Significant Career Lesson From a Director of Marketing and Protocol Relations at a Digital Finance Company
Houston, a Director of Marketing and Protocol Relations at a leading digital finance organization, emphasizes the career lesson "don't trust, verify," especially relevant in the high-stakes crypto industry where phishing is rampant. This approach, applicable to everything from scrutinizing links to showcasing accomplishments ("Hey, I did this, this, this, and this. Boom. I'm out."), allows for verifiable results instead of relying on trust, mirroring the transparency of blockchain technology itself.
Executive/Leadership, Blockchain Technology, Cybersecurity, Verification and Validation, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Houston Morgan
Director of Marketing and Protocol Relations
Leading Digital Finance Organization
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey
N/A
Business & Related, Communications
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Technology
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient, Transfer Student, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. In the blockchain industry, always verify information you receive, especially regarding personal information and links; don't trust blindly.
2. Maintain a high level of digital security hygiene; treat your work computer with the same care as your personal life.
3. Demonstrate accomplishments instead of just stating them. Show your work and let results speak for themselves, especially when seeking promotions or recognition.
Transcript
What is one lesson you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
That's a hard one. I would say, "Don't trust, verify." That's a really big one, especially working in the blockchain industry, and especially as a c-suite person at a crypto company.
I get phishing calls all the time, not gonna lie. I thought this was a phishing attempt at first when I first got outreached. I was like, "These guys are going to kidnap me and steal my kidneys." That's great. They want all this personal information from me.
With everything regarding personal information, regarding opsec, if someone sends you a link, the question is: am I going to click on it? Probably not. I'll open it in a virtual machine inside my computer.
If your job is on your computer, your computer needs to have the same cleanliness and sterileness as your normal day-to-day life. When you're dealing with things on a day-to-day basis, if someone says, "Hey, I did this," it's like, "Okay, cool. Now show it to me." Don't take someone's word for it at that point.
Actually have them show you physically what happened and how that moved forward. That's the same thing with blockchains in general. You don't have to trust; you can verify.
The same thing applies to work. If something is going on with people and they say, "Hey, I did this," respond with, "Okay, don't tell me, show me." You don't even need to tell me. Just be like, "Hey, I did this." That's so much better.
That's been really helpful, especially if you're trying to get promotions. You don't need to say, "Hey, I did such a great job today." Just show up and say, "Hey, I did this, this, this, and this." Boom, I'm out. Peace.
They are verifying that you did a great job. They don't have to trust you; you just did it. That's been super successful.