Smita Wadhawan is the CMO at Simple Practice, a company that provides technology to private practice therapists and other practitioners. They’ve been around for 10 years and serve over 100 thousand practitioners.
In this episode, Smita and I discuss her journey from India to the US and her career path from companies like PayPal and GoDaddy to Simple Practice. During her early years, Smita shares how she learned to embrace a growth mindset and find her own voice—both traits that have served her well as CMO.
Later in the conversation, Smita also shares her view about moving from product marketing to a go-to-market strategy, how to plan that launch, and how good leadership plays a key role. Listen to the full episode to learn more.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why you should embrace a growth mindset and find your voice
- How to see product marketing as the foundation for strong marketing
- When to move from product marketing to a go-to-market strategy
Key Highlights
- [01:24] Growing up in India
- [02:58] Smita’s career journey
- [05:40] What brought Smita to the US
- [07:19] Who Simple Practice serves
- [09:36] Smita’s first impression of the US
- [11:28] Finding her voice
- [15:01] Product marketing as the foundation for strong marketing
- [17:03] Moving from product marketing to go-to-market strategy
- [19:00] How go-to-market works at Simple Practice
- [19:56] How Smita thinks about leadership
- [23:52] An experience that shaped Smita
- [26:28] Smita’s advice to her younger self
- [27:46] What marketers should be learning more about
- [29:48] The brands and organizations Smita follows
- [31:50] The biggest threat and opportunity for marketers
Resources Mentioned:
- Smita Wadhawan
- Simple Practice
- Career stops: GE Consumer Finance, PayPal, Ebay, Visa, GoDaddy
- Andrew Low Ah Kee, former GoDaddy leader and mentor, now President of Opendoor
Follow the podcast:
- Listen in iTunes (link: http://apple.co/2dbdAhV)
- Listen in Google Podcasts (link: http://bit.ly/2Rc2kVa)
- Listen in Spotify (link: http://spoti.fi/2mCUGnC)
Connect with the Guest:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/smitawadhawan/
- https://twitter.com/smitawtweets
- https://twitter.com/SimplePractice
Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:
- http://twitter.com/abhart
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhart
- http://twitter.com/themktgtoday
- https://www.facebook.com/themktgtoday/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-today-with-alan-hart/
Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:
- http://twitter.com/abhart
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhart
- http://twitter.com/themktgtoday
- https://www.facebook.com/themktgtoday/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-today-with-alan-hart/
Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.
