf children. They face the challenge of growing up in a world designed for and by people who can hear. Deaf children may have big dreams, but if they don’t see any examples of successful Deaf people, they may feel discouraged in pursuing those dreams. I see more and more Deaf people taking risks in their professional lives and equally so, I hope that more businesses will actively hire Deaf people in the workplace. 

Borden: The biggest challenge I face, and that many other women face in marketing ( and many other industries) is working with those who are not adapting to change. Change in the times, change in the industry(ies) and change to having a female in a leadership position. This inspired me in 2020 to write my first book which is a children’s book,”Our Mommy Works with Cars,” about the different roles that women have in a car dealership. 

Q3: Who is someone that helped you on your current path to becoming a marketing leader? 

Timm: While there are many marketing experts out there that I admire, it’s the lack of Deaf marketing experts that inspired me to pursue a career in this field. Not only do Deaf people rely more on visual cues and communication, but many Deaf people are incredible visual communicators and artists that would bring talent to any project. My team and I bring together the best of the usual marketing strategies along with the “Deaf lens” that makes us shine. 

Page: I have learned as a leader…it can only take one person to believe in someone to make the difference in their career.  This is what was provided to me. When I went to work for a company in Silicon Valley – right after they went public, it was my boss – Laurie Probst who saw something in me and believed that I had what it took to be a part of a team that would build the foundation of what marketing would become. She gave me the reins and encouraged and believed in me the entire way. I built the first web services department, the first company intranet and public websites, built and managed global field marketing teams, implemented many programs to drive revenue and impact customers and grow partnerships. Whenever I look back on my career, I see Laurie. Today, I strive to be that leader who can help others along their career path by believing in them. 

Borden: There have been many people within my life that have helped form who I am today, both personally and professionally. As I look back over the last 10 years of my career, the doors that opened for me were opened by a few different people (both men and women) that believed in me, mentored me, and educated me to becoming both a better marketer, but person as well. 

Q4: What advice would you give to the next generation of women marketers?

Timm: It’s always important to know your worth: what you’re capable of, your vision, your passion, and your goals. Know yourself. That way, you can navigate through a world that is fast-paced and male-dominated. It’s not easy, but as long as you know yourself and you are confident in the value you bring, you can get through anything. 

Page: The best advice I can think to provide the next generation is to be authentic. When you are getting started in marketing, one may have a tendency not to speak their opinion – this is a mistake. There are no bad ideas…the only bad ideas are NO ideas, which occurs when authentic conversations, feedback, and opinions don’t happen. Don’t be afraid to think big and put yourself out there to drive those big ideas. Don’t try to understand all that has gone before, but what is happening now, and what is coming in the near future as it pertains to technology, trends, and strategies - especially with digital marketing being so prevalent and important to marketing initiatives. More than ever, it’s about the NUMBERS! Don’t be intimidated by the numbers – you will need data to drive success, make educated decisions, and justify to your boss what you need to take things to the next level.

Borden: Take risks, and go with your gut. Learn and absorb as much as you can from others, and take action by implementing the knowledge yourself! 

Q5: What were pivotal moments in your career that contributed to your success?

Timm: Success is relative. The definition of success varies from person to person and from instance to instance. Just because people attain certain titles, work for certain companies, or have certain perks doesn’t necessarily mean they’re successful. Some people define success as having a lot of money and a great job, living easy by the beach, or traveling the world with nothing but a backpack. I define success as being content with where you are in life. Whether your goals are big or small, if you’re on your way to achieving them, you’re on the right track. Whatever brings you happiness, go do it!

As for what helped me get to where I am today? Taking risks. Founding a one-woman show was a risk, but it ran for 16 years. I took a risk and founded a magazine. I established a Deaf music camp. I took part in one film, and then many.

Page: I’ve always thrived from the ability to run full-speed with a creative process - while being provided plenty of rope to implement or create change because others believe in your vision and passion. Early in my career, I worked for a number of start-ups where one usually wears many hats. One company I worked for provided me the opportunity I needed to spread my wings and run with that “rope.” There have been many major milestones in my career but one stands out above all the rest…I built a global program from the ground up. It was a co-marketing program designed to create partnerships with customers who understood the value of aligning themselves with a program and company that provided them exposure and incentives to grow their business. The program was written about in trade magazines as setting the bar for future companies to emulate. Ultimately, it really was Channel Marketing before it was ever a “thing.”  I was given the unique opportunity to create a program that was on the small end of something great!  It was exhilarating.

Borden: When I was leaving the vendor side of the automotive industry and taking my role in retail, I was fearful and scared of making the wrong decision. I had never worked in retail and was about to disrupt and make some changes to the existing marketing framework of where I was headed. This pivotal moment in taking the leap of faith helped me find my path, purpose and meaning. Ultimately walking into fear was the greatest thing I have done, as I have grown so much from the experience.

Q6: What emerging marketing trend excites you?

Timm: As a Deaf person in marketing, I’m most excited about the increased use of video across various digital marketing channels. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels – especially when they include captions – have more visually engaging videos and therefore, those videos are engaging for Deaf people. The Deaf and hard of hearing market in the US is valued at $86 billion and growing. It’s worth making your content visual – and captioned!

On that note, I’d love to see more chat bots that feature video, especially American Sign Language (ASL). Not everyone knows this, but ASL is not “English on the hands.” ASL is a separate language from English, with its own grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and cultural context completely separate from English. Many Deaf people are bilingual in ASL and English, just as many hearing people are bilingual, but some deaf people struggle with written English proficiency just as some hearing people struggle with written proficiency in their second language. 

These are just a few examples of how marketing professionals can personalize content to engage their Deaf audience. I hope that video accessibility continues to grow, and that ASL also becomes a part of that in the near future.

Page: I’m a huge advocate of fully integrated campaigns. It’s interesting how direct mail has come full circle and is now being added back in as an important element in a campaign (people’s inboxes are full). But what is exciting, is how technology can be used with social channels to drive behavior, engagement, quality of leads, and the ability to understand demographics of the audience. Digital marketing is only limited by one's knowledge of the technology and resources available.

Borden: I love Linkedin and most recently TikTok. There is such a massive opportunity to build an organic audience for those who see it. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Create the change and space you want to see. 

• Belief in your team goes a long way.

• Don’t let fear drive you. 

• Taking risks and failing is how you learn.