Danielle Bazely, CM, Senior Account Executive at Postmedia Solutions, discusses the social media space, noting your accomplishments and how today’s knowledge will look different tomorrow. Danielle touches on why staying curious and flexible is important, the importance of women uplifting each other and knowing what you want. 

The Next Generation of Leaders

As a professional dedicated to the field of marketing, I have found that staying ahead in this ever-evolving landscape requires a unique blend of creativity, strategy, and continuous learning. My journey, has taught me invaluable lessons about recording achievements, staying curious, and adapting to rapid changes. Consulting with clients and working on the agency side has fueled my enthusiasm for the field, allowing me to dive deep into diverse industries and innovate constantly. As a queer-identifying woman, I am particularly inspired by advancements in diversity, equity, and inclusion within business, and I remain committed to empowering myself and others through education and leadership. The CM program offered me an excellent opportunity to network with high-level professionals in the Canadian marketing landscape and differentiate myself in a competitive industry. I continue to leverage the incremental value of the Canadian Marketing Association for professional marketers and the investment they provide for the next generation of leaders.

Why I Am Passionate About Marketing

I love the intersection between art and business, the integration of psychology, and how marketing has changed our perceptions—from our desires and needs to what we want out of life. There’s something beautiful about creating that connection between a need and a purchase, giving people a chance to connect with a product or service. Without marketing, the world wouldn’t be as connected as it is today.

What I Have Learned Since I Started My Career

I wish I had recorded my achievements throughout my journey because careers can move quickly. You want to be able to look back and understand where the tools and projects have changed and learn from those experiences as you move forward. Even if it wasn’t necessarily in your job description, take note of everything you accomplished. Record what you had the opportunity to do and what you learned to reflect on your journey. By doing that, you will build up your resume for the future.

Why Ongoing Learning Is Fundamental in Marketing

What makes marketing unique is that it changes faster than any other business silo. How we market and the platforms we use to change every day, driven entirely by consumer behaviour. When pursuing marketing, you must be aware that, unlike fields like operations and sales, strategies get adjusted monthly and quarterly. The job descriptions were very different when I graduated from university over a decade ago. Now, we’re seeing the integration of roles like chief strategy officers and chief intelligence or artificial intelligence officers. These roles will significantly affect the marketing landscape and how technology evolves.

Understand that what you know today could be completely different tomorrow, so be prepared to grow and learn constantly. One of the aspects I cherish most about my career is consulting with clients. There’s a unique thrill in understanding a client’s vision, goals, and challenges and then crafting tailored strategies to help them succeed. Being able to provide expert advice and see the tangible results of our collaborative efforts is immensely rewarding. Consulting allows me to dive deep into various industries, continuously learning and adapting, which keeps my passion for marketing alive and thriving.

Stay Curious Above All Else

I value my network and staying in touch with colleagues across different verticals. Maintaining connections and learning from others is essential if you’re in marketing. Ask colleagues what’s working for them, and don’t forget to read. You can never read enough. Every week, new blogs or tips emerge, helping you succeed, depending on your role and intersection between consultation, leadership, and execution. Above all, stay curious.

Marketing Is Ever Changing, so Remain Flexible

When I first entered marketing in the social media space, it was new to the business landscape. There were many unknowns about leveraging social media for business marketing, but it was exciting because everyone was discovering it together. These days, social media is incredibly saturated. For those platforms, social media is their entire business. Today, seeing an ad and engaging with a business or brand on social media is natural. If you asked folks ten years ago, they might have predicted the rise of social media, but maybe not to the degree it has reached today.

It’s important to always look forward for solutions and work with the right partners. I was fortunate at a young age to be awarded the Young Professional Leader Award by my local chamber. I developed and worked on a rebrand, one of the coolest projects I’ve ever been part of. Still, those moments don’t define my career, but they have helped propel it forward. A career is long, and I would like to have a million more moments that feel defining but only contribute to the puzzle that will make up my career.

Why I am Passionate About DEI and the CMA

As a woman in the field, I’m impressed and empowered by how women support and lift each other, especially within the Canadian Marketing Association. Being a queer woman and a female professional is one reason I pursued my designation. I believe strongly in education because you can never be overdressed or overeducated. That’s a quote I live by. I also wanted to provide myself with an edge and a distinction in a male-dominated space. There’s an element of being taken seriously, legitimized by earning the CM designation. Since my career began, the landscape has increasingly focused on equity, such as creating more gender-equitable environments. I wanted to work to change the system by putting myself in a leadership position where I could be trusted with businesses and clients while knowing my ambitions would further empower women and folks of all genders in the marketing profession.

Lean into Your Career

Although I started in social media and franchising, I went where there was a need because marketing always needs fresh minds to learn new things. When I started, I was new and active in the social space. I entered the franchising space to satisfy the need for advice, consultation, and input. I understood social media platforms better than most professionals, which was needed. Working on the agency side has given me a broader perspective and a dynamic environment where creativity meets strategy. The fast-paced nature of agency life pushes me to innovate constantly and think outside the box. Collaborating with diverse teams and clients from different sectors ensures that no two projects are the same, keeping my work challenging and exciting. The agency setting fosters a culture of continuous improvement and growth, which is crucial for staying ahead in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.

Ask Yourself What You Want

Whatever career you pursue, ask yourself what you want from it. Ask yourself where you want to be in ten years. There are multiple paths to get there, so figure out where you want to be.

The best advice I can give somebody is to look at the leadership of where you’re going. Understand who you will work for, work with, and what partners you’ll have. Lean in based on the leadership you want to learn from. You will learn the most from them; they will be the most influential people in your career. Without them, you won’t have a network, which is fundamental to success.

Danielle Bazely, CM
Senior Account Executive at Postmedia Solutions

 

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