CMO TripActions, Meagen Eisenberg: The Joy of Living in Awkward

12/13/21 • 72 min

There is a litany of analogies for marketing. An art, a technique, a skill. Yet few strive to combine a multitude of approaches. For Meagen Eisenberg, Chief Marketing Officer at TripActions, she synthesizes a combination of art, science, and the essential ingredient–joy–to form a unique marketing strategy.

Meagen is a no BS go-getter who demonstrates an encompassing approach to how she conducts business. She hones in on her own efficiency and ability to think quickly and adapt, and expresses how cultivating that skill has made her a fast decision-maker. To reinforce that speed is a desire to always learn, which is the underlying motivation for her own professional progress. Meagen offers her perspectives on organizational structure, the highly valuable takeaways from mistakes and failures, and how her work at TripActions has adapted, through her own love and joy of the flux of marketing, to the changes of COVID-19. Meagen’s straightforward approach carries a lot of weight and is a force we all can consider.

In this episode, we cover:

Why TripActions’ CRO, Carlos Delatorre, calls Meagen a superhuman - and why she believes in treating her sales team as a customer. (03:56)
‘The key for executives is to keep learning’: Meagen discusses her favorite mediums for learning, her love of books, and the various ways she stays on the pulse. (11:58)
A discussion about preparing for and executing board meetings - and a look at PG Tuesday. (19:31)
Meagen’s perspective on company alignment from the top down and how it sets the stage for success. (25:44)
The silver lining in failure and Meagen’s attitude towards not giving up - and what it means to “live in awkward.” (34:55)
The art and science of marketing - and the impact of COVID-19 on TripActions and how that differed from its competitors. (44:46)
Meagen reflects on the worst day in her career during the pandemic. (55:14)
A walkthrough of Meagen’s hiring process during her first six weeks at TripActions, her take on hiring people who solve problems, and why she loves marketing. (01:01:52)

Links:

Connect with Meagen
- LinkedIn
- TripActions
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: [email protected]
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Links Referenced:

In this episode, we cover:

Why TripActions’ CRO, Carlos Delatorre, calls Meagen a superhuman - and why she believes in treating her sales team as a customer. (03:56)
‘The key for executives is to keep learning’: Meagen discusses her favorite mediums for learning, her love of books, and the various ways she stays on the pulse. (11:58)
A discussion about preparing for and executing board meetings - and a look at PG Tuesday. (19:31)
Meagen’s perspective on company alignment from the top down and how it sets the stage for success. (25:44)
The silver lining in failure and Meagen’s attitude towards not giving up - and what it means to “live in awkward.” (34:55)
The art and science of marketing - and the impact of COVID-19 on TripActions and how that differed from its competitors. (44:46)
Meagen reflects on the worst day in her career during the pandemic. (55:14)
A walkthrough of Meagen’s hiring process during her first six weeks at TripActions, her take on hiring people who solve problems, and why she loves marketing. (01:01:52)

Links:

Connect with Meagen
- LinkedIn
- TripActions
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: [email protected]
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Links Referenced:

Previous Episode

CRO Unqork, Philip Lacor: Playing the Infinite Game

For some, expanding their horizons is something that they, as individuals, strive to do. Fortunately, Philip Lacor, CRO at Unqork, takes those expansions to another level. Philip thrives as a cross-functional leader and leaves his own stamp by creating challenging and diverse environments for a wide variety of people. From his philosophy on building global teams, to how he rears his own children, diversity is the center of how Philip builds his approaches.

Join the conversation as Philip takes us through his multifaceted career path. Coming from the Netherlands, but with a drive to develop a global vision, he offers unique comparisons between how Europeans and Americans work. Language is also a central priority for Philip, and his perspective on the importance of learning new languages and his implementation of that learning in his own life are paramount. We also explore how Philip shapes and values diverse teams, and the ways in which he enacts this conviction. He has a personal passion to see more women in leadership roles, and we learn how he honors his late wife and her amazing contribution to the world through The Lideke Wery Foundation.

In this episode, we cover:

The moment Philip realized that he wanted to experience the world outside of the Netherlands and start a global career - and his thoughts about the similarities between Europeans and Americans. (05:46)
Philip’s personal tricks for mastering public speaking and how that plays into his conversations with customers. (08:49)
A discussion about learning new languages and how Philip teaches his children to adapt to new environments. (15:51)
Why Philip enjoys working cross-functionally and closely with customers - and a walkthrough of Philip’s process for building customer-centric teams. (21:10)
A look at Philip’s short, yet successful time at Envoy and his transition into his role as Unqork’s CRO. (29:01)
Four traits that successful reps should cultivate in an early-stage company. (38:23)
Defining active mental recovery and how it contributes to long-term success - and why it’s important to embrace and enjoy where you are. (43:40)
Philip reflects on his role as a leader and discusses time management on a global team and his passion for hiring diverse talent. (50:30)
The Lideke Wery Foundation: In honor of Philip’s late wife, The Lideke Wery Foundation transforms the lives of students in Sri Lanka through learning English and computer education. (59:56)

Links:

Connect with Philip
- LinkedIn
- Email: [email protected]
- Unqork
- Lideke Wery Foundation
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: [email protected]
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Next Episode

CMO Rippling, Matt Epstein: Building the Supermarket of SaaS

Sometimes social media works and sometimes it doesn’t. For Matt Epstein, Chief Marketing Officer at Rippling, it is a little bit of both. In 2011, Matt went viral after uploading a Youtube video detailing why Google should hire him. It was also accompanied by a propeller plane with his URL attached, flying over the Google campus. Apparently, Google was not impressed, however, this bold decision ultimately worked in his favor. The video attracted many companies, which eventually led to the beginning of a fast-paced and fulfilling marketing career.

In this episode, Matt discusses his unconventional way of attracting Google’s attention and what it was like to pass on other companies in lieu. He talks about how his brashness, which as he puts it, is just a “chip on his shoulder”, attracted the attention of Rippling founder, Parker Conrad. Now, he is along for the ride as he surrounds himself with other like-minded “crazy ones.” Matt also shares his take on why generalists and marketing ops should be “first hires” in SMB and SaaS, and how when you’ve got something to prove in that space it only increases your ambition.

In this episode, we cover:

How Matt’s plea to work for Google went viral - and why he hates social media. (01:48)
Matt’s professional evolution from SigFig to employee #1 at Zenefits and his role in garnering the first customers. (08:04)
Why Matt recommends generalists and marketing ops as the first hires in the SMB SaaS space - and a deep dive into how a “chip on your shoulder” and insecurity are powerful motivators for success. (17:00)
Matt’s decision-making process from applying to Google to passing up on job offers from major tech companies - and Matt reflects on lessons learned at Zenefits. (24:16)
How Rippling founder, Parker Conrad, convinced Matt to join the company - and Matt explores the next phase of Rippling’s app ecosystem. (34:26)
Matt’s thoughts on Rippling’s recent product launch, marketing their catalog of products, and the challenges of scaling up at a startup. (44:32)
A discussion about coping with pressure, why Matt looks for “the crazy ones” when hiring, and why he has no interest in being a founder. (53:26)

Links: