What Drives You?

Anyone who knows me knows I am a very high-energy and very passionate person with a definite point of view on things. I will rarely be passive, not listening in meetings or come without an opinion if I am asked. I am prepared. I read the pre-read. I read the footnotes. I double highlight and bookmark it. I go to bed reading win-loss reviews (yep… I know).

I care—a LOT—about the journey and the outcome. I often get asked, and I ask myself to be honest, “What drives you to work so hard?” or “How do you stay motivated?” and mostly“Whyyyy?” It’s a hard one to answer, but it comes up time and time again that I’m ‘wired differently’ in some way. That I need to explain myself.

I wish I could say it was money. That would be an acceptable response to most. Compensation is a marker of value in some regard, and I care to be valued—but it’s not really what drives me. I’ve walked away from money if I’m not fulfilled.

So what is it? What keeps me inspired, day in and day out?

I’ve been thinking a lot and I think it’s really just a love of the game. A love of playing the game of SaaS marketing and playing the position of PMM on a GTM team. Getting great at my craft / sport. Learning from the best PMMs out there. Showing up for my cross-functional team, saving the ball when it needs saving and cheering for the squad when they hit a home run. Working on getting better every day. It’s a creative outlet. I love visual messaging and strategic articulation - to come up with a simple way to explain something complex and get to the crux of the 'Aha' moment fast. It gives me some sort of thrill when we are able to do it.

There's something deeply satisfying about the process. The strategy, the messaging and positioning nuance, the challenge of turning a blank page into a storyline that resonates and is memorable. It’s like solving a puzzle where the pieces are always changing and moving, even if you put them in the right place last quarter. It’s the thrill of seeing your work make an impact, of knowing that your ideas and efforts can move the needle.

And it’s so much more fun doing it on a team vs. solo. I do good IC work but my best work is cross-functional. I love helping others succeed, passing the baton and lifting up the squad on my shoulders. It takes time to find the team rhythm but once you find it, it’s magic. Anyone who tells me otherwise doesn’t know or get me.

I also love coaching and mentoring those who ask me for it. I love watching younger talent blossom and helping them find their confidence. So many amazing leaders have helped me find mine, and passing it forward is a special kind of feeling. It’s more fullfilling than winning at things myself. There’s nothing quite like the moment when someone you’ve mentored has their breakthrough. I mentor for free, hit me up.



So hell yeah I’m motivated. I love the game, and I love playing with a team who is motivated to win it. I love product marketing, it’s my chosen craft and I’m deeply proud of the field and what it’s become. I seek to keep inspired, pushing myself into new fields, new technologies, new teams, and I’m not afraid to fall down.

Perhaps I’m a workacholic, I don’t know, but I also don’t know any other way to be.

So that’s why I’m so motivated. It’s a deep well that keeps on providing.

Below are some pictures of my favourite people / teams who have taught me a lot in my career. I think of you all often.

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A Practical Guide to Product Strategy