Passport is the shipping partner for leading brands such as Geologie and Dolls Kill.
How did you get into marketing?
Growing up, I loved drawing and thought that a career in architecture would be perfect for me. However, I quickly learned that architecture was largely based on geometry, trig, and basic physics - all subjects I didn't particularly care for. On a suggestion from my school counselor, I took an advertising class at our local vocational school and fell in love with the merging of art, strategy and writing/communication.
I declared Mass Communications/Advertising as my major my freshman year of college and never looked back.
Ironically, it took getting into my career to realize that a great marketer is both creative and data-driven; therefore requiring an emphasis on math -- the subject that deterred my architecture dreams!
After graduating with my marketing degree, I worked the first ~10 years of my career in Account Management on the agency side with clients like John Deere. That taught me a lot about multi-tasking, developing strategies for various industries and audiences, and working closely across all disciplines of marketing. From there, I was offered a job client-side and have since worked in both the construction materials and logistics/shipping industries.
What's your current role at your company, and responsibilities?
I currently work at Passport, a shipping and internationalization solutions provider that helps e-commerce brands grow globally. I lead the global marketing team, helping to develop and execute a full funnel strategy that drives demand for our products/services. Since starting in November 2023, I've helped Passport to refresh the brand look and messaging, launch a new website, develop new sales enablement, and 2x marketing's contribution to the business.
Brag a little - what’s the most impressive thing you’ve done in your career?
I've had a lot of moments that have stood out. My first job ever, I helped a convenience store chain launch their first social media strategy. Within less than a year I grew their Facebook page to over 100,000 followers, who used social coupons to in turn drive repeat purchases.
Later in my career, I had the opportunity to go to a remote village in India to help John Deere Foundation tell the story of how they were helping Indian farmers to improve the yields of their fields and their overall standard of living.
Most recently, I'm incredibly proud of the work I've done for Passport. It's my first time leading marketing at an organization and in less than 6 months my team has launched a new website and improved everything from website traffic to marketing-sourced opportunities to estimated ARR (annual recurring revenue) from marketing-sourced customers. None of that would have been possible without the trust and support of Passport's executive team who has been willing to take chances and see the value of what marketing can bring to the table.
In your opinion, what is an opportunity marketers should be looking into?
Marketers should be looking more into how to better partner with sales and customer success. Whether B2B or DTC focused, your internal teams are critical to your marketing success. That means looking for opportunities to get closer to those team members, closer to prospects, and closer to customers. You can do this through attending meetings, but also by leveraging tools like Gong to help gather insights. Always look for opportunities to strengthen that relationship and enable them to be more successful -- because marketing leads won't turn into profitable business with them.
What do you think differentiates great marketing teams from average ones?
A great marketing team doesn't need to have a huge budget and a lot of headcount (although both can certainly help). Instead, a great marketing team needs to have people who are customer obsessed and data-driven. They need to be strategic thinkers, and able to take a step back to focus on the big picture rather than the tactics. A great marketing team understands that you need to focus on the full funnel and test different messages, strategies, and approaches.
What advice would you give to someone who recently started their marketing career?
I'd recommend anyone just starting out to explore as many facets of marketing as possible. Being too focused in one area (e.g. only social media) can pigeon-hole you and make it harder to become a well-rounded marketer. I'd also encourage them to not skip the math classes and make sure you're always looking at the data. The data will tell a story - good or bad - and is essential to proving yourself and the value of marketing to the organization.
Looking back, what's something you wish you had known when you were starting out in your career?
When I was starting out in my career, I wish I had learned sooner that only you can take your seat at the table. I was quiet and nervous to speak my mind, especially in meetings with higher level coworkers. It took encouragement from my first boss to get me to open up and speak when I had something important or valuable to contribute. Your voice is your greatest tool and one that you shouldn't be afraid to use.
Just for fun, if you weren't a marketer what would you be?
If I wasn't a marketer, I obviously wouldn't be an architect either. I love to read so I'd potentially own a bookstore or a book-themed bar/restaurant. Or become a travel writer, allowing me to stay creative while also fueling my passion for world travel. (I recently got back from Vietnam and I'm planning my next trip, which will be my 25th country visited.)
Role models?
My role model is my mom, Debra Bright. She's a two-time breast cancer survivor who, despite the odds, beat cancer and has been in remission for over 25 years. Even when she was so sick, she always put on a smile and focused on her family, while still balancing professional work. She's the definition of a strong woman, and I'm grateful to have learned so much about life and love from her!
You can checkout Passport here, and follow along with Casey via her LinkedIn.
