Laura C.

Laughter is one of the most connective and powerful emotional experiences people can share with each other at work. My absolute favorite moment at work in all of 2024 was a 30 minute meeting where my CEO Matt Cooper, Megan Beane Torres and a couple of other colleagues and I were trying out some filters for Google meet. In our defense, we were earnestly testing functionality to see what we may lose or gain in shifting some of our meetings to this platform from another we were using. Within minutes we found ourselves laughing so hard we were crying as we tried on various digital disguises and avatars - like pirate costumes and lion faces. Business topics just hit differently when you’re trying to have a discussion with a talking tomato! 🍅 (IYKYK!) We got absolutely no practical work done in that first 15 minutes, but we laughed so hard our sides hurt and it was just pure fun and silliness. It was not only fun but it was so so needed to bring some levity into our days. What was the business value in having those 15 minutes of fun? It cannot be practically measured but it’s clearly connection building gold. Work doesn’t need to be so serious all the time. We do hard things and work really hard yes- however, hard work doesn’t need to feel heavy. Finding joy, choosing happiness, injecting humor and being playful at the same time as you’re working hard can create magical connections and makes working more FUN. I also love this example because we were not co-located together, but we experienced side stitching laughter that you often only experience when you’re together with your friends. 💛 🙊

60

6 Comments

Event Marketing/Planning, gets you face to face with your prospects/clients, to influence their buying decisions. It's nice to work for companies that value face to face interactions. The most powerful tool in the marketing kit.

6

2 Comments

🌟 Supporting Talent in Transition 🌟 (A like, comment or share goes a long way!) I recently had the privilege of working alongside an incredibly talented team who unfortunately faced a layoff due to recent restructuring. Each member possesses exceptional skills and a deep commitment to their profession. 👥 Please take a moment to connect with them and explore their profiles: Product Marketing: Shelley Adams Trupti Wadadekar Digital Marketing: Jessica MacMillan Kristina Yurukova-Boyadzhieva Rob Davidson Shanda Boyett Courtney Welch (Boeckman) Marketing Operations: Kathleen (Kat) Arroyo Data Analysts: Quentin Scherger Austin Grimm Marketing Animation: Mortada Gzar Events Marketing: Alan Thurston Project Management: Stephanie Will, PMP, PSM Dianna Plasencia Nandia Baterdene Creative/Design: Stephanie Euzebio Sabrina Zhou Content Marketers: Sarah Long Malie Hudson Let's rally together to support these professionals in finding their next opportunity. Your network could be the bridge to their next career chapter. #SupportingTalent #CareerOpportunities #LinkedInProfiles #Networking *Please feel free to tag anyone else I've forgotten, if you're looking or know of anyone else in the comments section.

48

10 Comments

Hello to my Texas network and SaaS GTM folks 👋 #jobalert If you're a builder type and a greenfield opportunity with a mission gets you stoked, check out this Enterprise Sales Director role with Gorilla - Energy data applications - leading the US market expansion, building the strategy, and breaking new ground as a player/coach leader, hiring the team as you go. Bonus: when you visit headquarters in Antwerp, I'll trade you luxe Belgian chocolates for fresh corn tortillas. Deal? We need someone with market launch experience (zero to $10M ARR) who gets long enterprise SaaS cycles (deals from $500K - $2M). This, indeed, is not your first rodeo (sorry, couldn't help it). I'm 3 weeks into my role working with VP Revenue Ryan Tutt and having a heck of a lot of fun. There's plenty to build with a collaborative and mission-driven team. That feeling when you wake up in the morning excited to get cracking just can't be beat. Happy to chat if you think your experience is a match. Job description in the comments. #sales #enterprisesales #saas #texas #gtm

52

3 Comments

It’s been an amazing experience lately interviewing candidates for open roles at Bloomerang. We have a few open roles that are at multiple levels and it is inspiring to hear people’s stories Two things that are echoed by almost every candidate: 1. “I want to do meaningful work, work that actually makes a difference in the world.” 2. “I am passionate about “x” cause because of <insert personal experience>” This right here, is why I came to Bloomerang too. The beautiful thing about this, is sooo many amazing people on the market, want this. It’s not just because they are applying to Bloomerang How do we have so many businesses that lose sight of this in the world? Here is more of what I keep hearing: 👉 SaaS is fun and so is tech, but I am at a point where I want to be passionate about what I am marketing or selling 👉 I want give back 👉 I need a place that values giving back 👉 I am sick of helping the rich get richer I want to help make a difference 👉 I want to be at a company that matches my values Everyone has a passion for a cause that hits close to home. Everyone has a choice to help or not. I mean the words in my LinkedIn profile: “Bringing humanity back to business” and I can’t think of a better place to be doing that than where I am.

38

10 Comments

As we head into the holidays, a time that’s supposed to feel joyful and connected, I can’t help but think about the heavy reality so many are facing right now. Layoffs continue to dominate the news, leaving friends, colleagues, and loved ones in uncertainty. It’s easy to feel unsure of what to say or how to help—but that’s exactly why we need to push through the discomfort and check in. Even if it’s something simple like, “I’m thinking of you—how can I help?” It doesn’t have to be perfect. Send a job listing. Write a testimonial. Offer to listen. Just let them know you care. And please—don’t stop after one message. One of the hardest parts of being laid off isn’t just losing your job. It’s the silence. When the initial flurry of “I’m so sorry” messages fades, and people stop checking in—that’s when it can feel truly isolating. So today, and in the days ahead, let’s lean into our humanity. Take the time to reach out. Check in with your friends, your coworkers, even the ones who seem like they’ve got it all together. Especially them. A small gesture can mean so much. Who will you check in on today?

32

4 Comments

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

22

8 Comments

Why hire me as a contractor instead of bringing on an employee? Simple: I deliver results without the baggage. Hiring a full-time employee means committing to onboarding, training, benefits, long-term costs, and hoping they live up to expectations. I skip all of that. I come in ready to get things done from day one. No hand-holding, no training wheels—just immediate impact. Here’s the truth: I’m Here to Solve Problems, Not Fit In Employees are expected to “fit the culture” and stick around for years. That’s great for some roles, but when you need fast results, it’s a luxury you can’t afford. You don’t need someone who’s just trying to clock in and out—you need someone to dive into your challenges and solve them. That’s where I come in. I Don’t Get Stuck in Office Politics Employees can get bogged down in internal politics, long meetings, and the typical 9-5 grind. As a contractor, I’m laser-focused on one thing: delivering what you hired me for. I’m not here to join the team—I’m here to drive results, push projects forward, and make sure your business runs smoother when I leave. You Pay for Expertise, Not Overhead With me, you’re not paying for someone to “settle in” over six months. You’re not covering sick days, holidays, or endless onboarding costs. You’re paying for a solution, and that’s exactly what you get—fast, efficient, and high-quality work that’s built to last. Flexibility Without Commitment Full-time employees come with long-term commitments. But if your needs change, or the project pivots, you’re stuck. With me, you get flexibility. You scale up when you need, scale down when you don’t. No strings attached, no wasted costs. Proven Experience, No Guesswork Hiring an employee can feel like a gamble—will they deliver? Will they actually solve the problems? With me, there’s no question. I have the track record. I’ve been building AI systems, SaaS platforms, and automating workflows for years. I know exactly what needs to be done, and I don’t waste time getting there. Let’s face it—your business doesn’t need more overhead. It needs results. If you want someone who’s going to hit the ground running and make an impact without the long-term commitment, I’m your guy. ----------------------------------------------- Hi, I’m Matt — and I help businesses streamline operations, automate workflows, and scale efficiently through AI and SaaS platforms. I’m available for freelance/Outside IR35 contract work immediately in October 2024. Email: [email protected] Phone: 07716427509

2

1 Comment

I want to see more companies replace their office holiday parties with the gifts that really matter to their employees. Gifts like: 🎁 Goal alignment and clear expectations 🎁 Distributed work 🎁 Better communication practices 🎁 Fewer (and better) meetings 🎁 Defined roles and responsibilities 🎁 More productive workflows 🎁 More high-impact work and less busy work 🎁 Access to self-serve information Workers are trying to do it all, but they’re stuck in a system that they can’t win against. Help them win all year round by improving how work gets done.

225

30 Comments

In an interview, I asked, “What’s your approach when a team disagrees on the way forward?” The candidate said, “I’d listen to everyone’s perspective, find common ground, and propose a solution that aligns with the bigger goal. A good decision isn’t just about being right—it’s about moving forward together.” That response stuck with me. They didn’t just focus on outcomes; they valued collaboration and harmony. The best hires don’t just lead—they unite. Follow:- Jyotiee Pardessi (Pinks) #Collaboration #Leadership #Teamwork #ProblemSolving #ConflictResolution #Empathy #GrowthMindset #Harmony #DecisionMaking #StrongerTogether

341

49 Comments

As I pack boxes for Austin and peek into 2025, I'm reminded that the best innovations often come from asking "what if?" instead of "what's expected?" Traditional resumes never quite captured the full picture for me, I could never get excited about building or maintaining one. So I did what any reasonable person would do – I built a world instead. One night, my hobby of researching what domains are available lead me down a strange path - a .land domain. What emerged isn't just another portfolio site – it's a reflection of how I see the world: full of possibilities waiting to be coded into reality. A place where product development, marketing strategy, and full-stack engineering don't just coexist, they dance together in pixel-perfect harmony. Come wander through this little experiment in digital storytelling. I hope you enjoy. https://lnkd.in/gS4BWaFn #DigitalInnovation #CreativeCoding #WebDevelopment #TechStories #Innovation

27

10 Comments

Events are SO HOT right now. Events are also SO HARD right now. 😅 Budget cuts. Layoffs. No-shows. Doing more with less. Bla bla bla... Here are 3 things our team is doing this year to drive our event forward  ⤵ For context, I work on the team that executes VMware Explore, two large user conferences for IT practitioners. We are one of many players in this space, and our audience has many choices when it comes to tech events. So, what are we doing to make sure we are spreading the word far and wide within our community? Community alignment + engagement 🤗 We do this event FOR our customers and community. Full stop. This event is for them, and this year, we wanted to stay true to our roots and get even closer to our audience. We’ve started weekly calls with our community team to collaborate on Explore initiatives. Super easy, obvious step. Not a meeting for a sake of meetings, but time dedicated to stay aligned. And this has already led to a few positive outcomes. ~ Cross-promoting and amplifying content across our various channels. ~ More engagement and growth in our Explore LinkedIn group. People having real conversations with other people. Love to see it. ~We’re highlighting our community members and experts in Explore blog and email content (new program launching soon). ~ Tapping community members for video content that we’ll use for organic and paid social efforts to promote the event. The “don’t take our word for it” approach. Marketing activation kits 💥 Enablement is a huge part of our program's success. We need other divisions and teams to help sell our event, so we do everything in our power to set them up for success. In prior years, we’ve had what we’ve called SMAKS (social media activation kits.) This year, we broadened the scope to MAKS (marketing activation kits). Decks on decks on decks of resources, links, and assets galore. If you need *literally anything* to help promote, communicate, or amplify Explore as an employee, speaker, partner, etc.—it’s in one of our kits. Huge shout out to ASHLEY WOODBURY for leading this charge. Division enablement 🤝 Speaking of enablement, we no longer have robust field marketing or demand gen organizations to help drive event registrations. So, it’s fully on our team to build relationships within the various divisions to educate and enable them to get their customers to the event. Tamara Harrison Plemmons has spearheaded these relationships and serves as the single point of contact for marketing our event internally. She’s a pro at stakeholder management (aka, herding cats) and making sure folks have what they need when they need it. It sounds very simple, but distilling and distributing the right information to the right people at the right time across an enterprise organization is very challenging but also mission critical to our event's success. - How are you feeling about events this year? What's working / not working for your team? #B2BMarketing #EventMarketing

69

12 Comments

I shouldn't be working right now. Our due date for Baby#2 was yesterday (Happy Fathers Day to my fellow dads out here!) But alas, babies never come on time. So I'm hanging out with Chelsea Chen, Megan Cohen, and Benjamin Terrell for the foreseeable future. Before I go on paternity leave, I want to share a personal project I will be working on! It's called GamePlan and it's a weekly newsletter that teaches soloprenuers and small business owners how to use AI in their businesses. I cover stuff like #leadgen, #AIchatbots, #ai, #aivideo, and automating everything with #IFTTT. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e_cyrbmV. S/O to beehiiv for building a sweet newsletter tool. I'm still waiting for them to integrate with IFTTT.

40

1 Comment

I’ve never seen 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 talented professionals sitting on the bench. Seriously, never. We’re talking A+ players—the ones other teams dream of having, who are normally impossible to recruit. But now, they’re caught up in layoffs and struggling to land new roles. In the past 18 months, nearly every single one of my "head of communications" friends has been laid off. I’m not exaggerating.  It’s mind-boggling to watch entire #communications teams shrink to one or two people, just trying to keep the lights on with bare-minimum tactics. I can’t believe that some of the most talented people I’ve ever worked with are struggling to even get interviews. WHAT IS HAPPENING!? 😱 I know I’m not the only one seeing this, but it’s so frustrating to watch this talent go to waste—and to see their confidence take such a hit. 😕 So, given the large #comms network here on LinkedIn, I figured I'd put out the signal. I’ve got a list of brilliant communications leaders—across every function and level—who are actively looking for new opportunities. If you’re hiring for any of these roles, DM me, and I’ll introduce you to some truly stellar people: 📌 AR 📌 PR 📌 Internal communications 📌 Social media 📌 Messaging / content It just blows my mind how much talent is sitting on the sidelines right now. And while I get glimpses of hope when friends (finally) land new roles after 6, 9, or 12 months of searching—it’s still pretty depressing to see some of the smartest people I know feeling deflated and underutilized. It just shouldn’t be happening. And it’s a good reminder that a layoff is not a reflection of the skills or value of the person impacted. #jobseekers #hiring #commsjobs

630

139 Comments

EAs are often the unsung heroes/heroines of an organization, balancing complex tasks, supporting leadership, and ensuring seamless operations—all while staying in the background. It's not just about managing calendars or meetings; it's about driving impact and adding value in ways that often go unnoticed. What’s even more challenging is that, in many organizations, there’s no defined growth plan for EAs. Career progressions or promotions are rarely offered, leaving many feeling stuck despite their immense contributions. It’s refreshing to see such posts that recognize the broader potential of EAs, and the opportunity for them to transition into Senior roles like Chief of Staff. For those of us in this role, it’s a reassuring reminder of the value we bring and the opportunities that can lie ahead when our contributions are truly seen. #ExecutiveAssistant #Recognition #Leadership #CareerGrowth #EAToCOS

7

6 Comments

Check out this article featuring Austin's hottest companies, including Udemy. Perfect for anyone looking to make a career move! 🚀

5

🌟 Slack Anxiety 🌟 I took a year off work to write fiction. When I returned full-time, I had forgotten how chaotic Slack could be. I also realized my team hadn't been taught how to make Slack work best for them. As much as we'd like to believe that we have willpower over the machines, sometimes you need to take more significant actions to maintain your focus. Here are the ways I’ve made Slack less anxiety-inducing: ➡️ Mute notifications: Only keep mandatory groups active. ➡️ Turn off knock notifications: Silence unnecessary alerts. ➡️ Morning routine: Avoid Slack for the first hour of your day. ➡️ Scheduled Slack breaks: Close Slack for parts of your day. ➡️ Create regular groups: Connect with people you talk to often. ➡️ Direct mentions only: Disable notifications for indirect messages. ➡️ Personalize appearance: Change Slack's color to suit your preference. ➡️ Set reminders: For unfinished chats and then clear them from your view. Try these tips for a calmer, more focused Slack experience. Looking for more tips like this? Check out: https://lnkd.in/epxhMfku How do you manage Slack stress? Share your tips below!👇 #Productivity #WorkLifeBalance #SlackHacks

15

2 Comments

Leslie Greenwood and Melissa Moody 🍵 have created something pretty extraordinary with Wednesday Women. If you have been following them on LinkedIn, then you know what I mean. Now they have created a way for women leaders to connect 1:1 without joining another Slack group. Today is the *last* day to sign up before the first round of matches go out for the Wednesday Exec Women 1:1 Chat program - hosted on Matcha.so 🍵. Here’s what you can expect: ✨ Grow your network - meet other exec women leaders from around the globe, once a month, for the price of a cup of coffee. ✨ Find community - you'll share what you're working on, hear what others can offer, inspire each others, discuss, riff, vent, and laugh. ✨ Connect easily - the Matcha platform makes it easy to get a match, schedule (and reschedule), and join the integrated video chat - complete with discussion prompts! 👉 For executive level women only at this time (they  will consider launching more programs in the future!) 👉 Cost is $7/month (or $75/year)... the price of a cup of coffee, these days! 👉 With 40 women already signed up and a group that will keep growing over time, there's a wealth of expertise and experience and awesomeness to tap into! 👉No stress: If you can't sign up for this round... you can click to join *any time* and will be paired up for the next available round of matches. Link to sign-up: https://lnkd.in/g5JZZ3Js #WomenInLeadership #WednesdayWomen #WomenSupportingWomen

15

2 Comments