Heather Quitos is the Head of Content at scaleMatters, which provides early and growth stage B2B companies with world-class revenue operations and intelligence.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I’ve worked in small but mighty marketing teams in my career. I started at a healthcare technology company that was eventually acquired by a global conglomerate, then jumped into the fast-paced agency life at a top-rated HubSpot partner agency.
I am currently the Head of Content at scaleMatters, where we provide B2B startups with revenue operations and intelligence usually reserved for larger enterprises.
As Head of Content, I’m tasked with developing a content strategy that truly resonates with our prospective customers. We’re a small company so I still have a hand in actually creating the content, from blogs to podcasts to interactive assessments.
2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
My creative juices flow best in the morning, so I often spend my mornings in writing or production mode. That can range each day from blog posts, social copy, video production, or media outreach, among other types.
A big focus of my content execution is handling production of one of our podcasts, so many of my afternoons are blocked for editing social videos and preparing briefs for upcoming episodes.
As often as possible, I’ll spend time listening to prospect and customer calls. The best way to know what your audience wants is to get direct feedback, and for the times that I can’t directly talk to customers, I’ll jump into our recorded prospecting calls to learn more about their challenges.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Yes! scaleMatters offers 100% remote working and our team is spread out across the country. I had a taste of working remotely early on in my career and have enjoyed the flexibility that it provides. I can start the day earlier or later if I need to, I can step out for an appointment without taking PTO, and I can work from anywhere as long as I have a solid WiFi connection.
Because we are remote, I have to be intentional about reaching out to my colleagues because I don’t get the traditional watercooler opportunities. So in addition to team check-ins, I schedule short, non-work-related touch bases with my team members to get to know them on a personal level.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
The reality is that most of your life is devoted to work, so finding a role that you enjoy doing is important. I had to set some time aside to determine what kind of environment is best for me to thrive (and that has changed throughout my career).
For example, if you need a lot of structure and process, a startup gig may not be the best fit. If you want to expand your responsibilities outside of your role, it might be difficult to do so at a large Fortune 500 company. So that’s the one part of the balance.
The other part (especially in a remote role) is to avoid burnout. I try to do three things:
1) “Turn off” my work at the end of the day by silencing my non-urgent work notifications in the evening
2) Eat lunch away from my laptop to give myself a short break without distractions
3) Get outside for 15-20 minutes to get some energy flowing
The combination of these three has helped me establish a rhythm where my work life doesn’t negatively bleed into my personal life.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
I have started almost every morning with a quiet 10-15 minute personal meditation before breakfast. It creates a positive focused mood in me for the day and helps me anticipate any big meetings or events that are coming up. I have found that I have a calmer energy when I do it, and that makes me more productive.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
One book that was recommended to me and I’ve recommended to others is To Sell Is Human by Dan Pink. I long believed that “I’m in marketing, not sales,” but this book reframed the idea of sales to me. Everyone is in the position to sell something—could be an actual product to a customer, a new initiative to your boss, a bathroom renovation pitch to your spouse… we’re all salespeople.
I enjoy listening to podcasts and some of my favorites are Planet Money, The Pitch, and Higher Learning. I’d also be remiss not to plug the B2B podcast that I host! It’s called The Data Room.
I am also a big fan of newsletters. The Hustle does a great job of covering a wide variety of business news and concepts. Morning Brew and their spinoffs always cover a story or two that’s interesting. And The Daily Carnage is a great marketing-focused newsletter that has helped me jump-start some ideas.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
I probably use Instagram the most – I love the ability to follow anyone’s Stories or posts, whether you know them personally or not. Product-wise, I finally invested in an ergonomic office chair and it has alleviated more back pain than anticipated.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Michelle Obama – I’d love to see the contrast of her day-to-day of when she was in the White House vs. today, and how she chooses the projects and causes she works for.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
There’s a lot of power in setting boundaries. You don’t have to take on every request if you don’t have the energy to give your best effort. Blindly saying yes to everything often results in getting nothing done.
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