The CMO Spotlight is a chance to get an inside look into the minds and journeys of high performing marketing leaders. 

Setup CEO Joe Koufman virtually sat down with Lisa Tan, the Chief Marketing Officer for Reverie to talk about her career path, the benefits of rest, and more. 

Watch the full interview below:

Q1 | Tell us about your career path.

Lisa Tan started her career in publishing and editorial work and then moved to PR. She then spent her “formative professional years” as a Management and Strategy Consultant. Tan believed that her early career set her up to be a successful marketer.

“That was an amazing way to learn how to be a professional, to learn how to do quick analysis and to really understand the big picture.”

She went on to talk about joining the team at Reverie, “In 2012, I knew that I wanted to do something more client-side, and so that's when I moved to Reverie. I originally signed up for a three-month project, but I'm still here today, so I guess it's going pretty well.”

Q2 | What is your superpower? 

“I have a keen sense of observation.”

Tan is a self described introvert and is very aware of her surroundings. She continued, “I observe body language. I observe the little details that are sometimes missed when you're scanning a room, and I use those details to connect.” She explained that in her workplace she is able to use her superpower to “see the whole picture” to find solutions.

Q3 | Is there a piece of advice that you would like to pass onto other marketers?

“You should not try to be a people pleaser.” Tan says. She explained that it’s important for marketers to know their limitations and when to say no. “It's very easy early on in your career to want to say yes, to want to please your superiors, and to want to show up as perfect, but the reality is acknowledging when you don't understand something, or you don't know something, or you've truly messed up - it is going to benefit you much faster and for the long term versus trying to cover it up or trying to pretend that you're perfect.”

Q4 | How do you mentor your team?

Tan really values quality time with her team. She stressed the importance of “carving out that one-on-one time” not only to ask her team about the progress of work, but to ask “How are you doing? What is on your horizon for your career?”

She continued, “taking the time to actually spend some time - developing our relationship - has been really beneficial.”

Tan also really values rest - which is convenient since she “sells sleep” - and she mentioned the importance of sleep, that it is something everyone should prioritize. “We spend so much time wearing ourselves down mentally, physically, and emotionally, and the best way to recover is sleep.”

For more marketing leadership advice and a view into the mindset of marketing executives in various industries, be sure to watch the full interview with Lisa Tan, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.