This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees Helena Barroso Zarco and Hayley Tse from the partnership management platform impact.com reveal their leadership heroes, current streaming binge, and career goals.
The Mediaweek series showcases their diverse perspectives, thoughts and opinions by bringing together two different points of view from an industry rookie and an experienced expert.
Helena Barroso Zarco, director customer success and sales ANZ at impact.com
Favourite podcast/read: I love a British podcast called “Sidetracked” with Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac, 2 ex BBC DJs from the UK. I love their banter and they talk about anything music related and many other silly things. They make me laugh a lot.
Current streaming binge: Ally McBeal, I love a good classic and that show was amazing and underrated.
Guilty pleasure content: Reality shows. Love Island UK is the best!
What do you have on repeat: I have eclectic taste in music: Spanish, electronic, pop, indie… I tend to go to Dua Lipa a lot, she has so many good tunes.
Best career advice: Someone once told me to approach any challenges in life or work with a “crawl, walk, run” mindset. Instead of becoming overwhelmed at the potential obstacles ahead, get the basics in place first (crawl) and from there you’ll be able to get up and walk – and eventually sprint ahead!
Leadership hero: I feel that at impact.com we are lucky to have many of them. While the industry can be challenging and constantly evolving, our leaders keep us all updated and clear on what to work on so that it supports our future vision. In particular, my current manager and friend, Nick Randall, who is RVP of Customer Growth is the perfect example of being a great leader having his feet on the ground at all times and encouraging and respecting everyone he works with. Very inspiring.
Best training course/session: I loved attending Women who Innovate last year, where many inspiring women talked about how to make a difference, how their journey was and looking into the future to overcome the challenges that as women we are presented with and that we have to battle everyday.
I wish someone had told me: That in 2024 most people will speak many different languages!
Growing up in Spain, I decided to study Translation and Interpreting because it was a profession in high demand as speaking multiple languages wasn’t all that common. Fast forward a few years and it’s now not unusual (in Europe certainly) to have a wide range of professionals like lawyers, teachers, doctors, engineers who are both experts in their fields and multi-lingual. With the benefit of hindsight, I might have chosen a different degree.
Favourite place to network: A good old school pub, like an RSL. They’re basic, with cold cheap beer and as an added bonus, a great place to talk as they don’t tend to play much music!.
Something that’s surprised you about the industry: How much the partnership channel is growing and how the perception of it not being an interesting and evolving channel has changed. More brands are realising that if you add new partner groups such as influencers, customer referrals or other brands to the channel by paying on a performance model, the incremental revenue generated and the contribution from the channel can skyrocket!
What is your hot take on the industry: Partnerships are becoming a full funnel play (versus solely bottom of the funnel) which means brands are moving to a hybrid reward model of performance and a flat fee. It creates a great scenario for brands and partners: I value your extra work as a partner so I pay you a flat fee, but also, I’ll reward you more if you drive more sales, so I keep you incentivised and engaged with my brand.
Career goal for 2024: To be a successful Director of Sales. I have been doing Customer Success roles for a very long time and whilst always had an element of selling and increasing revenue, my new role brings with it a brand new spectrum. So far, I’m loving connecting new business with success stories.
Hayley Tse, customer success manager at impact.com
Hayley Tse
Favourite podcast/read: I accidentally received a book called ‘Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,’ which resonated with me a lot. I’m the type of person who says yes to everything and ends up feeling overwhelmed but not productive. This book had me questioning a lot of the things I am doing in my personal and work life. Am I prioritising my life to focus on what matters most to me?
Current streaming binge: I am hooked on criminal documentaries on Netflix. I just binge-watched ‘Lover, Stalker, and Killer’ and I am still shocked by the twist.
Guilty pleasure content: Instagram reels which I then proceed to spam my partner and friends with (much to their delight!).
What do you have on repeat: Yes I am one of those people, I’m still repeating Taylor Swift’s Eras setlist as (like what seemed like half of Sydney) I went to her concert recently and am still buzzing.
Best career advice: Focus on what you can control. Sometimes, you feel very frustrated when you get stuck in a negative mindset. Take time to reflect on your thoughts and emotions and shift your perspective towards what you can control. When you look back in the future, it won’t be as big of a deal as you think right now.
Leadership hero: I have been very lucky to work with a few amazing managers across my current and previous roles, including Helena, who push me out of my comfort zone to try different things. Sometimes stepping up can be scary, but under the right leadership, you feel supported and empowered.
Best training course/session: impact.com is using Coursera. I love all the training courses available there. We can choose any course from any area, even those completely irrelevant to my role.
I wish someone had told me: We all make mistakes, both small and big. Own them and grow from them.
Favourite place to network: In a nice restaurant. Who doesn’t love delicious food?
Something that’s surprised you about the industry: Many digital marketers still do not know or understand how partnership marketing works. I have customers who aren’t doing much in the channel, but their competitors are thriving, so they are really missing out.
What is your hot take on the industry: The diversity of partnerships in this industry is not limited to just affiliates anymore. We have content creators, brand ambassadors, charity partners, influencers and various innovative technology partners.
Career goal for 2024: I aim to complete the tasks outlined in my development plan to achieve my goals. These tasks include enhancing my strategic planning skills for existing customers, as well as developing my project management and leadership abilities.
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Past editions of Meeting of the Minds.
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Top image: Barroso Zarco and Hayley Tse