CMO Spotlight | Scott Thomas - WorthPoint
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 Scott Thomas, the SVP of Marketing for WorthPoint to talk about how he uses his creative and analytical skills to excel in his work and how he leads his team with compassion and empathy.
WATCH + READ THE RECAP BELOW
Q1 | Tell us about your career path.
“The thing that makes my career somewhat unique is that marketing is my profession…I’ve applied marketing to a variety of different verticals.”
Scott Thomas started his career in hopes of becoming a doctor which quickly changed when he realized his strength in sales. He then transitioned to marketing because of the way his brain is wired, “I think [what] makes me a little bit of a different marketer [is that] I come at things both from 50% right brain 50% left brain; kind of analytical from the science, and creative from the other side.” He moved to Atlanta to capitalize on marketing opportunities that led him to work for The Coca-Cola Company, Cartoon Network, Autotrader, and eventually WorthPoint. Thomas’ experience in a variety of industries requires him to be more flexible, “I like learning new businesses. When I go into an interview, look for jobs, or have been approached by jobs that's typically the first question people ask me - ‘do you think you can learn my space,’ and I always confidently say ‘absolutely.’”
Q2 | Is there any advice you would like to share with new marketers?
“You learn as much from success as you do from failure, so don’t be afraid of failures.”
Although failing can sometimes contribute to imposter syndrome, or feelings of doubt in your work, Thomas emphasized that it’s important to take every opportunity to learn. “Dust yourself off, figure out what you need to learn, get back up, get positive, lean in, stay focused, and move forward.” He continued, “The key to success is learning from those, brushing them off, and moving forward.”
Since harping on mistakes can only trap someone in the past, moving forward is crucial for a growth mindset.
Q3 | What is your superpower?
“Influencing,” said Thomas. He humbly explained that he understands how people operate and can use his intuition to serve people in beneficial ways. “I'm good at understanding people and getting them information in a way that they can receive it.”
Q4 | Where do you find inspiration?
“We should always be looking to our customers and potential customers for our inspiration.”
Thomas finds inspiration and joy from his current role and loves seeing customers happy. “I love seeing people's faces light up when they figure out what something's worth, or if they tell me that they’re buying and reselling and that's how they’re funding retirement. I kind of breathe in all that positive energy and see kind of what they're doing and let that build into my lexicon of how we'll continue to promote the business and get other people excited like that.” Thomas lets his passion for his work and the people he serves fuel his strategy and creativity.
Q5 | Is there any advice you’d like to share with other marketing leaders?
“You have to be who you are. You can be a leader from whatever style that is authentic.”
Some people are natural born leaders. Thomas pointed out that it’s obvious when leaders aren’t being authentic to themselves. “If you've met these people before you could tell they're trying to be something that they're not. I think being a leader is figuring out who you are, embracing that, and bringing it forward in an appropriate way.” He values leaders who honor their style and personalities in a way that is true to them, but also beneficial to those they’re leading. He continued by saying that his way of leading is not the exemplar for how to lead, and that whatever feels right to the leader is what they should follow.
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 Scott Thomas, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.
Watch the full interview to the right.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Ben Boyd, the Chief Communications Officer at Chobani, about designing your own career path, the importance of empathy and understanding as a leader, and more.