“When I was 21, I bought a one-way ticket to Silicon Valley”
With over 20 years of experience, Robin Daniels has shaped marketing within the most influential companies. Such as, Linkedin, Salesforce, Matterport, and Box.
But what is it that he learned from his past that he applies in his present, and will continue to do in the future?
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WELCOME TO THE CORPORATE CREATOR SERIES
This is a 4-week series where we share stories of different sets of corporate creators. We will take a look at their journey, and how they got from a to b.
Missed last week’s episode? Don’t worry, it’s right here.
THE PAST, THE PRESENT, THE FUTURE W/ ROBIN DANIELS
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The Past: The Dot-com Crash
Interviewer: “Your early days in Silicon Valley clashed with the dot-com crash. How did that experience shape your career?”
Robin:“When I moved, I applied for every job I could find. I ended up getting two job offers and I took a job at a small startup company in Silicon Valley. After a month, the whole market crashed. Holy sh*t. Well, that just happened. I was young, 21, so I didn’t know about boom and bust cycles so much. I thought it was going to be an endless cycle of growth. Six months later, I’m out of a job and I had to find another job, so I had to hustle my way through.”
The Present: Leadership and Empowerment
Interviewer: “Your leadership style has evidently evolved. Could you share an example of how you empower your team members today?”
Robin:“There’s a person on my team, her name is Anya. She’s amazing. And I’ve given her the confidence and hopefully the trust that she can go hire some great people for her team(...). She has a lot of questions about what I’m thinking about. But at the end of day, I say: I trust you. This is not about me, It’s about you working with somebody, hiring somebody that you trust and you like to work with and you think can do the job. I’m here as a sounding board and I’m here to give you guidance. But at the end of day, this is about you.”
The Future: The Golden Age of Storytelling and Showing Up
Interviewer: “As we look to the future, what principles do you believe will guide the next era of technology and leadership?”
Speaker:“This is the golden age of storytelling. This is what I would lean into the most. And the great thing about storytelling also is it doesn’t have to cost a lot… For the next generation aiming for leadership roles—whether you’re on the path to becoming a director, VP, or managing a team- the thing I’ve learned more and more really, is the importance of what you bring to work every single day. Which is the way you show up, because that you 100% control.”