Career Growth Advice from Meghan Peterson, Tech Marketing Leader | Career Tips for Women in Tech Marketing

2B Bolder Podcast – Episode 106
Featuring Meghan Peterson

Episode Title: #106 Bold Career Moves: Lessons from Meghan Peterson

Host: Mary Killelea
Guest: Meghan Peterson



Mary Killelea (Host): Hi there. My name is Mary Killelea. Welcome to the To Be Bolder podcast, providing career insights for the next generation of women in business and tech. To Be Bolder was created out of my love for technology and marketing, my desire to bring together like-minded women, and my hope to be a great role model and source of inspiration for my two girls and other young women like you, encouraging you guys to show up and to be bolder and to know that anything you guys dream of, it's totally possible. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the conversation.

Hi there. Welcome to the show. Today's guest is a woman I think many of you can relate to and will be inspired by. I know I have been impressed with everything she does. Today's guest is Meghan Peterson. Meghan started her career in product marketing at Intel, where she supported their data center and AI technologies.

Today, she is earning her MBA at the Kellogg School of Management and graduating very soon in June, and she's focusing on marketing and strategy. Outside of work, Meghan is involved in organizations that empower women and underrepresented individuals in business and tech. She has served on the board for the Women at Intel Network, led pro bono work for PDX Women in Tech, and is a member of Kellogg's Women's Business Association. Meghan, thank you so much for being here.

Meghan Peterson (Guest): Thank you so much, Mary. I am so excited to be here with you today.

Mary Killelea: Okay, so I was eager to feature you on the show because you have accomplished so much and you are relatively early in your career, compared to me, of course. I thought it would be inspiring for others to hear from you and get your perspective on corporate life, leaving the security of your job, and going back to get your masters. Those are big things. So, let's start with your background. Tell us about your schooling and how you ended up at Intel and then we'll cover the whole gambit of your masters.

Meghan Peterson: Absolutely. So, I'm originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and I attended undergrad at the University of South Carolina, where I studied marketing and supply chain operations. I always knew that marketing was the thing that I wanted to do when I grew up, but I actually first got my big break in tech through a college internship at this little known company called Intel. And it's a funny story how it ended up happening. Actually, I remember I was in college and I was sitting on my apartment couch and a TV commercial came on and Intel was featured in it. And I think we'd also talked about Intel in class that week. And I thought that sounded like a pretty cool place to work. And so, I put a job application out into the abyss and ended up hearing back from a corporate recruiter, moved out to Santa Clara for that summer, worked on our marketing team, had an absolute blast. And when the opportunity came to come back full time, I immediately jumped at it. And it's kind of crazy to think that that college internship and that one momentary decision kind of impacted the trajectory of my career.

Mary Killelea: It's wild, isn't it? So, what have been some of the highlights that you recall from your time at Intel? I mean, I know you did a ton, and I worked with you in several different positions, but talk about some of the highlights that you're real proud of.

Meghan Peterson: Absolutely. I was there for four years, and it was a great four years. I mean, you and I worked together, which was definitely a highlight for me, Mary. I think in terms of just overall highlights, I was allowed to do so many and empowered to do so many different things. I started out on our competitive marketing team. I was part of the organization that was developing our competitive intelligence arm at the time, which was just like such a cool way to start my career. Moved into our integrated marketing team where I spanned some of our outbound programs and spent a lot of time thinking about how we can improve some of our content development and application practices, which was just Marketing 101. And that was really great learning opportunity. And then I wrapped it out on our product launch team as part of the organization that was developing the strategy for how new products were introduced in the market and helped wrangle sales, marketing and engineering to deliver to that vision. And I just look over the course of my time at Intel. Those four years went by in the blink of an eye, but I was empowered to do so much during that time and that I am so grateful for.

Mary Killelea: You know, you say the word empowerment. And I think the key to empowerment is knowing that you've got people who are ready to run with the ball. What words of encouragement do you have for women out there who either don't feel empowered or aren't, I guess, taking that empowerment and really driving it? Because you've done that. You really did drive the launch. You really did drive the things that you were in charge of. And I think sometimes people have those opportunities and maybe don't capitalize on them.

Meghan Peterson: Yeah, I think for me, what was really helpful to get to that empowerment was to really take a hard look and not be so insecure with being the rookie in the room. There were so many instances in which like I was not an expert in product launches, and I wasn't an expert in content development, but was able to really turn to people outside of me to fall on, to ask questions and get their expertise and to build myself up along in the process so that it wasn't just me and I wasn't so alone. And that really helped me get out of that imposter syndrome mindset and into that empowerment mindset of just like not looking at my perceived weaknesses as weaknesses and being able to go off and do really great things.

Mary Killelea: What would you say are some pros and cons to working at a big corporation?

Meghan Peterson: I think the pros, I really loved the global scale of the work that we were doing, really being able to see the products and the marketing hit every single corner of the globe and like that level of impact is really exciting from the perspective of working in a big corporation. I also loved that you could have so many different careers within a career at Intel specifically, but also within a big corporation, being able to try so many different things and being trusted to grow into different roles because leaders have seen you work and are able to advocate for you.

I think some of the cons are, I can see how it would be easy to get swept up or lost in the shuffle if there are so many different people. And I think like going back to the pros of working in a big company, there are so many different managers depending on what type of leadership style you're looking for to work underneath that will advocate for you if you look for them. And that was really beneficial in helping me pull myself out of potentially getting lost in the shuffle.

Mary Killelea: Is there anything you wish you would have been taught that you could have, I guess, better prepared you for that nine to five role when you were back in college?

Meghan Peterson: Gosh, everything. Everything. Going back to like the conversation we're having around empowerment, I wish that somebody would have pulled me aside and said, just because you don't have a ton of experience doesn't mean you're any less valuable. I really think like that learning alone, when I walked in the doors at Intel would have been so valuable to me because I remember getting there and looking around and realizing how experienced everyone was, just the level of knowledge that was in every single room that I was going into. And that really forced me inwards at times. And if somebody had like pulled me aside really early on and said, you know, just because you don't have 20 years of experience, like that doesn't mean that you can't add impact to this team, I think would have been really helpful for me, especially earlier on in my career.

Mary Killelea: You mentioned how when you were doing a role, you had the opportunity to showcase your value, your work ethic, etc., your contributions. How intentional are you on building a personal brand?

Meghan Peterson: If my professors are listening, I'm working on it. I think it's a work in progress. I internally know the words that I want to be known for in every interaction that I'm having. In terms of actually materializing that into a personal brand,I think we could all do a little bit better. I've been trying to post more on LinkedIn is just like that first step. But that's a really uncomfortable thing for me to do is just to talk about myself, but the like wins and the losses on LinkedIn. And so that's my starting point. But we'll see I'm giving myself some room to continue to evolve the brand as I grow and graduate in the next couple of weeks.

Mary Killelea: That's fantastic. Did you have mentors or sponsors along the way? And how were you able to establish those? Because I know that's one of the biggest things are seeking is a mentor. But sometimes, you know, even having a sponsor is as valuable as having a mentor, because they play two different roles.

Meghan Peterson: 100%. And I've been so lucky over the course of my career to just really have some great people in my court. One of my professors refers to it as your personal board of directors. And I've really been working on building that board out.

In terms of finding those people over the course of my life. I've really looked for folks that I admire and trying to get as close to them as possible, whether it's admired them for their job title or the organizations they're leading. For me, I really like to look for leaders who I admire their leadership style, whether it's in person in meetings, or more so who they are when the door is closed, is something that I've really been looking for. And approaching those individuals trying to have career conversations with them and making it more of a relationship oriented conversation versus like a transactional thing. And so it's been something I've been working on, and I've just been really lucky to have some great folks in my corner over the course of the past few years.

Mary Killelea: What made you decide to go back and get your MBA? And I kind of imagine that was hard to leave, you know, working for a big corporation with all that security.

Meghan Peterson: It kept me up a lot of nights before I actually took the leap. I loved the direction our team was heading in. I feel like I'd finally gotten my feet underneath me at work and things were starting to click really well. I'd wanted to go get an MBA for a while. And really the reason why I ended up doing it, it all came back to long term career progression for me personally.

There are a couple different reasons. I think first is I wanted to grow my business skill sets and areas in which I knew that I was experiencing some gaps across functions and industry so I could bring those learnings to teams that hopefully I am able to work with in the future. I think the second thing was wanting to grow as a marketer. Kellogg is known for having one of the best marketing programs in the country and so being able to come in and grow those marketing skill sets with one-on-one coaching from faculty was something that I was really looking forward to bring to my next role. And then, really what's been important to me is growing my network at the same time in areas in which I want to play in the future. So, developing those relationships, having conversations, learning about different functions within tech and within marketing, and an MBA has been a great platform for that to have those conversations. People are really willing to talk to you when you're a student and I've definitely been taking advantage of that. But all in all it came back to long term career progression for me.

Mary Killelea: What made you decide to go with Kellogg besides its wonderful reputation, because I'm sure you researched a bunch of them, and then to talk to us about kind of the day-to-day experience of what you've been able to, how is it structured I guess is a good question.

Meghan Peterson: Yeah, so Kellogg first has an amazing marketing program which immediately caught my eye even before I was in the application process. I think the second really big thing that stood out to me was the emphasis on experiential learning opportunities. I'm such a hands-on learner, like I have to do it to learn it, and so a lot of the courses here are based on client work or group projects where you are physically getting dirty with client data and information and helping solve real business challenges to learn the fundamentals. And so that was something that drew me in immediately to this program. The program that I'm in, it's a one year accelerated program, so typically MBA programs are two years and that was a really big draw for me as well because I want to get back out to the workforce as quickly as possible. I miss a paycheck every single day.

A day in the life for me typically looks like sitting in class for several hours a day. We'll do case discussions, debates, some lecture style, which is really great to just have a variety of different experiences in the classroom. When I'm not in class there are a couple of places you can typically find me. I've been doing a lot of coffee chats with alumni, industry professionals, just having conversations while I'm still a student to better inform future career decisions. I go to a lot of speakerships and like workshops to refine skills or to learn from folks that will be coming in and out of campus on a daily basis. And then as I mentioned earlier, a lot of client work. So, meeting with client teams, meeting with group projects, determining next steps has been really great. I've been working with John Deere this quarter. Last quarter I was working with a major brewing client doing ethnographic customer interviews for them. So, I was going into people's homes and asking them about their relationship with the beer industry and the specific product. And those level of experiences is something that has been really beneficial to me over the course of the past year.

Mary Killelea: Are there any cons to doing a masters? Is it, I don't know. Any downsides?

Meghan Peterson: There are totally downsides. And this was part of the reason why I was up at night so many times about a year ago. I think the first thing is the time. It's a hard decision to take a step back from work and to take a step away from that stability and to go off and do something that is a little bit unknown. And that was certainly a challenge for me based off of where we're at as a team. Again, I was so excited about where we're at. I think the second thing is the financial side. Getting an MBA is expensive. It's not the right decision for everyone. I'm really fortunate that I'm on a partial scholarship through the Forte Foundation, which is empowering women to go off and get MBAs, which I am so grateful for. But that's a big barrier for a lot of people. And that's not the right decision for everyone. And that's something that I'm definitely cognizant of.

Mary Killelea: Outside of work, you are very diligent in getting involved in organizations that align with work goals. What advice do you have for others that you can share? And what are some of the organizations that you've been involved in? I know I mentioned them at the top of the intro, but talk to me about those and how you got involved and what were your roles and responsibilities in those?

Meghan Peterson: Absolutely. I think over the course of my career, I really looked for organizations that deeply align with my personal interests. As you mentioned, I'm really passionate about ensuring that women and underrepresented individuals have a place that is safe and technology and feel empowered to stay in the industry. And so, I've always looked for organizations that have allowed me to further that mission. So, my advice to anyone is if you're looking for organizations to get involved in, go find those things that you're passionate about, whether it's an actual cause, or maybe you just really love marketing and there's an opportunity to do marketing on a specific board or nonprofit in your community. Because in those situations where I've gone off and I've worked on orgs that I actually care about the mission, it hasn't felt like work. It's been so gratifying. And there are no shortage of organizations in that space.

The orgs that I've worked on, I was on the board for Women at Intel Network for several years, did marketing for them as well as their operations, which was a great way to give back to the Intel community and to see that impact like right in front of my face. I also did some pro bono work for PDX Women in Tech, which was through a local chapter of our American Marketing Association. So, they were teams of us, they do it every single year in the Portland community, which was a great way to get to know a new organization that I hadn't previously worked with. And then today I'm part of our Women's Business Association at Kellogg, which brings in speakerships and programming to help empower women while they're currently in business school. So, it's been a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to identifying what's next when I get back out into the real world and can figure out where I'm living and where I'm working and really start to make those commitments again.

Mary Killelea: What does to be bolder mean to you?

Meghan Peterson: I knew you were going to ask this one too. To be bolder means to me being fearless enough over the course of your life and over the course of your career to really defy the expectations that others might have set for you or you might have set for yourself and then empowering others to do the same.

Mary Killelea: I love it. What drives you?

Meghan Peterson: I think as a marketer, what drives me is the idea that I have the opportunity and the teams that I'm working on have the opportunity to really impact the way that people interact with technology. And I think the thing that really gets me out of bed in the morning is understanding that direct role has the power to change society. It has the potential to change governments and cultures and that is really exciting to me because it's marketing in and of itself. It's one role in a business but it has so much power and that really excites me as an individual.

Mary Killelea: Meghan, I hear you talking about your kind of trajectory and where you want to go. How do you approach a career strategy? Do you have things mapped out, set goals or what is your method to staying focused and growing your career?

Meghan Peterson: I think I've got a very blurry vision of what I would like to do long term. I know that I love tech, I love marketing, I would like to lead people in the future and so that's at the top of the pyramid. But it's blurry and intentionally blurry in a way that I don't have that organization locked down of what I want that to be. I don't have that job title locked down and I have been really diligent and ensuring that that's the way that it is right now just to give myself some grace to grow and try new things and not be so locked down into that vision. I am really excited for the future and I have an idea of what I would like it to look like but really haven't locked down the specifics at this point.

Mary Killelea: I love the way you describe the pyramid and the blurriness of it because it allows you flexibility and it's not so defined. I think that's a beautiful because it's important to have a goal even if it's not crystallized. What do you think is your superpower?

Meghan Peterson: I mentioned diligence before and I do think that's my superpower. I wish it was something cooler like mines or teleporting but it is definitely diligence. I like to see things through and I'll do everything in my power buckling down to get something across the finish line and I think that's been a real superpower for me is just being able to really carry things and ensure that others know that they can trust my work and trust me to do a good job and to be as diligent as possible to get a good outcome is probably my superpower.

Mary Killelea: What would you tell your younger self?

Meghan Peterson: We talked about imposter syndrome earlier and I really I think I'd have a hard conversation with her about imposter syndrome and really just going back to not being afraid to be that rookie in the room to not be afraid to not know the answer and to instead find areas in which she can add value that no one else can because sometimes it doesn't come with 20 years of experience. Sometimes there are little things that each of us hold that someone else doesn't have expertise in and I would tell her to go look for those areas to get out of that imposter syndrome and to go find places in which she can add value because she can she just doesn't know it yet.

Mary Killelea: What is next for you?

Meghan Peterson: What is next for me? So, I'll be graduating here depending on when you're listening to this I'll be graduating here in a couple of weeks in mid-June. Recruiting has just kicked off on campus for tech it goes a little bit later, so I've been talking to some really great teams some really great people. I'd like to stay in marketing go to market strategy and tech so still TBD. I will let you know and I know but I'm really excited for what's next.

Mary Killelea: Is your program exploring business to consumers and B2B?

Meghan Peterson: Yeah I would say it skews pretty heavy B2C but they've begun rolling out programs that are more B2B whether it's bringing in specific speakers or standing up workshops some of the classes have started to bring in more B2C applications and that's been really refreshing to have had a little bit of a taste of it and to now be getting it from the education side has been really interesting. But I've also loved diving into the world of B2C and specifically consumer goods and understanding what that looks like these it's a completely different ball game some of the tactics and strategies that are being used and I think there's some fun stuff that we could bring over to the B2B world as well.

Mary Killelea: What is it about marketing that you love so much?

Meghan Peterson: It really it allows me to combine both my creative brain and my data-driven brain and that has been really fun for me. I like the idea that I have the opportunity to impact the way that people interact with things right like in a technology like in the scene of doing technology marketing like you truly have the power as a marketer to help influence how someone adopts or feels about a certain technology and that is really interesting to me that you as an individual sitting wherever in the world can help drive that relationship with a brand or a product with someone and how that art side combined with the data of actually helping people to get to those decisions is what I love the most about what we do.

Mary Killelea: It has been so fun and gone by so quickly I can't believe it. I just admire you. Like I said I worked with you before and I just said wow she's so sharp she's going to go places so I'm happy to have you on. How can other people connect with you?

Meghan Peterson: Thank you so much Mary. The best way to keep the conversation going is to reach out to me on LinkedIn and I would love to chat.

Mary Killelea: Thank you.

Meghan Peterson: Thank you so much Mary it's been a joy it is so good to catch up with you and I have loved seeing everything you have been doing with the podcast. It's been a long time listener, and this is a real honor for me to be in the hot seat today.

Mary Killelea: Thanks for listening to the episode today. It was really fun chatting with my guests. If you liked our show please like it and share it with your friends. If you want to learn what we're up to please go check out our website at 2bbolder.com that's the number two little b bolder.com.