What would you do if you didn’t work in healthcare?
I have always wanted to work in a wine tasting room at a vineyard. It would combine two of my favorite things — learning about different wines and meeting new people. If you think about it, wine is not that different from healthcare — it involves science, relationships and it can make you feel better — but also has a lot of regulations. Perhaps that will become the retirement plan goal!
How has the pandemic reset the rules on your work-life balance?
The pandemic made me appreciate those moments that you take for granted in normal life — the hallway conversations at the office, having a funny exchange with the person you buy your morning tea from and using the commute home to decompress/let your mind wander and your creativity flow. I’ve had to find ways to mimic those unexpected moments of joy and decompression in other ways. On the upside, as we head back into the office, I’ll now have twice the moments of unexpected joy and decompression to choose from!
Share a moment when you left your comfort zone; what did you learn?
I think all of COVID was (and still continues to be) me out of my comfort zone. There was no playbook for how to handle employees or clients through a pandemic safely, as well as still keep your business afloat (and profitable). I learned that I am a lot tougher and smarter than I give myself credit for and I realized I am actually really good at this whole CEO-thing.
What do you find frustrating about working in healthcare marketing?
I find some of the regulations that govern how we can market, and therefore educate patients, very frustrating. So much has changed in the last 10 years and the rules/laws have not kept up with the pace of that change. It seems like money and resources could be better spent on researching new treatments and providing payment assistance to patients for needed medications, rather than figuring out how to interpret regulations written decades ago for modern times.
What are you doing to send the career ladder back down?
At EvolveMKD, everything is based on performance. I used to hate it when I heard feedback like “you haven’t been working long enough” or “you aren’t old enough” in my performance reviews. At EMKD, all we care about is how you perform and that you demonstrate our “Be Kind, Don’t Suck” motto. If you are doing those two things, we will keep giving you opportunity to grow and gain more experience. There truly is no ceiling here.
What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?
I have a debilitating fear of heights. It’s a huge problem when you have to fly all the time for work and are a tall woman!
What is one thing you would tell young women starting their careers in healthcare marketing?
Ask every question you have. I was really afraid to ask questions when I started, and probably made things harder on myself by having to figure things out on my own. When you are starting out, you have carte blanche to ask anything you want — take the opportunity and soak up the knowledge.
Favorite TV show/movie/song/book?
My two favorite movies are Working Girl and Overboard (the original one). I think both are examples of how women can be so many different things all at once — fierce, feminine, determined, fun, deceptive, snobby, humble, etc. I appreciate how the women in these movies don’t fit into one stereotype of what a woman should be, plus Goldie Hawn and Dolly are goals and the ’80s fashion is amazing!
