On today's show I had a great time speaking to Amy Vale. Amy is the Chief Marketing Officer at charity: water which is an international non-profit with a mission to bring clean and safe drinking water to developing countries. This really was a dream job for Amy and you'll hear about her path to get everything she's always wanted in life. I found her so driven and really inspiring - particularly for young women who are afraid to put themselves out there. Amy pushed past her own comfort zone to get what she wanted in life and you'll hear the result on this podcast.
Show Notes:
Making Big Moves
In her last year of high school, Amy's peers were creating angst-filled documentaries for a media class project. Amy, on the other hand, used the opportunity to make a car commercial. Even as a teen, the concept of selling and marketing products appealed to her.
As she explored different paths in advertising, she became fascinated with the continuous concept of talking to people and telling stories to promote action. She started as a copywriter at TBWA, but while she loved the creativity, she struggled with the gray area of the work. Writing feedback is subjective to the reader, and she wanted to explore a different role with more concise blacks and whites. That's what led her to marketing.
She decided to move from Australia to New York City. With no job lined up, she networked fearlessly and landed a job at Majeeva, a mobile advertising company. There she was responsible for brand positioning, which was hard for (at the time) an up-and-coming industry.
Stray From Her Comfort Zone
Whenever she looks for jobs, Amy doesn't restrict her search to open roles. She networks and contacts individuals at companies she wants to work for.
After spending three years at Majeeva, Amy made a list of industries to which she might want to transition. Music made the list, so she reached out to the Chief Revenue Officer of Spotify.
I told you her networking was fearless.
When deciding on career changes and big moves like her transition from Australia to New York City, Amy always knows what's at stake. She knew changing countries entailed risk, but she was hungry enough to be part of the action.
"You need to do a check and balances when you're putting your neck out there," she advises. "Ask yourself, 'Is this what I want?' And if the answer is yes, you have to go for it."
Working at charity: water
A recruiter reached out to Amy about the Chief Marketing Officer position at charity: water. Its mission really moved her, and she was excited to add her marketing experience to a good cause. She wanted to take part in an organization that made an impact.
charity: water's roots came from founder Scott Harrison's trip to West Africa. He spent his life living lavishly as a nightclub promoter, but it left him unfulfilled. So he traded his New York City loft for a cabin and his roommates for cockroaches on Mercy Ships, and soon he learned exactly what third-world nations looked like. When he learned how much illness results from unsanitary water conditions, he wanted to bring awareness to this issue and eventually started a company to fight back.
Amy is leading a new phase of Charity Water, building out its marketing to drive a new stage of growth. She touches upon the need to connect with new people, figuring out what drives them and sparking a connection through authenticity.
charity: water on Social
Since the start, charity: water has used social media to build a following that connects with its mission. In its next step, it is looking to build a community within this community.
Photography is a great form of media to celebrate how providing clean water helps people. Those go primarily on Instagram, while stories - always part of the charity: water brand - are primarily told on Facebook. These social media platforms allow Scott and Charity Water to connect with people on a one-to-one basis and show how the company helps.
"The more we can have people talking about being generous and kind, the more that the work starts to be more scalable," Amy explains. "And that's the most exciting part about connecting these passionate people to each other."
Interested in fundraising, donating, or supporting? Find out more about Charity Water and its cause on charitywater.org.
Enjoy, and check back here for more episodes of the All the Social Ladies podcast on Social Media Today.