341. Stretch 🙆♀️
What to do when you're feeling stuck, stretched, and unsure what to do next
Hi there 👋
If you’re like me and love hearing how other companies do handle their compensation and pay transparency, then you’ll love this new Substack from my former Buffer teammate and friend Mary Jantsch. Here’s the first issue:
Wishing you a great week ahead,
Kevan
(ᵔᴥᵔ)
Thank you for being part of this newsletter. Each week, I share playbooks, case studies, stories, and links from inside the startup marketing world and my time at Oyster, Buffer, and more.
Say hi anytime at hello@kevanlee.com. I’d love to hear from you.
What to do when you don’t know what to do
I’ve heard it said that you’re not in the right job if you know what you’re doing at all times.
As an Enneagram Type 3 personality (the Achiever who thrives on achieving things), I have a hard time accepting this fate of un-knowing. But I agree with the sentiment. There are days, sometimes weeks, where I am stuck on a problem or bogged down with not knowing what to do next. I am just about out of one of these swoons right now. And in the spirit of normalizing these ebbs and flows of marketing leadership, I thought I’d share a few of the things I do when I feel lost.
If you’ve ever been in these situations (maybe you’re in one now?), know that you are not alone.
The answer is not always obvious.
Next steps are not always clear.
You won’t always feel like you are on top of everything and have a plan for what should happen. But that’s okay. Here are a few things I do when I’m in these situations.
1. Turn your mountains into molehills
Break your big tasks into smaller, actionable steps and then start taking action.
One of the most consistent ways that I trip myself up is getting overwhelmed by the perceived magnitude of the task before me, so much so that I can’t make any progress at all. This is where it becomes really handy to start listing out the different steps taken to get from A to B (or A to Z since the task feels so large).
Typically, I reach a state of calm when I’m breaking down my big tasks into smaller tasks in Asana or taking my to-do list out of my brain and putting it onto actual, IRL paper.
2. Find an accountability buddy
This may be a peer within the company or a peer outside of it. I do a sneaky thing and tap my boss as a secret accountability buddy. S/he doesn’t know they are serving the role. But my weekly 1:1 with them is all the accountability impetus I need.
When I bring a problem to my boss, I am determined not to bring the same problem again the following week.
This forces me to make progress between this week and next. By making progress, typically the problem begins to look different … or gets solved completely. For example, if I’m stuck on annual planning one week, then I will do some prework and realize that my actual problem is with financial budgets. Voila! Different problem, and I’ve made some progress.
3. Reflect on a favorite quote
I read a lot of books, and I highlight a bunch of quotes. These words often inspire me when I’m in need of a pick-me-up.
Here’s a list I made back in the day for sharing on social media.
I also use an app called Readwise that lets me revisit five of my Kindle highlights each day. I can also put them into pretty visuals I can share in newsletters.
4. Revisit a past compliment
I was listening to this new podcast the other day (not a marketing podcast recommendation, unless you want to hear someone tell good stories). In the intro, the host and guest were talking about the swipe files they keep of compliments that people have paid them.
I do the same thing (in Notion)!
These little reminders come in especially handy when I’m feeling unsure of the way out of a problem or uncertain if I have what it takes. Turns out, there are plenty of people who think I do have what it takes. :)
5. Ask for a little help from friends
This may be the #1 most obvious thing that other people do when they’re stuck. It’s a pretty great remedy. I will typically turn to the Slack groups I’m part of to see if others have experienced similar hurdles or have advice. In the past, I’ve been part of mastermind groups with peers who are in similar roles at tech companies and facing similar challenges.
Almost always, someone else’s perspective makes things better.
6. Take a day off
It’s amazing what a long weekend will do for the soul!
Over to you
What things do you do when you’re feeling stuck at work? I’d love to hear!
Misc.
My interview with Kevin Whelan about part-time advising.
I quite enjoyed this list of marketing L&D resources from Samantha Leal. (Also, check out my interview with Samantha here, if you haven’t already.)
About this newsletter …
Hi, I’m Kevan, a marketing exec based in Boise, Idaho, who specializes in startup marketing and brand-building. I currently lead the marketing team at Oyster (we’re hiring!). I previously built brands at Buffer, Vox, and Polly. Each week, I share playbooks, case studies, stories, and links from inside the startup marketing world. Not yet subscribed? No worries. You can check out the archive, or sign up below:
Thank you for being here! 🙇♂️
I’m lucky to count folks from great brands like these (and many more) as part of this newsletter community.
