Knowledge Sharing with 100 early Stage SaaS CFOs

Yesterday we were onsite with Bowery Capital, an early stage Venture Capital firm, to help put together the 5th Annual CFO Summit. Bowery hosts these Executive Summits quarterly to provide a forum where early-stage growth companies can come learn from experienced executives. 16 CFOs from leading organizations were selected to discuss extremely tactical, hands-on topics, such as 'Planning for Hyper Growth', 'Understanding the ROI of Investing in People', and 'When to Change Systems Based on Growth/Funding'. Formats included facilitated panel discussions, 'tactical' work-shop like presentations, and roundtable conversations, with the main goal focused entirely on knowledge sharing in your role as a CFO.

The Summit, limited to 100 people to keep it intimate, was a great environment where C-level peers could share actionable business strategies and lessons learned.

Check out some of the highlights below!

Why Smart CEOs Are Social CEOs

These days, it’s a given that your company needs to have an active social media presence. But what about the members of your C-suite?

A recent Edelman study revealed 78% of the highest-rated CEOs were present on social media channels. Executives like Marc Benioff utilize social media to not only share company updates but also provide insight into aspects of their personal lives.

When used correctly, CEOs can use platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to expand thought leadership and boost marketing efforts. However, the benefits gained by engaging on social go beyond boosting business. Compared to peers who are not active on social media, Social CEOs are 89% better at empowering others, 52% stronger at communications, 46% more influential, and 36% better at cultivating networks. 

Here are four other reasons why CEOs should make time for social:

1. Connect with customers: Not only does social provide a direct line of communication with those who purchase your product, but it’s a practical way to always have a finger on the pulse of your company and industry. A good example is when Airbnb’s Brian Chesky took to Twitter last year to ask people what they wanted his company to launch in 2017.

2. Build trust: 80% of consumers are more likely to trust a company whose CEO uses social. Think of social as a place to share details that humanize you and prove your accessibility to the public.

3. Strengthen public perception: In the midst of a PR crisis, brands who put their CEOs on the frontlines see a significant boost in public perception. For instance, AirAsia’s CEO Tony Fernandes was lauded for providing updates via Twitter after an AirAsia plane crash in 2014.

4. Create brand awareness: John Legere builds time for social media into his day as CEO of T-Mobile. While sometimes controversial, he’s a prime example of the many ways you can use social to your advantage. He frequently engages in conversations with customers, and his public tweets help spread T-Mobile’s message and set the company apart as the “Uncarrier.”

For more insights about execs on social media, check out thesE articles, here and here.

¡Holy guacamole! cred turns 2

It’s hard to believe, but cred celebrated its 2nd birthday last week!

How’d we celebrate? We started by combining two of our favorite things: margaritas and man’s best friend!

On May 5 (it’s true - our birthday falls on Cinco de Mayo), the cred crew hosted Mutts & Margaritas - a “nacho ordinary” happy hour and bake sale for everyone at 600 California WeWork.

Complete with photo props, custom Snapchat filters, and lots of four-legged furballs, ~120 people attended, making it WeWork’s largest happy hour to date. The team also sold a variety of homemade baked goods and raised close to $200 for a local SF animal shelter, Family Dog Rescue. (Fun fact: Kyle, cred’s Events & Operations Specialist, adopted Seymour, a blind/partially deaf Border Collie, from FDR last year.)

With two successful years under our belt, the party is just getting started!

Cheers to a great team and many more trips around the sun.

Yes, We Like Piña Coladas! (#credDoesCabo)

2017 has already been quite a year for cred - we’ve secured 850+ events, expanded the event management side of the biz, and seen a record number of referrals.

As a result, one SF afternoon in February, Executive Director Caitlin and Managing Directors Steph and Laura walked into the office, bumping “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” with ice cold Coronas in hand.

The reason? A very unexpected announcement that the entire team would be going to Cabo! Cycling through stages of surprise, disbelief, and sheer excitement (but mostly disbelief), the rest of us were ready to spontaneously combust.

A few weeks later, we traded fog for sunshine and jetted off to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico for a long weekend. Not only did we have the chance to fit in some much-needed R&R, but it was a great team-building opportunity as well.

When we weren’t hanging out by the pool or catching a few rays, we took the time to really reflect on everything that’s brought cred to where it is today. We discovered the perfect team meeting location: Beachside with chips, guac, and margaritas; and also learned some fun facts about one other, including:

• Managing Director Stephanie once had a pet gecko named Winston. (She later ended up getting a henna of him!)

• Client Relations Jr. Associate Roya is a brown belt in karate.

• Executive Director Caitlin and Events & Operations Specialist Kyle were both elected Senior Class President in high school.

• Client Relations Jr. Associate Ariana has mad pool volleyball skills.

The trip definitely left us refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to accomplish our next goal:

Confirming our 1000th event!

(Stay tuned.)

2016: A Year in Review

A look back at 2016 and a look ahead to 2017.

To start things off, we'd like to say thank you to those of you who made 2016 special. Our team believes in one another and the impact of thought leadership through speaking, but it’s an even more incredible feeling knowing our clients also value the work that we do and believe in us too.

In 2016, more referrals came through the door than ever (always a good sign). Additionally, cred secured its 500th event - and as of this blog post, JUST secured its 700th! Talk about traction. 

While we’re listing some cool achievements, cred also won WeWork: California Street’s Halloween costume contest and holiday office decorating competition. All in a day’s work, as we like to say. (Major props to Kyle, our Director of Decor, for bringing home the W!)

In 2016, we really honed in on what works well, as well as strengthened and expanded upon our relationships with events:

“Thanks for sending in so many great speaker suggestions. You really nailed what we were looking for.”

“You’ve obviously taken the time to study [our] format, tone and requirements and seem to be hitting a home run on proposals submitted for different clients.”

“Still can't believe how many folks you represented for [these] proposals. Really great stuff across the board.”

Looking forward to what 2017 has in store!

Stay tuned.

Good Company Culture: It's a Necessity

“Culture is one of the most precious things a company has... so you must work harder on it than anything else.”

-Herb Kelleher, Founder, Southwest Airlines

Because a company who works out together, stays together - especially when your CEO is teaching the class!

These days, great company culture is no longer optional - it’s a necessity. Job seekers consider it as much as they consider salary and benefits, which means that attracting top talent almost requires current employees who are both satisfied and thriving.

But what exactly makes a great working environment? Paul Spiegelman, Chief Culture Officer at Stericycle, breaks it down into ten essential components he calls the ”10 Cs of Culture.” We picked out a few - and added some thoughts of our own.

1. Camaraderie. “Knowing you can go up to anyone, ask them a question, and it's a no-judgment zone,“ says Senior Associate Kyle. Camaraderie is also about having fun and getting to know colleagues beyond the office. This makes the work environment more comfortable and can build that feeling of knowing your team has your back. Kyle's favorite thing about working at cred is the sense of community and ”actually going to work with people you want to see after 5 o’clock.”

2. Celebrations. Positive reinforcement is great, and you can’t underestimate the importance of recognizing your team. So celebrate the big wins - and the small ones too!

3. Commitment to people. ”I wanted a job that would allow me to take on multiple roles, learning independently but also through the guidance of others. When your colleagues are willing to help you despite their jam-packed schedules, you’ve hit the jackpot." Companies who invest and trust in their people are the ones who see the most success.

4. Commitment to the business. Going hand in hand with Number 3, the core values of a company are incredibly important. We really feel that you should work for a company you believe in. CEO Caitlin’s favorite thing about cred is “working with an incredible team and learning more about the clients and their stories and passions.” When you believe in what you're doing and are driven by a purpose, work feels less like work.

5. Continuous effort. The work of building a company culture never ends. Beside the people, Associate Stephanie B. loves “the flexibility cred offers us - i.e. making our own hours, unlimited vacation, working from home, etc.” One-on-ones, team meetings, bonding events, and professional development are also important ways to demonstrate that your company cares.

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How does your company maintain a good culture and happy employees?

Share your tips by tweeting them to us at @credPR!

Introducing the Knowledge LUMAscape

*Shared from LUMA Partners Blog

Digital media and marketing is a complex, dynamic and often convoluted space and the continuous disruption has created significant opportunities in the market. LUMA is committed to help foster better comprehension of this complex sector with the infamous LUMAscapes that are created to help map the key players in each channel. 

Understanding the ecosystem is essential for all constituents from markets to agencies, publishers, tech intermediaries and investors. The knowledge landscape is LUMA Partners newest attempt to map these various 'knowledge' sources. It can be used an an invaluable tool to all constituents by presenting the key players in each discipline broken out below.

Check out some of the newest disruptors and see how the familiar tech giants are evolving. An exciting space to watch! 

Welcome to cred.

cred | n.  1. The quality of being trusted or believed in.

2. Commanding a level of respect due to experience or knowledge.

Welcome to cred's first ever blog post. We've been behind the scenes working hard on building both our brand but more importantly the brands of those we're working with, and we've now decided to share some of our thoughts and learnings with you. Be on the lookout for articles on how to become a better speaker, recapping recent events and conferences, and tips that we've learned along the way.

Here's a bit more about us:

What We Do. We connect individuals to speaking opportunities. We like to think of ourselves as a nonconventional PR firm; we supplement and enhance – rather than replace – any existing efforts. It’s pretty simple.

I was always taught to focus on one thing and do it really well. Here at cred, we chose to focus on something we don’t think others prioritize enough: speaking & events. Our hyper-focus allows us to be masters at matchmaking events with speakers; and because we do it all day long, we've gotten to be pretty darn good at it.

We also help people run and manage better events, from sourcing engaging speakers to creating content to onsite execution. Since we see firsthand the insides of event organization, communication (and what can be done better), we thought naturally, we could do it ourselves.

Why We Do It. This brings us to the core of what we do - the why. Successful companies are built on solid foundations, and here’s ours: We believe that bringing knowledgeable, passionate speakers to engaged audiences builds awareness and excitement for you and your brand. It raises your profile and positions you and your brand as thought leaders in whatever industry you operate in. We thrive on working with quality, passionate speakers that tell a story. Long-term, we’re on a mission to become the most valued, recognized and respected source for events and speaking opportunities.

In less than 10 months, we’ve created an amazing team of 9 individuals and over 60 clients who see that value too. Most of the clients we work with understand how the power of speaking can strengthen and generate business opportunities. Our clients acknowledge that speaking is:

• An efficient way to increase brand awareness - whether it’s for potential business partners, customers, financiers, employees, recruiters, investors or all of the above.

• Visibility into the company, the individual, and their credibility.

• Most importantly, a means to drive business growth. The majority of successful conversations happen face-to-face (this is why VCs tend to meet in-person). Taking advantage of speaking opportunities can accelerate conversations and get things moving.

What We Don’t Do. We’re not a speakers bureau. We don’t seek placements for the sake of it, and we don’t get paid per placement. We believe in earning speaking opportunities based on your knowledge, insight and experience. We serve as an extension of your Marketing and Comms Teams.

One-offs. We won’t help you ‘slip’ into just a single event. We create a comprehensive and all encompassing speaking program so we can help you move the marketing needle - not just once, but time and time again.
 

We want to work with people who believe in the power of their personal brand. If this sounds like you, come and chat with us, and let’s build your cred together.

-Caitlin

p.s. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback: caitlin@credpr.com.