Melissa Chamberlain

Hi everyone - After a year and a half, my run at Fetcher (along with many other talented folks) has come to an end. For the first time in a long while, I'm open to new opportunities and excited for what's next. Taking some downtime to decompress and enjoy the start of autumn with my amazing wife and our ridiculous dogs has been refreshing and energizing. It has also given me the chance to reflect on what truly drives me in my work. Here’s what excites me: ✅ Building transformative brands that move the needle: ▪️ I've been fortunate to lead three successful corporate rebrands and rollouts, including one post-$1B acquisition and another preceding a $100M investment round. ✅ Developing and scaling creative teams that deliver: ▪️ I believe in in-house creativity, having minimized reliance on agencies and grown creative self-sufficiency at every org I've been with. ▪️ I find real joy in mentoring, championing, and elevating junior team members to do their absolute best work. ✅ Working directly with founders, C-suite executives, and board members to align vision with execution: ▪️ There’s nothing more satisfying than turning complex visions into compelling stories and campaigns. ✅ Being in the first impressions business: ▪️ Guidelines, frameworks, and design systems are definitely my jam. I love crafting the narratives and materials that teams (and their products) need to shine in front of customers, prospects, and investors. If you know anyone looking for a brand/creative/content leader (or perhaps something out of left field—I’ve been known to wear many hats), I’d love to connect. And hey, if you’d like to chat, catch up, or grab a coffee sometime, that would be incredibly welcome too! ☕ #OpenToWork

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My secret dream in writing workingagreement.com is to become an advice columnist. This week I got my first question: what's different about onboarding new teammates when this is their first job out of undergrad? Read on to find out more, including my list of common new grad mistakes, and some good advice from Julia McClellan: https://lnkd.in/gHGudsfZ

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Tl;dr: In 2024, people appreciate reminders! 😀 I'm the person who's always worried that he's bugging others too much and/or is sending too many follow-ups or reminders. 👍 And there may be times that I *really* am the person who pushes too hard but I'm realizing more and more that in a world where people get hundreds of emails, messages, multi-platform pings, etc. each day, they often appreciate (not just "don't resent" but appreciate) people who send reminders and follow-up on messages they may have missed or forgotten. 😎

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How are other organizations preparing for the future? The UC Irvine team generously shared all their hot tips and expertise in this insightful webinar. From not overlooking “silent skills” and empowering employees to manage their careers there was lots of great advice! Learn more about why UC Irvine chose Fuel50 to help grow their people and ultimately their organization too. Carve out an hour and watch here: https://hubs.la/Q02BQFx50 . #Fuel50 #TalentMobility

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RTO is a failure of vision. And based on how difficult it is to hire people based on location, I believe our leaders need to rethink what it means to develop and support the talent that exists in an organization. Here’s an example. All my calls are on Zoom, working with people around the world. Desk space like this is what is waiting for the RTO mandate. This space is not conducive to being productive. It simply represents a cost to the company that is inversly proportional to production. Leadership means finding paths to success that are diferentiated, not limited by outdated views of the workplace. But what do I know …

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Transforming Childcare in Seattle: Success Stories from 3 SI In this video, we explore the significant impact of 3 SI in Seattle over the past decade. Discover how strategic initiatives have led to over $150 million in funding for early learning services in underserved neighborhoods, addressing crucial childcare access issues. #ChildcareAccess #SeattleSuccess #EarlyLearning #3SIImpact #CommunitySupport #EducationFunding #AccessDeserts #LocalInitiatives #ChildCareReform #KingCounty

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👉 Over the last 4 weeks, I've had the honor of waking up every morning and hearing powerful, moving stories from enablement leaders around the world.    I've heard stories of triumph 💫   I've heard stories of sacrifice 💪   I've heard the community stand up and show up for each other 💕   We asked you all to share what enablement means to you and what you wish the world knew.    And the themes that emerged were evident in every single submission.   As a sales enablement leader:   1) Your joy comes from helping others grow and succeed: You will go out of your way to seek out those who are struggling because that's where you can have the biggest impact. Every single submission mentioned the word "helping." It's core to who you are.    2) Mutual trust is absolutely imperative to your success: Sales reps have to trust that you're looking out for them, and you have to trust that they'll absorb and apply the coaching, guidance, and support you provide.    3) You put your sellers first, even before yourselves: You insist on winning as a team. If there's an opportunity to be a better coach, mentor, or upskill your reps - you'll take it without hesitation.    4) Your impact extends far beyond revenue generation: You set the tone for creating a culture of curiosity, empathy, and continuous learning. You foster an environment that gives those around you a sense of belonging, all while collaborating and driving alignment across the entire organization.    5) You directly influence retention: When reps feel supported by you, they're more likely to stay, significantly reducing turnover and fueling the growth of the entire organization.    Today, I'm thrilled to congratulate Monica Sanchez 🎉, the winner of the #IAmEnablement contest. Enjoy her submission linked in the comments below 💕   We'll continue promoting these incredible stories across our network and encouraging others to share. Because a world where everyone understands the value of enablement is a better world for us all 🐙 #IAmEnablement #SalesEnablement

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What I'm reading now: "Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better," by Kim Scott, provides a roadmap for creating a culture where *everyone* can do the best work of their lives. Kim's first book, "Radical Candor," contains some of the best advice ever on how to become a great manager. This one is kind of a sequel and focuses on building an inclusive, respectful work culture. As you know if you follow her on LinkedIn, Kim Scott is doing some of the best business writing in the world these days. Go get this book! https://lnkd.in/e-CRmYSB

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Corny LinkedIn post alert: 🚨 In the spirit of thankfulness, I’m pausing this week to reflect on how tough parts of this year were—and where I ended up. Let’s be real: the unknown is terrifying. But somehow, the opportunities that came pouring out of my network on this platform blew me away. Truly, LinkedIn—you understood the assignment. 👏 I’ve got to give a major shoutout to the people I’ve connected with here—not the spammy, “Hi, Caitlin, can I have 15 minutes of your time?” types, but the real connections. The ones who cheer each other on, swap advice, and genuinely celebrate each other's wins. And the best part? Meeting so many of you IRL at events felt less like a first introduction and more like reuniting with an old friend. It’s proof that this whole “relationship-building” thing actually works—if you do it right. Show up authentically, invest in people (not just profiles), and focus on building real value, not quick-hit transactions. As we slide into the holiday season, I’m carrying a huge bucket of gratitude for this community. If we’ve talked, collaborated, or even exchanged a funny GIF in DMs this year—thank you. You’ve been a bright spot. Here’s to more connections, more opportunities, and maybe a little less chaos in the year ahead. 🦃

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My favorite YouTube content? Unlikely animal friendships. My favorite LinkedIn content? Practical work advice. Julia McClellan and I worked together for 3+ years, and while she claims not to be Gen Z, this elder Millenial has her doubts. I’ve been posting practical work tips on Substack at https://lnkd.in/gp-q3VzP, but Julia told me no one reads and that video is where it’s at. For fun, check out the first episode of this mini-series on thriving at work.

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Hi Everyone--For the next 90 days, I'm taking a leap of faith and committing to sharing daily posts on LinkedIn. No hidden agenda, no sales pitch, no stories about saving a dog who turned out to be a hiring manager, just a personal challenge to step outside of my comfort zone to complete something. Day 1 of 90 complete. #90DayChallenge #PersonalGrowth

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A close friend of mine asked me this morning if I know any good "CRO people" for a full-time role his company is hiring for. I don't care how big you are - for me, CRO will always be one of those functions that is never deserving of a full-time head count. That's like driving all the way to the gym to train your triceps. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) should be highly collaborative. Your sales team, product team, and customer success team should all be putting forth ideas for tests, not just marketing. It should be more than running through a backlog list of A/B tests. Scour your competitors. Listen to sales calls. Don't just test the blue versus red CTA button. Don't get me wrong, I think CRO is critical. Especially when you've reached a pivoting point in your demand curve. But in the hands of the right Demand Gen leader the execution is fairly easy. What do you think? What other sales and marketing functions just are not deserving of a FTE?

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So proud of this team. Did you know 76% of high-performing women get negative feedback on their work? And only 2% of men?! Maybe you've already heard that stat bouncing around the internet. I keep seeing the stat pop up on LinkedIn and Instagram. Sometimes the authors are cited. Sometimes they're not. But either way it's a *conversation* that's happening. First and foremost I'm happy the conversation is happening. But let's be clear. The Textio team made this conversation happen. And it's SO overdue. Five or six months ago, Rachel Fukaya sat down with Kieran Snyder to start planning this research report. (I was in the room, but they're the masterminds.) An entire team of data scientists and marketers worked their butts off for *months* to source and analyze data, write, design, publish, and pitch this report. It went live 2.5 weeks ago. Since then, at least 8 major publications have covered our team's research, with more to come. Millions of people have seen this data now, without exaggeration. I see our stats showing up in all my social media channels, spontaneously, from accounts I don't even follow. ❤️ This right here is why I love my job ❤️ You can't manage what you don't measure. Garbage feedback and shifting goal posts and "personality fit" biases have been the norm in workplaces for way way way too long. We can change it. We're going to. I'm grateful to get to be part of a team uncovering these patterns and pushing the conversation forward. And not just that, we're inventing new products and new approaches that make performance management better and less messed up. Two thoughts: 💌 If you're having this conversation with your friends and colleagues, if you're sharing it with your networks, THANK YOU!!! You rock. 📌 Just don't forget to mention the authors It's just too ironic if the people who put in the work to quantify these unfair performance standards don't get credit for their work.

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So, we had my parents over for the weekend, and as I was talking about my upcoming work trip to San Francisco on Friday when they hit me with this question: "Wait... what is it exactly that you do again?" So, I took a deep breath and gave it my best shot 🤣 Imagine you've baked the most delicious cake and now want people to buy it. But first, you need to: 1. Figure out who’s hungry for it – This is like finding out who’s most likely to love your cake (your audience). 2. Tell them why they’ll love it – You need to explain why your cake is special (your messaging). Maybe it’s extra fluffy or made with grandma’s secret recipe. 3. Put it in the right places – If you place it in the right bakery or café where cake lovers go, you’ve got a better chance of selling out! (Go-to-market strategy) She nodded, thinking about it for a second, and said, "So, you're the person who makes sure the right people know about the best stuff and where to get it?" Exactly, Mom. Exactly. 💪 #ProductMarketing #ExplainingMyJob #GoToMarket

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Are you part of an RTO mandate and have observed (or are on the side of implementing) new policies around how RTO is actually being *enforced*? I'd love to hear from you. Message me here or Signal ChaoticGoode.12 for secure communications. Also: We recently did an episode of Uncanny Valley about RTO https://lnkd.in/gSPHPfhf I'm trying to get a sense of what happens next... (No PR pitches on Signal, pls)

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Please check out the latest edition of the "newspaper of record" for the localization industry, and make sure to check out the article Agustín Da Fieno Delucchi, Alfredo de Almeida and yours truly authored on "shift left" perspective, to embrace the change that is, again, happening in our industry

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Day 4 of my October running challenge, and Portland decided to test me! 🌧️ What started as a drizzle, ended in a downpour. Sound familiar, product folks? 😅 Here's what my soggy run reminded me about building great products and consumer experiences: 🌤️ → 🌧️ Conditions change: Your initial product vision might look sunny, but be ready for stormy weather along the way (in what world is it all ☀️). 💪 Persistence pays: Pushing through the storms often leads to the biggest breakthroughs. 🧥 Adapt your gear: Like switching to a raincoat (which I of course forgot), pivot your strategies when the market shifts. 👀 Watch your step: Slippery conditions require careful navigation, just like tricky stakeholder situations or complex regulations. 🏁 Finish strong: The sense of accomplishment at the end? That's you and your team celebrating a great product launch (or you crossing the finish line)! Remember, it's not about perfect conditions, it's about consistent effort (consistency compounds). Whether you're pounding wet pavement or pushing pixels, keep moving forward! What stormy weather have you encountered along the way in your product journey? (It would be too nice if it was perfect.) Share your rainy day victories below! 👇 #ProductManagement #Resilience #WetButNotBeaten #ConsistencyWins #Running

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Back-to-school looks different for all parents. For me, gone are the days of my kids integrating into their elementary / high school communities. Now, back-to-school is sending my youngest off in his car to 3rd year Uni hoping he drives carefully, arrives safely, and gets home safely. All parents are experiencing this back-to-school time differently. If a parent is on your team, have grace as they get through what can be a first time in full day elementary school, to first day in high school, to organizing the crazy drop off / pick up schedules that never seem to align with working hours. #workingparents #backtoschool

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