Marketers in Need of Therapy
If you’re a lone marketing manager looking for a place to belong, welcome home. MINT is the go-to community for marketers who need a break, not a breakdown. Let’s turn isolation into inspiration and have a good time doing it.
Marketers in Need of Therapy
The Lone Marketers Survival Guide
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In this episode of the MINT Podcast, Emma is joined by MINT Ambassador Tamzin for an honest conversation about the reality of being a marketer right now 💙
From imposter syndrome and impossible deadlines, to AI overwhelm, platform changes and trying to keep up with everything 😅 This episode is packed with relatable moments, practical advice and reassurance for lone marketers everywhere!
Tamzin shares her journey through agency, events and in-house marketing, along with her thoughts on: setting boundaries at work, dealing with leadership pressure, finding time to learn, keeping up with trends without burning out, and why no marketer should have to do this alone 🤝
There are also plenty of laughs, a few rants, and an important reminder that nobody actually has it all figured out!!
If you’ve ever questioned yourself, felt overwhelmed, or wondered whether you’re “good enough” at marketing… this episode is for you 🎙️
Welcome to Mint, Marketers in Need of Therapy. Yes, we joke that we're marketers in need of therapy, but the T stands for so much more. Training, thought leadership, time-saving tips, tools, a team, enabling us to fride as marketers.
SPEAKER_02So Tamsin, welcome to the podcast. I am delighted to have you on. Tamsin was my first ever employer, Amma Mounting. Um, she is an absolute G. And um yeah, and now you've become part of Min, and it's so amazing to have you on. So talk me through your career.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so oh, this feels like it's been a long one. Um so I started marketing well with you when I was 16. Um, I left school and decided that I just wanted to get straight into work. Um, I love the creativity of it. I I can't draw to save my life, and I can't play an instrument, so marketing seemed like the next best thing for the creative industry. Um, so obviously I joined utility people, um, and that was where my career sort of sort of started. Um, and then I joined you at Aber Mountain, which was incredible. Um, and then I left and ventured into the world by myself and joined um an events, uh, an events team, um, which was great, so much incredible insight from that. Um, and now I am a marketing manager at a manufacturer.
SPEAKER_02Amazing. So loads of different industries. You would have done loads of amber anyhow, but loads of different industries, loads of experience. What do you think your favourite bit about marketing is just the difference on day to day.
SPEAKER_00Like, I know don't get me wrong, sometimes it can be a lot having so much to do, but you can't ever say that you're really that bored. You know, there's always something new to learn, something new to do, something new to try. I think it's always you're always gonna be moving on to the next, the next best thing, and that's thing you have to follow the trends and and everything that's going. So, yeah, I'd say it's just always something different.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's what I think. It's not it's not not the same nine till five day every day, is there? No, there really isn't. That's why I like it. Yeah. So you have become a mint ambassador, which I'm delighted about. What has attracted you to come to Mint? Obviously, it's me, I know.
SPEAKER_00Of course. I just wanted to be back. Um, no, so I think when I was at Amber Mountain and I was helping the apprentices, I loved it so much. Um, you know, getting through, talking through different ideas, doing different things. And then when I saw that you'd started Mint, I thought, you know what, this gives me another opportunity to just speak to more people in the industry again and get back to um, you know, sort of being involved and and chatting through to people. And I mean, everybody that I've met has been has been amazing um so far. Everyone's been really, really lovely. Um, so I think joining Mint, especially as an ambassador, gives me the opportunity to sort of help people out with the things I've learned. I've learned a lot, I've made some mistakes, I've done some great things, and I think you know, being an ambassador gives me the opportunity to to talk through those people and help out wherever I can, whether it's small things or big things, you know, I think it's it's great to feel like you're making a little bit of a difference, at least.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I do think your knowledge is encodable on a lot of subjects, Tamsin. Like you have you you love to learn, clearly, um, which is great because you hated school, but there's there's obviously another way of learning for you. Um, but you do love to learn new things, and I think you know, from our perspective, you should really be a mentor in in just to give you more work. You really should, but the mentorship is for there there for members, so they can actually get that help and support. So if you are a member, you do want to reach out to Tamsin, I'm just giving you more stuff. There's not much she doesn't know, and if she doesn't know, she gets frustrated and goes and learns. So it is a really, really good you're you're you're brilliant at learning. So, how do you think you do that? Why, you know, how do you keep up to date with everything and do your day job? Do you know what?
SPEAKER_00There's so much going on in the industry at all times that I think I just get a little bit carried away with something new, you know. Someone I see someone do something, and I think, oh, that'll be cool. I want to give that a go. I'd just have a look into it, just have a read, see what it's about, see whether I can do it in my current business or see whether that gives me an idea for the future, or you know, whatever it is. I went to um Brighton SEO um a couple of years back, um, which was incredible. Um, and there was a lovely woman talking there called I think it's Carrie Rose, and she's all about SEO. Um, and she was talking about a lot about how people use SEO for um at sort of social media platforms, sorry, like TikTok and stuff, to do the beginning bit of searching before they go onto Google, and it really sort of just made me think where do you reach people before they hit Google to find you? So SEO is incredible, and I don't think SEO will ever leave, but it's like that first bit. How do you do that first bit? Is it TikTok? Is it Instagram? Is it, you know, and just see finding that new part. So yeah, sometimes I just get sucked into one particular thing that someone is talking about, and that's it. I'm off, I'm I'm gone, you know, which is yeah, probably the reason I unbocked in so much. There's so many different ways to think about things, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And uh one thing I'm getting from marketers when I'm speaking to them is that they don't have enough time. Like we've just had a we just we've done a podcast about AI, and people don't have enough time to even learn AI. So, how do you balance the workload and the learning?
SPEAKER_00I think utilising the learning to back up the workload. So if you've got a new project that you're going in, you and there's something else you're trying to learn about, tie it all in together, you know, utilize the opportunity. For example, if it is AI, if you've got a new project coming up, you try and take part of that project and utilize learning about AI with that part. I always try and do it with the part that I'm most comfortable about. So with AI, for example, it might be if I'm utilising that to build background data to have a look at ads and stuff like that. Now I know Google Ads and I know how well my Google ads are running, but I'll use that, I'll use AI to put that data in and see what it pulls back and how I can sort of manufacture that into the correct response in terms of how does that that that data actually translate. So I'm always learning whilst I'm doing, and I think that's probably the easiest time. But saying that, I don't always get time to do both. Sometimes you just gotta pick one or the other, and also sometimes I'm a bit I can go home and start Googling things, you know. I get a bit, I get like I'm like, oh, this is a bit boring now, isn't it? Like I'm going home, having a little Google whilst I'm sat there, yeah, just trying to learn things. I think, yeah, one if you're interested in something, just take five minutes. That's all it is, you know. It doesn't need to be three hours worth of learning or whatever, just take five minutes, listen to a podcast, listen to, you know, and watch a video on someone talking about it whilst you're sort of doing something else, if you can, or you know, I think there's so many different ways to learn that what works for you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I agree. The people that say they do not have time, I always say, let me see your screen time. I I have pick this up for my kids. Just to be honest with you, let me see your screen time for today. And and it's usually more than two hours. Yeah, yeah. And I know that we're as Marcus as we're working in it, so we're on it a bit more from work, but it's definitely more than seven hours for some people. So I think it is about it's is about just finding that time and podcasts. That's an easy thing in your car, on your car journey, on the way to work. If you walk a dog, that's what I do. I listen to podcasts. Um I used to try and read, and I just don't I don't physically have time to sit down and read, but I can listen to a podcast while I'm cleaning the house or yeah, going for a dog walk. So I think it's about finding something that's gonna work for you, but yeah, five, ten minutes a day can make a massive difference, and we've got to find that time as marketers, or we're gonna get left behind. So you seem pretty chill sitting here, but what do you think is the hardest part of your work in life right now?
SPEAKER_00Um, I think understanding what what I should listen to and what I shouldn't. And what I mean by that is there's so many different people saying different things are happening and there's different trends that are going on, and and this, that, and the other, and it's sort of figuring out what do I need to listen to and understand and learn right now, versus what is almost just a little bit of talk, yeah, if you will. There's so much noise out there, yeah, exactly. And I think um even for SEO with all the new different all the different versions of SEO. You sound like a McDonald's yangi. Yeah, there's that's what I mean. Like Donald, every five. And it's so it's so crazy to think that there's so many different versions, but actually it's just that right now, not all of them work for me, so I don't need to listen to that, you know, fit working on what exactly works for me right now. So yeah, just just understanding what what I can ignore and what needs my focus.
SPEAKER_02And do you get imposter syndrome? Do you get what worried? Do you think oh I'm not good enough at this, I'm not doing this right? Oh, all the time. Okay, good. All the time.
SPEAKER_00She's normal, she's human. All the time. I think do you know what? I used to get it, I used to get it probably a lot more. Um before I sort of just started thinking, well, I mean, we always used to say the fake it till you make it, right? And it never used to make sense to me because I'd be like, how do I fake it if I can't actually just do it? And it used to frustrate me so much that I couldn't do it. Um, and then one day before, probably before you sent me to be an I would I would stand outside, and of a sudden I'm like, right, just I guess pretend, we'll give it a go, whatever. And before I knew it, I was like, actually, I'm not even standing here to pretend now. You know, it's like just it is and I get it, people will sit here and go, I can't do that. I can't, you know. But it will happen. You've got to stand outside a room and go, I am like the most impressive person here right now in my field. I'm here for a reason. I know what I'm talking about. You know, I wouldn't have my job if I didn't know what I was talking about, and I wouldn't be able to talk to other people about my job if I didn't know what I was talking about. So I do know it. I've just got to go in there and let everyone else know that I know what I'm talking about. And then all of a sudden, you're like, I'm not even faking it anymore. I can actually walk into this room of people and go, Yeah, I'm the expert in it. Ask me questions. So, yeah, always imposter syndrome. I still get it now, but you know, it's how you deal with it. I think you've got to sort of sit there, give yourself a chance to feel it, and then be like, no, we're done with that now.
SPEAKER_02Move on. Love it, I love it, and that's the thing, isn't it? I think it's it's so important to realise that it's you that's down yourself. You're in that room for a reason, as you just said, and yeah, it's it's easier said than done. But this is why I've said mint, it is because we I want make people to realise that everyone, everyone is considering if this is the role for them right now, especially if AI coming in, I should say, all the noise out there, and yeah, not forgetting how many different people there are in your leadership team telling you what that you should be doing as a marketer when they haven't had one bit of marketing training themselves.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, definitely. And I think we even had um a message on the the mint um chat the other day about someone who'd not had a great day. Um, and I remember sort of I always live by the um we're not saving lives and we're not delivering babies. Um, and everyone always looks at me a bit odd when I say that, but what I mean by that is like everything is fixable, not everything has to be done by a dead, like a dead on right this second, and give yourself some grace. Like it's okay, no one's gonna die if you don't get that social media post out right this second. You know, it's it's okay. You have to just give yourself some grace, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think that that's I've been saying that's my team, really. And I know I shouldn't say it's my team, but it is just a job, like yeah, yeah, you know, you're what you're healthy, yeah, you've got a nice, you've got lovely friends and family. Today's a bad day, we'll go to sleep and we'll wake up tomorrow, and it's a it's a new one, so and that's that is so important, I think. Yeah, yeah, for sure. So, what are your go-to marketing tools right now?
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's a good one. I would probably say, and I think I spoke about this the other week, but Spark Toro. So I love this one. Um, it gives you basically the one thing I'll do before I start any job, um, whether I'm asked to or not, is customer persona. I am their biggest fan. I think it's so important to understand exactly who your customer is, their segment, uh, what they look like, how they work, how they function, and everything. And SparkTorrent does give you the option to do that. Um, so you can sort of describe the person you're looking for, um, and it will help you build out their characteristics, so the way that they speak, the words that they use, what platforms they're on, um, different things they're interested in. And for me, that creates an actual person that I can look at and go, I know exactly how I would speak to you. That's what I need to focus my content around, or that's what I need to build on. Um, so yeah, Spark Toro by by far is up there for me at the moment.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, okay, amazing. Write it down, guys. Write it down. Um, yeah, that's the thing, isn't it? It is going back to the customer. We are so focused sometimes on getting the work done and just getting getting stuff done with forgetting the customer. That's who we're trying to target. And I think with social media moving so fast. And I was like saying the other day, some people are scrolling 22 football pictures. Like if you're just throwing stuff out into that football pitch, it's not gonna, it's not gonna be stopped on. You have to, you have to make sure that you're really focused on that customer mind so they stand out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think we always used to say it with SEO, didn't you? But the second page of Google was the best place to hide a body. I think that's not far off platforms like TikTok and and Instagram and stuff is if your post isn't standing out at all, it is just completely forgotten. Um, and I think it's really important. Again, I've always been the same, but look at look at the data. There is no point just throwing stuff out there and hoping for the best. You have to look at the data of what worked, whether it's the time, the day, what sort of what sort of content it was, or you know, anything like that. What was it different that you did that time to this time that's made that change? I think that's really, really key. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And on the flip side, what is your kind of the what's giving you the like what's putting you in therapy right now with marketing? Is there any buzzwords, trends, what what the standing out that you're like, nope?
SPEAKER_00Sometimes the bigger brands jumping on a trend far too quickly and not thinking about the the backlash that may come from it. Um, you know, I always think about the whole was it cold play concert where the couple were doing something they shouldn't have maybe been doing. Um, and so many companies jumped on that immediately, but it almost backfired because you had this sort of split of some people finding it funny and others thinking, oh, I don't really know if it's your place to take a nick at that. I think jumping on trends is great, but you've got to be so good at it. Like, you know, Aldi and Jeff and um Ryanair are killing it on that aspect. But sometimes now when you go onto TikTok and you open up like the comments and you'll see a brand comment, and you think, Oh, maybe I wouldn't have let that slide, you know, or I wouldn't have commented that, and there's so often there's different different brands in so yeah, I think that's that's one thing that I would maybe hold off on sometimes, is just give yourself a second, just just run it past someone else, just you know, and and get someone else's opinion on it. Not everything, you don't have to jump on every single trend that is happening. It might not be right for you.
SPEAKER_02Um thought about that poor wife in that Coldplay concert, did they? No, no, they really didn't. Um, yeah, and I do agree, uh Ryanair, they're killing it, like they're just so funny. In fact, the guys behind the cameras today they would be brilliant at that job if you asked me. Um, but how fun would that job be? Just be sitting there, like, how can we crack a joke about this? How can we make this funny? How can we make this about us? I just think they're great. Absolutely brilliant. What a job. Oh, definitely, definitely. So, for have you got any advice for people that are dealing with maybe one, two, three managers that kind of have high expectations of them? Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I live by um a rule um with the team, I guess, as well. Cool, uh, that's sort of if everything is urgent, nothing is urgent. You know, I try and be as transparent as I can about what projects we're working on, what we've got going on, um, and sort of where we're at. Um, and I'll ask a deadline for everything because I'm sure a lot of people can relate, but there's nothing more frustrating than hearing that something's so urgent and needs to be done now. You send it over and you don't hear anything for three weeks. And you think, well, it wasn't that urgent, then was it? No. So we try and live by the rule of uh if everything's urgent, nothing is urgent. What is your absolute deadline on it? And just set the boundaries, set the boundaries straight away, you know. If you want me to put my all into this, I need extra time, you know. Give give an estimate if you know it's going to take me two weeks to get this back to you. And then when they start, you know, because you'll you're bound to get the whole but I need it now. But that means I have to drop something else. So why don't we have a look at what I've got going on? And these are the other things you're asking me to do. Which one would you like me to drop? What would you like me to prioritize? Have that discussion with people, be very open because once you set the boundary, they won't expect it. Um and that's yeah, I always try and you know, because it's very easy for a lot of people to everyone's focused on their own stuff, right? A lot of people don't mean it, they don't mean to come up to you and be like, oh, I need this, I need that, I need this. It's just that they're probably getting that same thing. So once you start setting the boundary, they'll almost sit there and go, okay, I might not need this right now that I can wait. Or yes, two weeks is fine, or whatever it is. So yeah, set the boundaries straight away and be clear, be transparent, be obvious about what else it is that you've got going on. Don't keep it to yourself. Shout about it. I've got seven different projects going on right now. You know, I'm trying to do this for so and so, or I can't, I've got this for so and so. You know, especially if it's managers, because sometimes then they'll discuss that between themselves and say, look, I need you know, so's who are working on this project for me, but she's currently working on this. Let them have that conversation. But also, if you're a marketing manager, you are a manager, you have the ability to say no, I don't have the capacity for right that right now. We are at full capacity. I am at full capacity. I cannot give this my all because I have too much going on. Speak up for yourself. I think that's the key, that's the key one is is just yeah, be clear.
SPEAKER_02Be that's the scary one for most people, isn't it? Saying no, we all say yes. I I I say yes way too much. Yeah, because you want to get involved because it sounds exciting, but you're like, oh wow, well, what 100%.
SPEAKER_00And I'm still learning the same thing. I say this all like I'm great at it, but this is just what I'm also learning for myself. I'm still trying to say no to things, you know. I'm still, and I find it easier to push back on a deadline than say no. So I find it easier to say I can't get this done right now, but can I get it to you in a week? Or can I get it to you by the end of the week, or something like that, then say no? Because sometimes people will go, Oh, I really needed it today, but if you haven't got time, don't worry, I'll you know, and then they've they find another way to do it. Um so I think sometimes, yeah, I find it easier to say I haven't got time right now than I do to say I don't have the capacity to do that at all.
SPEAKER_02And do you think saying no has got better as you've got older got easier?
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh, there was nothing you could have asked me like in work that I would have said no to. Um, I'd have always been like, yeah, of course, yeah, I can do that. Yeah. And now I sit there and I think, gosh, it was so easy for people to go, oh that's marketing. I think that's the big thing though, isn't it? Yeah. Is they they everyone can relate everything back to marketing. Oh, that's marketing because it's got the logo on it. No, it's not though. It's not.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, oh, it's going to a customer, so that means marketing. Oh, it's going here, market it. It's not. Find your boundaries. What is your job and what isn't your job? Because not everything can be.
SPEAKER_02And I always say to people as well, don't be afraid to ask for outsource stuff. Like you've got a marketing budget, just say, Do you know what? I'm not very good at social media, I'm not very good at SEO. I'm gonna find an expert that is, make my life easier, then I can take on that challenge. And yeah, if you couldn't explain that to your manager, I think that's um a really good thing to do. Yeah. So one of the questions with the mint side of it, we're we're coming up against a lot. A lot of marketing managers want to join, but they're a bit afraid to kind of ask their managers for £49 a month, you know, to actually join. How would you what would you say to them to try and convince that manager?
SPEAKER_00Oh, and hit them with the risk versus reward. So you're always the risk is that currently I'm at capacity and I'm um I'm struggling, you know, or you know, whatever your risk is that they they find like sort of most important. Um, and the reward is for £49 a month, I'm in a better place. I've got support, there's people I can call on. It's essentially like having a whole team of marketers without paying for a whole team of marketers, you know. Everyone is there to help, everyone can help you answer questions. We've got there's experts. You know, there's some people who've just been in the same situation. So you are essentially getting a whole marketing team without paying for it. That would be my sort of my go-to is that you know it helps me out and it helps you out. And just, you know, don't just sort of I really want to do this. Give them the facts, give them the reasons, give them the why's, give them the what's happened, give them a whole report if you need to. But I think, yeah, just be transparent about why it is that you want to do it. It's not just the cost of the business, it's a risk versus reward.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, the cost of recruiting someone else because they're leaving. And also, uh, I was thinking of the mentorship side of it. Like, somebody said to me the other day, like, when you pay for coaching, it's like £150 a month. Like, we're giving you a free mentor in that. You can pick your own mentor. Yeah. Do you remember like how much remember we I had the mentor, I cannot remember his name and utility people, but he came in and mentored us on ads and the back end of understanding and that for me, I don't that cost her thousands. Yeah. But that for me was a game changer to both outlider. And it's just about pulling those people in to get you better at what you're doing, and not not saying, not feeling bad for not knowing everything. No one can be an expert in everything right now, no way. And the thing is as well, we sometimes you just need a little rant.
SPEAKER_00I I mean, if anyone like the people that know Emma and I will know for sure that we love a rant. We live for a rant. We're a rant about anything. Give us a topic. Um, but sometimes I think you just need to be able to do that, right? Like you just need people around you that you can rant to, and sometimes it's easier if the people understand that the buzzwords that you're gonna use, you know. If you're ranting about SEO, it I don't think your mum might not get it. But we will, do you know? Do you know what I mean? You won't get the oh, you'll get the I'm a I'm with you. Do you know? So I think that men sister that's like the thing, is that it's just yeah, it gives you more of a team around you that get it, that understand what you're going through.
SPEAKER_02Love it. So, final question, Tamsin. Yes, if you are a lone marketer listening right now, uh, a hundred things on your to-do list, juggling laser balls, spinning laser plates, what one piece of advice would you give them?
SPEAKER_00Everything is fixable, everything is achievable. And join Mint to just have people behind you that that know what you're going through and get it. Um, but yeah, nothing is world-ending as much as other people may make you feel like it is. It isn't. You'll still wake up tomorrow, you'll still be good tomorrow, you'll still have great family, great friends, you still have a great job. Just because it's not going your way today doesn't mean it won't go your way tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely amazing. I'm so excited about building mint with you. Thank you for joining me on the podcast and in Mint. And yeah, thank you so much, Tamson. You've been amazing. Thank you for having me, it's been great.