Going from ‘no way’ to ‘tell me more’ 20 Great Answers with Lis Walters, Marketing Manager for Commercial and Data Center Solutions, Ingram Micro.

Plugged In, Switched On.

When you get to a senior level in marketing, you pride yourself on being able to make quick decisions. But what if that approach was preventing you from making the right decisions? Lis Walters, Marketing Manager for Commercial and Data Center Solutions, Ingram Micro, asked herself that very question a couple of years ago and it completely changed how she operates at work.

Join your host and Executive Creative Director Barrie Seppings, as he gets 20 great answers during this month’s interview with Lis, unpacking the future of distis, why sports mascots are underpaid and the career benefits of an addiction to Pilates.

Welcome back to this month’s “Plugged In, Switched On’ podcast from Splendid Group.

The interview format at Plugged In Switched On is very simple: we ask every guest the same 20 Questions and invariably we get 20 different (but always great) answers. Here are some of our favourites from our interview with Marketing manager Lis Walters:

• What's the one career move you wish you could go back and undo?
• Who have you learned the most from in your career?
• What’s the one thing in this industry that has gone on for too long and needs fixing?
• What’s the most unusual situation you’ve found yourself in, thanks to work?
• Who has the worst job in B2B tech marketing?

Lis Walters is the Marketing Manager for Commercial and Data Center Solutions, Ingram Micro and has dozens of years’ experience with some of Australia’s biggest brands, including Telstra, Metcash and Toys r Us.

Barrie Seppings is the Executive Creative Director of The Splendid Group and the host of Plugged In Switched On. Connect with Barrie on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening!
If you want to learn more about Splendid Group , see some of our work or meet any of our people, visit splendidgroup.com

Chapter

1. Going from ‘no way’ to ‘tell me more’ 20 Great Answers with Lis Walters, Marketing Manager for Commercial and Data Center Solutions, Ingram Micro. (00:00:00)

2. Question one. What exactly is your company, what are they selling, and why would anybody pay good money for it? (00:02:30)

3. Question two. Did you grow up dreaming of being a marketing manager for a technology company? (00:05:52)

4. Question three. Which part of your job that you have now that you just naturally enjoy and find yourself spending probably more time on it than you should, just because you're attracted to that part of the role? (00:09:19)

5. Question four. Can you recall, was there a career move or a moment that you wish you could go back and undo, or do you recall a moment in your career where you realized, yes, I've just learned a very valuable lesson? (00:11:20)

6. Question five. Who have you learnt the most from during your career? Is there anybody you wanted to name check or offer up a little bit of gratitude? (00:12:43)

7. Question six.How do you find yourself constantly backing up to embrace change, to learn new things, and to just keep going at it when everything seems to be coming at you all of the time? (00:14:16)

8. Question seven. What do you do to stay physically and mentally healthy in a job like yours? (00:17:26)

9. Question eight. Now every market or industry or territory or even culture or tribe thinks they are different, but in your experience, which one really is or has been different and needed to be marketed to differently? (00:19:35)

10. Question nine. What's the campaign or event or idea or launch that you really wish you'd done? (00:21:49)

11. Question ten. What's the one thing in this industry that you feel has gone on for far too long and needs fixing? (00:24:05)

12. Question eleven. What's the one question you'd ask an agency if you knew that they'd tell you the truth? (00:25:24)

13. Question twelve. How do you make the call between collaborating with someone and then deciding, okay, enough's enough, I've got to either do this by myself or I've got to step back and let them do their thing. How do you strike that balance? (00:26:24)

14. Question thirteen. What's a long-held belief about marketing that you no longer hold, and what caused you to change your mind? (00:28:23)

15. Question fourteen. In terms of effectiveness in ROI, and we've touched on this a little bit already in the conversation, which tactics or approaches are you pulling back on at the moment and what are you doubling down on? (00:30:06)

16. Question fifteen. What buzzword or concept do you think is getting far too much airplay in B2B and tech marketing right now? (00:31:37)

17. Question sixteen. Lis, what do you get out of bed for every day? Where do you find your motivation? (00:32:39)

18. Question seventeen, this ain't happening. What's the most unexpected or unusual situation that you've found yourself in thanks to work? (00:35:27)

19. Question eighteen. What was the pandemic and lockdown experience like for you on the home front and how has that influenced or changed the way you work and you're a leader for other people now? (00:37:16)

20. Question nineteen. How different are you in work mode compared to when you're off the leash and off the hook when you're roaming around the islands of Indonesia? (00:39:17)

21. Question twenty, secret weapon. Lis Walters, do you have a secret weapon? And if you do, will you tell me what it is? (00:41:14)