Marketing Happy Hour - BONUS! Where are they now?: Emma Wolgast of Thuma

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hi Emma, how are you? Hello, I'm good. How are you? So good. So excited to have you back. I feel like we often catch up, but not on the podcast. So I'm excited for everyone else to learn what you've been up to since the last time we had you on. But first, since it's marketing happy hour, we do need to know your go-to happy hour drink. And if it's changed since the last time we did this, I should start marking what it was when we were talking the last time during segments. I remember what it was the last time because I was, I was drinking coffee. Well, maybe it wasn't my go-to, but you were asking like what's in your cup. And I was drinking coffee. It was like some God awful hour of the day to be drinking coffee. It

Starting point is 00:00:47 wasn't like too late otherwise, but it was like seven, 8 PM. And I was packing for a flight, uh, to leave super early the next morning. So I was just drinking a little coffee to get myself ready to pack up and jet set the next morning. Like, you know, you do for a restful little pre-travel ritual I would say it definitely has has changed since that last time I feel like in general I'm needing a lot less coffee past like 2 p.m which I think is a very good improvement it's it's more of an actual go-to happy hour drink now. I have moved to Chicago, so I fully embrace the Midwest attitude and culture. And I would say I'm definitely a little brewski come 5 p.m. kind of girly now. So love that.

Starting point is 00:01:38 Love that so much. OK, so tell us a little bit about what you've been up to since we last spoke. Did you change positions or companies? And if so, what kind of inspired that decision? It's so funny. I'm reading this off of our question sheet. I'm like, I already know this stuff, but let everyone else know. Yeah, I know.

Starting point is 00:01:56 I know. That's fine. Like you said, we do catch up pretty often. So it's nice to share this out, though. So I have changed positions. I am with a new company now. So the last time that we chatted, I was with Red Ventures working on their digital agency,

Starting point is 00:02:13 digital partnership teams. And I really enjoyed that. I feel like that gave me a strong foundation kind of in the paid media space. I got a lot of hands-on experience, managing really large budgets in like the paid social specific setting, which was so great so early on in my career. But, you know, I realized that the agency at the end of the day really is a difficult setting to be in. You know, it requires so much out of you and it is just incredibly taxing.

Starting point is 00:02:43 And I kind of feel like I served my year and was like, all right, what else is out there? I'm ready to go. Ideally for me, it was going back to the brand side, which is exactly what I set out to do and what I accomplished. So I'm currently with Thuma. They are a lifestyle kind of luxury brand specializing in the bedroom suite space. So I don't know if you're familiar with The Bed by Thuma. I'm sure that you get our ads. We're very active on paid social. And so I joined their performance marketing teams, helping out with a huge hand on those efforts. And being on the brand side too, we're still a relatively small company. So I'm getting to touch a lot of different areas of the business as well, which was also kind of a big trigger for me

Starting point is 00:03:28 wanting to leave and explore a new role. I felt like I was becoming very, very niche within the paid social specific space, which is great. But that landscape is changing constantly that you kind of are so dialed in that it's difficult to see what else is going around. So I'm definitely happy that I'm in a space where, you know, I'm learning a lot more, touching a lot more things. And yeah, I feel like I'm, I'm just really enjoying it. I've been here now for probably eight months and I have no intention of, of leaving anytime soon. I'm really excited to, to kind of grow here for a bit. So awesome. And I had never even heard of Thuma

Starting point is 00:04:07 before you started working there, but I have since been hearing about it everywhere. Like the podcasts I listened to, they have ads for you guys. Like every time I'm on TikTok, usually I'm seeing like an ad when I'm scrolling. I'm like, they either know that I know Emma or they're just really good

Starting point is 00:04:26 at their paid marketing. So love that. What is one of your favorite projects that you've had the chance to work on since we had you last as a guest on the show? One of my favorite projects that I've had a chance to work on since the last time we had our show, and actually it's been a very recent project for me since I've joined Thuma is getting to really lead some of our emerging channel launches. So, you know, as you mentioned, Erica, like Thuma, we're on pretty much every, you know, big paid digital space that you could be on, which is amazing. We've got a wonderful team who helps drive that. And I'm so honored to get to be part of that.

Starting point is 00:05:05 But something that's been really exciting has been kind of venturing into net new platforms for us. I think really being able to launch paid media from start to finish, you know, like from reaching out cold to a rep on LinkedIn to actually, you know, getting the proposal and the media plans in place and getting them approved internally, getting creative together and actually launching on a platform and then scrolling on that platform and seeing your ad and being like, wow, that was me, start to finish. That's awesome. I feel like I've taken a lot of pride in that and that's quickly become my favorite project

Starting point is 00:05:41 that I've had a chance to work on since I've been on the show and I'm relatively young in my career too. So I would say probably even entirely within my career, it's just been such a wonderful, you know, experience and kind of thing to own. Yeah, that's so cool. And it'll probably get even more diverse as there's more emerging platforms coming out all the time. So that's super, super exciting. And it's cool to have like a early hand in all of those platforms as well. So I love that. Okay. How are you continuing to develop your skill set in your specific career area?

Starting point is 00:06:17 You mentioned it a little bit with the new projects that you're able to work on and kind of some of the different divisions that you're now have a hand in. But what would you say is like the key thing that you're doing to develop that skill set? Yeah, I think that's such a good question because it was something that I really felt like was lacking in my previous role where I was just so niche in what I was doing that I was getting really good at it, but I wasn't really working on anything else. And so I think, I think more largely, honestly, making a career pivot to the brand side to, to a smaller team is something that really has helped me to develop my skillset.

Starting point is 00:06:58 And then I think taking it a click deeper and actually looking at what I've done since I've made that pivot, because that definitely was just, you know, one side of the coin, like the other side was actually getting involved in and figuring out how to how to kind of strategically place myself into areas where I could learn and could benefit myself. And so I think that's kind of the other half of it is is figuring out then once you're on a team where you have the chance to be part of different projects, how can you appropriately and effectively make it known that you want to be part of those projects and get yourself involved while managing what your day-to-day tasks are. I feel like that's been some of the best ways for me to grow and develop and to continue to grow and develop my career and my skill set. Yeah, that's awesome. I feel like a lot of times our learning stops as soon as we get a job because

Starting point is 00:07:52 we're just like doing the everyday motions of our role. And I think it's really cool too, whether that requires a career shift or a career change, a company change, whatever. I think it's really cool to still continue to learn new things. So I love hearing that. And with that, how have you grown personally since we last spoke? I really think honestly, my confidence and being able to feel comfortable and confident in what I'm doing. I feel like I'm, I'm at kind of that awkward point, you know, where I've been in the workforce, like doing the nine to five thing now going on about probably four and a half, five years. And that's just a little bit too, it's a little bit too early, I guess, to say

Starting point is 00:08:38 that I would, I'm like a seasoned veteran, but it's just a little bit too far beyond anything entry level. And so I feel like it's been a really interesting point to have this confidence, truly have experience at this point, but know that it's still, I'm still so young in my career. And so I think that that was something that making another career move, this is now kind of my third time, like really changing companies, changing positions. I think just the confidence that I possess and feeling like, oh, I'm no longer just happy to be here and learn whatever you have to give me. It's now, no, I'm here because I've worked very hard to get here.

Starting point is 00:09:18 And there's always more things for me to learn. But I'm coming with a skill set that is going to help your team. And I'm now an asset on the team. I'm no longer just a newbie who's trying to just pick up any and everything and be successful. You know, I feel like I'm just coming in with a lot more confidence. And yeah, that's something that I think we all need to be very comfortable with and about as we grow in our career. I feel like that's how you make, you continue to make lateral moves, you know, not just horizontal moves. Yeah, totally. It definitely comes with time too. I think, you know, usually in our careers,

Starting point is 00:10:00 we start out and we're just kind of like, I'll take whatever you give me. Yes. I'll do all the work. Yes. I'll, I'll work all the hours just to kind of get your foot in the door and get as much experience as you can. But as you start to niche down kind of like what you were talking about, just getting into a more seasoned role, maybe not totally up there, not totally senior yet. You kind of advocate for yourself in that way. And you learn the different, you know, terminologies or like things that set you apart from other people. And you learn what your ideas are, you know, based on your experience. So I love hearing that. Okay, we're already at the end of the interview. So Emma, where can everyone now find you follow along with what you're up to hop on the Thuma train where they're on social,

Starting point is 00:10:55 tell us everything. Yeah, definitely. I mean, nothing has changed. I wish I could sit here and tell you that I've like popped off on Tik or that I've like done something really cool in the personal digital space. But it's still just Emma Wolgast for my LinkedIn and pretty much any social. You can search that name. Emma's common, but Wolgast isn't. So usually my handles come up whenever you, whenever you just search my name, but yeah. Instagram, LinkedIn, still feeling it in my bones. I could be viral on Twitter someday that I think the stars just have to align for that one. Yeah. Follow me, say, Hey, follow Thuma, follow Thuma before you follow me actually, because that's just fun. But yeah, I would love to connect

Starting point is 00:11:46 with the people who are listening to Marketing Happy Hour. I feel like such a great group of people. So awesome. Well, you heard it here first. Follow along with Emma and follow along for her journey to Twitter fame. We are all cheering you on. Thanks so much again for giving us an

Starting point is 00:12:07 update on where you're at and excited to even have you back on again someday for another Where Are They Now episode and see where you're at in the future. So thanks again. Definitely. Thank you so much. We are so excited to share that our first ever free marketing happy hour digital resource is now available. Download the dream career game plan today at marketinghappyhr.com forward slash freebie. That's marketinghappyhr.com forward slash freebie. This five-step workbook will guide you through defining your goals, building your network, diversifying your skills, influencing where you're at, and investing in your growth. Cassie and I created this resource with marketing careers in mind, but the framework can be applied to any industry. Our hope is that this workbook will help you truly elevate your

Starting point is 00:13:01 career, whether you're in the market for a new position or just looking to make your mark in your current organization. No matter where this resource finds you, we are cheering you on every step of the way. So go check it out at marketinghappyhr.com forward slash freebie to download and make your career dreams come true.

Marketing Happy Hour - BONUS! Where are they now?: Emma Wolgast of Thuma

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