Employee Spotlight: Katie Ann Lehman
What made you want to work for Acceleration Partners?
I was looking for a role that would marry my two passions when it comes to work: marketing and influencing. Many years ago, I was a social media fashion influencer on top of my marketing job at the University of Colorado. It got to the point where I needed to quit one of my jobs to keep my sanity and achieve the work-life balance I longed for. So instead, I went on a search to find a job that would combine both worlds. That’s how I found affiliate marketing!
As I dove into research on affiliate marketing, I was drawn to AP’s core values and their long-standing recognitions as the top affiliate marketing company and best places to work. Three years later, I am so happy with my career move and look forward to a life-long career at AP!
What are some common misconceptions people have about partnership marketing?
Tough question! I think brands have the idea that partnering with the big sites and spending lots on key placements will drive incremental growth to their program. However, it’s a bit more complex than that. What we specialize in is analyzing performance and identifying the right partners and placements that will achieve ROAS goals and year-over-year growth.
How would you describe your job as an Account Manager for our Global Client Delivery team?
I get so excited to come to work every day to jump into data! Each day could yield a different result in terms of the strategies we create, so it’s exciting to see goals being reached or challenges to overcome. My job – in the simplest terms – is to build strong relationships with my clients, teammates, and partners to develop strategies that will achieve our goals.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received since working on a global team?
Tap into all your resources! No two affiliate programs are the same. What works for one program might not work for another – so it’s super important to use all the resources, tools, and people available to you to make the best and most strategic recommendations for your clients.
How do you form strong relationships with partners and team members while working in a remote environment?
I thought I would miss being in a physical office with my coworkers, but after three years I do not. Our team has regular coffee chats and informal meetings so that we can all get to know each other on a personal level. Slack has also been an amazing tool to keep in touch across all of AP.
Personally, I love when our global team can meet in person every year for our annual AP Summit. I take full advantage of in-person time we have together to meet new faces and grow friendships!
As for partners – it takes work! There are lots of cordial email exchanges and setting up quarterly check-ins. It’s always a priority for us to have some facetime with our key partners to keep relationships strong and mutually beneficial.
When you’re not working, what can we find you doing?
Hanging out with my husband and daughter! She is at such a fun age and it’s so fun to expose her to new experiences and watch her grow and learn. She keeps us on our toes!
Finally, If you could give a TED Talk, what would it be about?
I actually did a “TED Talk” at our AP Summit in May! Although not streamed on TED’s YouTube channel 😉
My TED Talk was about my journey to restoring my mental, physical, and spiritual health. It incorporated the bucket theory – the idea that we all carry an invisible bucket and make deposits and withdrawals when we say or do anything positive or negative to ourselves and others. I talked about the importance of filling your bucket first so that you aren’t drained when others need you most.
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Author: Katie Ann Lehman