The Marketo Nation Summit occurred from April 28-May 2, 2018, in downtown San Francisco, with the theme of “The Fearless Marketer”. The conference brought together key players in the digital marketing and customer engagement worlds. In addition to hosting speakers, networking, workshops and presentations, the summit also included many booths from companies looking to promote their products and services. Notable keynote speakers from outside of the Marketo in the first morning session on April 30 included Bill McDermott, CEO of the software company SAP, and Jamie Foxx, multi-talented actor, comedian, and entrepreneur.
McDermott shared his story of how he went from managing a deli in the Bronx of New York in High School to go on as the CEO of one of the most successful software companies in the world. He stressed the importance of trust within the self and in others, saying, “Trust is the ultimate human currency; earned in drops, and lost in buckets. If you don’t stand for something, you have no business putting your name next to it”.
Foxx shared his life story as well, taking us through his original training as a classical pianist to his work in comedy back to music and continued acting and entrepreneurship. When Foxx met Ray Charles, Charles offered the advice, “Take time to find the right notes to play”, which Foxx took seriously, and Foxx also offered when “you don’t think you can go any faster, remember that you only have TODAY.”
As someone who does not know very much about marketing, it was a little overwhelming, but once I heard these keynote speakers talk and met lots of confident people, it inspired me and I felt more comfortable. No one knows what they are doing when they try something for the first time, but the first step is being fearless and accepting that you are willing to learn, at whatever it takes. Increasingly, it does not matter if you have a background or skill set in a particular field, but instead that you are willing to learn. Coming from an environmental studies background, I know that my knowledge can be applicable in any field due to increased awareness of and interest in sustainability.
