Inside the Moments that Matter: Insights from a CMO to COO Journey

I had the opportunity to meet with longtime friend and partner, Riikka Söderlund, who has recently made the leap from CMO to COO at Katana. Riikka shares her unique insights on this transition, the excitement of her new role, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. I was also anxiously awaiting the results of a recent LinkedIn activation she did where all 150 employees posted on LinkedIn on a variety of different topics – personal and professional – on the same day!

How did your transition from CMO to COO come about?

Interestingly, this transition was very organic and natural for me. There's no singular role when you are part of a company's leadership team experiencing rapid growth and expansion. Everyone plays to their strengths, identifies gaps, and begins to fill them. I was focused on marketing from the start but saw opportunities to address various organizational structures and processes. This not only broadened my responsibilities to include areas like revenue operations and data analytics, but when it came down to execution, these improvements increased the impact of our campaigns and the ways we measured success.

What are you most excited about in your new role?

Having a holistic view of growing a company is what excites me the most. I feel strongly that it all starts with the people:

• Having the right people.

• Treating them well.

• Embracing a culture that is reflective of the company's ethos.

Also, implementing effective strategies and technologies ensures the revenue funnel works seamlessly. Being able to adjust and improve areas that would make all functions work better is a liberating feeling and fuels me.

What prepared you for this kind of shift in role?

My interest in company culture and data analytics has been vital as my role expanded. I've always leaned into areas that would make me better understand the challenges I was facing and the activities I was working on. I became a trained Salesforce operations specialist at a previous company when we identified a need to revamp our sales process. This gave me insights into how data and revenue are interlinked. In another role, I had a heavy hand in shaping the organization's culture. Understanding how to define a brand's mission, vision, and values, engage employees, and orchestrate a talented workforce that is ready for growth was also a considerable advantage. While I am a marketer at heart, I knew I was destined for a role that allowed me to be a connector across an organization, and I continued to embrace all opportunities to add these skill sets so when the time came, I'd be ready.

Axios HQ's State of Internal Communications report cited that only 14% of workers fully aligned with their organization's goals. And a recent Gallup poll noted that employee engagement hit an 11-year low in the U.S. This is a growing pain point globally. With people operations now falling under your domain, what is your philosophy and approach?

Radical transparency is a cornerstone of our culture and across all internal communications. We openly share financials and other critical information with our team, fostering trust and clarity. This approach simplifies communication and helps everyone understand and align with the company's direction and challenges. I feel fortunate that we set this precedent at the outset as it's often ambiguity that causes challenges and frustration with the team. We are committed to clear and truthful, setting expectations, and ensuring everyone is on the same page.  

I can't leave any meeting without asking the question on everybody's lips: How do you integrate AI into your business strategy?

AI is integral to our operations. We use AI tools in marketing for content production and brand consistency. Our sales team leverages AI for prospect research. Additionally, we're exploring AI integration into our platform to enhance user experience. Ensuring data security and proper usage protocols are crucial as we navigate this AI-driven landscape and is where we start, evaluate and end every use and integration.

We fully subscribe to the adage that "it isn't AI itself that will replace you; it's someone using AI more effectively who will." Something we're doing to ensure we are not left behind is incorporating AI usage into our employee performance reviews. We've provided enterprise-grade tools, introduced our formal AI charter, and continue to encourage the team to explore and integrate it into their workflows. Not only will our employees have a competitive advantage individually, but so will we as a collective unit.

You just did a fun activation with your team: Everyone posted every day on LinkedIn for a week! How did it go, and what was the engagement like?

It was wildly successful, and I'd break down the results in three buckets for anyone else looking to do something similar:  

• Significant Marketing Impact: Over the week, we saw 307 posts mentioning Katana, which led to a 300% increase in weekly followers for our company account and a record week in website traffic. This boosted our visibility and engagement considerably, with 143 new followers joining our network.

• Tangible Business Results: The activation resulted in a 42% increase in marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) week over week and even secured a new deal through organic social media efforts. Additionally, we noticed a clear increase in job applications for our open roles. High-profile partners like Intuit and Shopify also took notice and re-shared our content, amplifying our reach.

• Enhanced Team Engagement and Culture: An impressive 72% of our team, affectionately known as Katanauts, participated in the experiment. This generated 579 Slack messages filled with discussions and ideas, fostering countless conversations about our colleagues' daily work. Moreover, many team members expressed interest in follow-up training to continue engaging with the broader tech community. This experiment has not only driven business impact but also significantly strengthened our company culture.

We will absolutely do something like this again, and you should consider doing it at Greenough!

What advice would you give to others looking to make a similar transition? 

Just start doing the work. Prove your capabilities in the areas you're passionate about, even if it's initially on a smaller scale. When you solve problems, they become your responsibility and will allow you to showcase your ability to handle more significant challenges. It's also essential to identify what you don't want to do and not be afraid to take a different path if the advice you receive or the direction you travel doesn't align with your vision.

What are some lessons you've learned from good and bad advice throughout your career?

Interestingly, some of the most impactful lessons came from advice I didn't agree with or admire. It often sparked a realization of what I didn't want to do, guiding me to make decisions that aligned better with my goals and leadership style. I didn't know how fortunate I was then, but early in my career, I had excellent mentors who emphasized the importance of believing in myself and focusing on details. Everything comes down to the details! These foundational lessons have been invaluable, and combining them gave me everything I needed to succeed.

What's next for you in your career journey?

I'm just getting started. My current role provides a diverse portfolio of responsibilities that genuinely interest me. It opens up numerous future possibilities, and I'm eager to see which path I'll take next. Having options is exciting, and I'm looking forward to exploring them.

Thanks, Riikka, for sharing your journey with us! We look forward to seeing what's next!!