Marisa, Web Marketing Lead at Blend: Advize Career Interview

A career in web marketing, as exemplified by Blend's Web Marketing Lead, offers a dynamic path fueled by collaborative spirit and continuous learning.

A business administration/marketing background, enhanced by impactful extracurricular leadership roles, directly translated into successful internships and a thriving career in tech.

The daily work involves managing diverse projects, analyzing user behavior to inform strategic decisions, and fostering strong cross-functional relationships.

Success hinges on strong communication, building trust, and a proactive approach to problem-solving, even when facing unfamiliar tasks.

The most rewarding aspect is contributing to positive societal impact, such as improving financial access for underserved communities.

A curious and driven personality, coupled with technical expertise and high emotional intelligence, thrives in this field.

Aspiring professionals should embrace the learning curve, actively seeking mentorship and utilizing company resources to accelerate growth.

Finally, challenging perceptions based on gender is possible through data-driven results, demonstrating expertise and building confidence.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Marisa Brazelton

Web Marketing Lead

Blend

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

NYU Stern School of Business - MBA, Specializations in Tech Product Management, Leadership and Change Management, and Strategy

Business Management & Admin

Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)

Communication and Marketing

Greek Life Member

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Career Path of a Web Marketing Lead at Blend

Marisa's career path, beginning with a business administration/marketing concentration in college, leveraged extracurricular activities like American Marketing Association and Women in Business to gain valuable "hands-on experiences." These extracurricular roles, particularly in social media and event marketing, directly translated into internships and subsequent roles at tech companies, highlighting the significant impact of college extracurriculars on career trajectory.

Career Path of a Web Marketing Lead at Blend

Main Responsibilities of a Web Marketing Lead at Blend

Marisa's role as Web Marketing Lead at Blend involves three key areas: managing projects across design, content, and development teams; performing data analysis of user behavior on the company website to inform design and content decisions—"being able to look at that user behavior really helps determine which things we work on next"; and facilitating crucial communication between diverse teams, enabling continuous learning and adaptation in their approach.

Main Responsibilities of a Web Marketing Lead at Blend

A Day in the Life of a Web Marketing Lead at Blend

A Web Marketing Lead's day at Blend involves managing a variety of projects, using a "running list of tasks" and collaborating extensively via Slack with designers and developers. This iterative process, from initial design reviews ("Do we like the way this looks?") to post-launch analytics and improvement, allows for continuous learning and refinement of strategies across projects.

A Day in the Life of a Web Marketing Lead at Blend

Most Important Skills for a Web Marketing Lead at Blend

Marisa, a Web Marketing Lead at Blend, emphasizes that strong communication and, more importantly, "building trust" are crucial for success. This involves fostering collaborative relationships with colleagues, such as Marisa's close work with the design team, to ensure projects are completed effectively and efficiently, demonstrating that a "collaborative, I want to help you" approach yields better results and job satisfaction.

Most Important Skills for a Web Marketing Lead at Blend

Favorite Parts Of Being A Web Marketing Lead At Blend

Marisa, Blend's Web Marketing Lead, most enjoys the collaborative nature of her role, stating that "being able to get more in the weeds with something that I'm interested in and learn from the different teams is really nice". This allows for cross-functional learning, including design skills which complements Marisa's desire for continuous learning and career growth.

Favorite Parts Of Being A Web Marketing Lead At Blend

Biggest Challenges Faced By A Web Marketing Lead At Blend

Marisa's biggest challenge as Web Marketing Lead at a startup is tackling unfamiliar tasks, admitting that "every once in a while there's going to be a task that I don't know how to do," but the most effective solution found is proactively seeking help from colleagues, documenting the learning process for future reference, and ultimately building their skillset.

Biggest Challenges Faced By A Web Marketing Lead At Blend

Favorite Parts of Working in the FinTech Industry as a Web Marketing Lead

Marisa, a Web Marketing Lead at Blend in the FinTech industry, finds the most rewarding aspect of her career is "helping people in underserved communities get better access to financial tools," a shift from her previous role in computer software which served larger businesses. This allows Marisa to connect with the end user on a more empathetic level, "making a bit more of an impact" with her marketing work.

Favorite Parts of Working in the FinTech Industry as a Web Marketing Lead

What Type Of Person Thrives In Marketing According To A Web Marketing Lead At Blend

Marisa, a Web Marketing Lead at Blend, identifies "curious and driven" individuals as thriving in the industry, emphasizing the importance of both technical expertise and high emotional intelligence—the ability to "work well with others and collaborate with different teams." This collaborative spirit, fostered by continuous learning and self-awareness, is key to effective task completion and overall team success, according to Marisa.

What Type Of Person Thrives In Marketing According To A Web Marketing Lead At Blend

What a Web Marketing Lead at Blend Wishes They Had Known Before FinTech

Marisa, a Web Marketing Lead in FinTech, advises newcomers to the industry not to be discouraged by a slow learning curve, emphasizing that "it's not surprising that you would enter a job and know everything right off the bat." Effective strategies for navigating this include utilizing company training resources and proactively seeking mentorship from colleagues through meetings and discussions, a process that ultimately took Marisa three to six months to fully integrate into her role.

What a Web Marketing Lead at Blend Wishes They Had Known Before FinTech

College Experiences That Helped a Web Marketing Lead at Blend Succeed

Marisa, a Web Marketing Lead at Blend, advises entry-level professionals to not be discouraged by a slow learning curve, especially in complex industries like FinTech, emphasizing that "it's not surprising that you would enter a job and know everything right off the bat". The key to success, Marisa shares, is proactive learning through company resources and, importantly, building relationships with colleagues to gain practical knowledge, a process that took approximately three to six months in her case.

College Experiences That Helped a Web Marketing Lead at Blend Succeed

How to Successfully Ramp Up Your Web Marketing Lead Career at Blend

Marisa, a Web Marketing Lead in FinTech, learned that "it's not surprising that you would enter a job and know everything right off the bat," emphasizing the importance of patience during a steep learning curve. The most effective strategy for accelerating understanding of the complex financial industry was actively seeking mentorship through company resources and engaging with colleagues, a process that took three to six months before feeling fully confident.

How to Successfully Ramp Up Your Web Marketing Lead Career at Blend

Advizer Personal Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisabrazelton/