So…what are you DOING?

As the new kid on the block here at BraveNewTalent, I get asked this question a lot. Especially since I’ve clocked four conferences in the last three weeks of my first official month at my new job. Enough with all the abstract stuff. Here’s what I’m really doing:

Learning how to demo the product. Usually this is a sales thing. But here’s the deal in a startup. Everyone’s in sales. Aligning messaging doesn’t happen with sales, service and marketing and a departmental memo. It happens on a very loud, transcontinental skype call with everyone pitching in to figure it out…in real time.

Trying to share contacts with five colleagues in three timezones. For us, that means SalesForce. Useful product. However, I have multiple CSVs, several social media accounts and CRMs, and roughly 2000 business cards on my desk (or the floor).

Honing up my skills in usability, sales, design, product development, content, editorial, community and just about everything obviously (and not so obviously) related to marketing. Because as I’m learning, it really is ALL interrelated. Learning to draw the lines of accountability from department to department is not only important but invaluable.

Finally, I’m building a pilot program. What does that mean? It means that I’m calling, emailing and talking to companies who are interested in building talent communities. In addition to our great stable of current employers, we’ve recently signed on a little coffee company you may have heard of. Going forward, I’ll be working with these companies to build their talent communities and develop case studies.

Together, we’ll look at the impact that talent communities have on:

recruiting and hiring, employee engagement, workforce planning, talent pipelines, employer branding, and lots of other uses, we haven’t even thought of yet. So…what are YOU doing?