Media Mavens: In conversation with Cerys
A true communications powerhouse, Cerys started The Goods with the mission to help others avoid mistakes she’s made in her 15+ years of experience. She knew that what was often needed was a flexible solution - so she created it.
Cerys believes in trying it all: that there is no one path to a successful career in marketing and communications. And after working with NASA, and growing companies like Kobo and LEAGUE, we are inclined to believe her! And she’s not done yet - when not running her own collective, she’s the VP of Operations at Vetster.
We chatted with Cerys about what she’s learned along the way, her advice for others starting out, and how audience is the one piece that remains important at any level of business.
Cleo: You’ve worked with a huge range of brands, often while they were making big changes or just getting off the ground, what would you say is the core of their communications and marketing strategies that unites them all?
Cerys: The connection to your audience is a universal thread no matter what kind of business you’re in, or what stage you’re at. You have to create things that give them value. Value can be delivered in a variety of forms - the topic itself, the call to action, the channel of delivery, the entertainment factor, or even the emotional connection to the brand or product. Value is then received by helping your customer be smarter, do something good, receive a beneficial product, or even spark ideation, conversation and creative thought. While it sounds obvious, you’d be amazed at how many brands forget this core tenet. I like to remind clients particularly in their early days that what’s interesting to you, isn’t necessarily what’s valuable to your audience.
Cleo: Why did you decide to start The Goods, your marketing and communications solution that focuses on a collective approach tailored to each client?
Cerys: The honest answer is that I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the last +15 years and I thought others could at least benefit from not repeating them. Having worked almost exclusively with tech startups, I’ve seen every stage. Going from pitch deck to product, product to product-market-fit, and growth. I love the early days of taking something from concept to reality. But often this is where a lot of money gets wasted due to old marcom tropes like hiring brand agencies, pursuing media coverage, and overinvesting in tech.
The Goods aims to change that by helping startups evolve with the right partners at the right time. We give companies a flexible solution that can scale up and down as needed, but also nimbly prioritizes budget to where it’s needed at the time it’s needed. We’re also practical, we focus on what matters and will improve the business, rather than what sounds good.
Cleo: You recently joined Vetster as Vice President of Operations. Besides your love of animals, what area of your work are you excited about providing, and what are you excited to learn in this role?
Cerys: I’m thrilled to join Vetster, leading a team of incredible operators and marketers. We are ambitious and are in a position to transform telemedicine within the veterinary industry by improving access to care while also enabling veterinary professionals to build their careers in new ways.
My role is primarily focused on building the foundation of our company that we will need for global scale. Whether that’s helping our teams establish the best processes, ensuring they have the resources and tooling needed, or creating the building blocks of our brand, it’s an incredibly exciting time to join Vetster and I’m thrilled by the work we are doing at rapid speed.
Cleo: You bring such a multi-dimensional background to each project you do, from working with NASA, to companies like Kobo and LEAGUE as they grew and became the brands we know them as today, then starting The Goods and working with businesses of all sizes. What advice would you offer someone rising up in the marketing industry and trying to choose a direction for their future?
Cerys: Three things come to mind. The first is: Try it all! Especially in the early days of your career. Work at an agency for two years so you can craft your client service skills. Get exposed to +5 different industries while you’re there and learn about your client’s business model and customer. Join a high-growth startup that is morphing from chaos into repeatable processes. Understand supply chain, business development, and sales automation. Take on that passion project or side gig that lets you practice skills your FT job might not. Too often we think we have to pick a path and stick with it, but that’s simply not true.
The second is related: You don’t HAVE to specialize. And being a great generalist opens many doors particularly if you love working with startups. I can’t tell you the number of times I have been the first marketing person on a team. It’s a lot of fun, but it means you need to think on your feet and know a little bit about everything - at least enough to be dangerous. Being a generalist can open a lot of doors!
And lastly, more an affirmation: You are always exactly where you need to be. There are no mistakes in your career path. Sure, sometimes things don’t work out the way you planned. But more often than not, you learn something that is incredibly informative and directional in your next step. Take that new role that might be a little outside of your comfort zone. Switch industries. Join that non-profit. Or even, stay exactly where you are and turn down an opportunity. It all works out in the end. It really does.
Cleo: We always have to ask about social media, which has become a must for marketing. What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to the social realm?
Cerys: Having patience for the long game! It’s amazing that people think brands reach superstar status overnight when we all know how much effort goes into building, testing and evolving content for our audiences. That the ever-changing algorithms mean you need dogged determination and creativity to elevate your content strategy. Thankfully I work with incredible people at Vetster and at Cleo Social who are absolute wizards and make it seem effortless.
Cleo: And a fun one to finish off, what’s your favourite way to take a break from work?!
Cerys: There’s nothing like a long walk down by the lakeshore with a friend and a cup of coffee.