Great chemistry between colleagues and openness to feedback were among the main reasons I joined Eskimi

01 What do you do at Eskimi? What is your typical day like?

I’m the Product Marketing Manager. As a PMM, I make sure our products reach the right customers and meet their needs. I do this by researching the market, understanding customer behavior, looking at the pricing strategy, weaving the right product messaging and creating marketing strategies that position our products for success. 

A typical day can vary but it involves working with multiple internal stakeholders to bring us to an end point. From working with the product team on new product launches, feedback for iteration, to sales for positioning and enablement, to marketing for go-to-market strategy and more. 

I kick-off with my to-do list set up a day before or first thing in the morning, I try to lump my meetings close together to avoid interruption during my focused hours of deep work, I do 4-5 hours of rigorous deep work with all my devices on DND. I end the day with reading for at least an hour (this can be at a stretch or split 30 minutes at different times).

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02 What was the main factor that influenced you to join Eskimi?

I joined Eskimi as an Account manager in 2020 and my motivation was to understand the business sides of things, acquire and improve my sales skills because it’s crucial to personal development, whether career or personal. 

The deciding factor to join during the assessment was the team. Open door, open to give and receive feedback and very good chemistry between colleagues. That sealed it for me.

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03 What challenges you in your role? What do you enjoy the most about it?

What challenges me is “finding the gap” and fixing it with the team. The proactivity. Being able to take a product from point A to point Z that solves a challenge a person (read customer) might be facing. 

I’m first a result-oriented person, so when I get the chance to run experiments, proffer solutions, and action them, seeing user adoption and understanding, that feeling right there is fulfilling.

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04 How would you describe the culture in Eskimi in three words?

Open. Fun. Growth.

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05 What principles do you follow in your life? Do they help you in your job as well?

Before I became a Senior Account Manager, I had a background in marketing. I had a goal when I joined the team; I stretched, learned and grew over the years. 

My switch came from reflection and analysis of where I wanted to be in the future. Then I looked inwards into Eskimi to find some challenges and how I could move the needle to make an impact. 

I realized I already had a great grasp of our product and was skilled at marketing. Product marketing stood out for me. Marketing is our “Rocket ship” department which is growing fast. I have a thing for the synergy between Product + Marketing + Business + Strategy. I had taken a 3 months intensive PMM certification a year earlier and Product management the previous year as well. 

The opportunity of where I could contribute in another capacity pushed and encouraged me. I like challenges, and I wanted one that would stretch me towards growth as well as launch the company forward.

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06 What would you advise to someone seeking a similar career to yours? Any tips you’d give to your past self?

I will quote from the book I’m currently reading, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, “Careers are jungle gyms, not a ladder” - there’s no straight part. 

Another would be to look out for companies or departments with fast growth. 

From the same book quotes, “When companies grow quickly, there are more things to do than there are people to do it”. That stood out to me. In there lies an opportunity for stretching, leading to growth. 

If I was going to give myself a few tips in the past, it would be: read more books while you have more time, take more risks, accept and embrace uncertainty.