Words can make you love – or leave – a product. Done right, they can drive revenue. Done wrong, they can make your execs wonder why customers aren't buying it. As a senior manager of UX content strategy for a growing tech company, I have years of experience building and retaining creative talent who love and excel at what they do.
I approach leading teams they same way I approach a test plan as an individual contributor: with close listening, empathy, and an eye toward doing what's right for the business. "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" was the team rallying cry on the old TV show "Friday Night Lights," and it's a pretty apt concept for creative problem solving. Know what challenges you face, believe in your talents as a communicator, and get out there and win!
I challenge myself and my teams to drive impact today, while also pushing toward what's next. Sometimes this means demand testing before a build out. Other times it means prototyping a creative solution before our business partners request it. Right now, my biggest focus is keeping creative teams energized and producing top-notch work and, at the same time, embracing new technologies like LLMs to scale and personalize work so that it's hyper-relevant to every audience we're targeting.
Well, technically, I led with it. At my first job, I wore frilly calf-length bloomers, a bonnet with an enormous bow tied at the chin, and an eyelet apron. I was Little Bo Peep, a host at a theme restaurant in Burbank, California, which my friends referred to as "Borebank." Carrying my staff and a stack of menus, I asked diners to "flock this way," as I led them to their tables. It was a great job – hard to top, really. And it taught me the value of not being afraid to look ridiculous at work. Because ridiculous ideas are fun, bold, and often lead to the best solutions.
I've been to Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney Sea once, Disneyland in Anaheim more times than I can count, and for two years, I was an annual passholder at Walt Disney World in Florida, even though I live in SF. If you want tips on how to hit four parks in one day or three marquee rides by 9 a.m., I'm your person. Hot tip: embrace your inner data nerd with third-party apps like Touring Plans or Disney Dining. Now I'm dreaming about Dole Whips!
"My Voyage to Italy." The run time is 246 minutes, or 4 hours and 6 minutes, but that is too long to sit in vintage theater seats, so there were two intermissions. I adore a big-screen movie experience and tend to gravitate toward fellow movie buffs. If you can believe it, I had TWO companions with me that day at the Castro Theatre. For the past year, my daughter and I have been AMC A-Listers, which means we can see up to three movies a week with our monthly membership. 2023 was a great movie year IMHO. I loved, loved, loved "Past Lives," "The Holdovers," "Barbie," "The Taste of Things," and "Perfect Days." I hope 2024 keeps the momentum going.
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