Originally from Montreal and now living in London, Sara Carty recently launched her own marketing company after almost 10 years of working in tech startups. Being creative in a very technical environment isn’t always been easy and in this episode, Sara and I talk all about how those challenges have broadened her perception of what creativity really means. Sara is a knowledge and creative powerhouse and has been killing it in the tech world from learning to code, guest lecturing for an MBA class in Budapest and learning the ins and being named 1 of 17 successful marketers by RiseHigh (tech company).
I loved learning about how the creative and the technical merge and how Sara has created a truly unique business to serve her clients. Don’t forget to check Sara out on her website and on LinkedIn after the episode!
Key things you can learn from working with startups…
Failing fast, learning from it and moving on:
I love this idea because it really applies to not only startups but solopreneurs as well. So often we are afraid to try new things and afraid to fail. However, I love the idea of just going for it, trying something new, trying something crazy and if it works great..if it doesn’t you learn from it and move on. It can be easy to dwell on what doesn’t work and get caught up in a cycle of overthinking and fear. But that’s not how you’re going to grow. You grow from learning from your mistakes and taking the lessons to heart so that you do better next time. So don’t be afraid to fail fast because that means that you’ll get back up even faster!
Building a family instead of just hiring employees:
When you’re working for/with a startup, you’ll probably be working longer hours, you’re working closely with each other and you rely on each other for a lot. This creates a bond and a trust that I think is important for any team, whether it’s 2 people, 50 people or 500 people. That “family” mentality means that you value the individual, treat them with respect and appreciate them and what they have to offer. No matter the size of your team, you should try to create that family atmosphere. Not only will your work environment be healthier, but you and your team will be happier and will be able to work even harder.
If you’re going to use LinkedIn, use it the right way:
Dont’s:
- Forget to include a picture of yourself
- Don’t put anything out there that you wouldn’t say to your coworker
Do’s:
- Be consistent- That means be consistent with your brand, your messaging and with how often you post
- Connect don’t collect- Really make an effort to connect with people instead of just focusing on gaining more and more followers
- If you are uploading a video, make sure you add subtitles!
Keep learning and stay curious:
Sara is a firm believer that you can learn something in almost any situation. Keep that curiosity going and try to learn a few things here and there, no matter the industry. You never know when that knowledge might help you in your business down the road! Whether it’s listening to podcasts, reading books, networking or exploring the web, keep your mind active and open and you’ll be amazed at how much you can learn.
Resource List:
Free Google analytics and Adwords course
