EP (48) Sarah Stockdale: How She's Built a Life As a Growth Hacker Scaling Early Stage Technology Companies
Back when Sarah started her career after grad school, startups were not the "it" thing to be apart of.
She was about to embark on a highly sought after PR role in Toronto, when a friend suggested that she interview at a new accounting startup. Without much knowledge, she decided to go for it before fully committing to her high level job offer.
That one decision changed the course of her career.
From the get-go, she loved the idea of taking ownership of her work and working for a startup. Trying things where you didn't have a million and one bosses scrutinizing you. Experimenting with ideas. Independently learning almost everything - as there often isn't a whole lot of guidance in the startup world. Working alongside various departments and building something from scratch.
It was exhilarating and scary, all in one. There really is a sink or swim mentality.
Funny thing is, she never thought she'd be working in the tech field. It just goes to show that whatever your background is, it can be transferable.
She's now a self-proclaimed tech nerd. From working at her first startup as a product manager/ marketing pro, to being poached (through Twitter) for a US based startup known as Tilt - which was recently acquired by Airbnb. There she held the title of Director of Global Community Growth. Starting with a team of three people in Canada, and expanding the company's reach to six other countries.
They had to think fast and act fast. Everything in the growth hacking world is about experimenting, measuring and repeating the process until something sticks and takes off.
In this extremely informative interview, Sarah and I discuss how she's been able to branch out on her own, what it's like to work as a growth consultant with startups and how she's managing her newly found entrepreneurial career. Be sure to take a listen. You don't want to miss this one, if you're wanting to know how to grow and have an impact.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASKED:
Did you ever think you'd end up in this line of work?
What was your first role like?
What was the biggest learning curve you had to overcome?
How did you learn how to read date and figure out growth strategies?
What growth strategy did you employ throughout your career that saw a lot of success?
What does a growth hacker do, exactly?
How do you adjust to failure these days?
Was it hard moving from a full time, salary position to a consulting role?
What type of clients do you work for now?
Are there certain industries that excite you more than others?
And so much more...
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
Why it's important to step outside your own comfort zone and take a risk
The lesson in taking a job that pays less, but you learn more
How to fly before you're ready
How you too, can learn how to read and understand data
Creative ways to grow and scale a company
How to take calculated, creative risks and not be afraid
What it means to fail fast in the growth world
How to get into growth hacking
What type of career you can expect
And lots more...
OTHER LINKS:
CONNECT WITH SARAH STOCKDALE
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Edited by: James Nicholson