Being Geek Chic is a blog for stylish geeks, sophisticated nerds and people who enjoy the musings of a complete dork. Join us as we dream of driving the TARDIS, cuddle with our eBooks and test out an iPad sleeve. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi and a team of brilliant lady nerds. Meet the team.
Christine Flemming (@WestsideCF) is a boundary pusher, content distruptor, strategist, and go-getter. She’s currently the the Vice President of Marketing for studioD, the branded content studio at Demand Media, creating custom content that connects consumers with the brands they love.
Flemming has risen through the ranks of the marketing world, becoming one of the industry’s most successful professionals. Flemming has cultivated a reputation for her quick and playful work—always strategic and never boring. See her career trajectory on LinkedIn.
But, as my grandmother would say, “She didn’t get this far just by looking good.” Check out Flemming’s interview with BGC and discover how she leaped over road blocks and cut through workplace bias.
Q: How did you discover your passion for working in online marketing?
A: I didn’t start out being passionate about “online marketing.” I was passionate about music, and early on in my career worked at Farmclub.com, AEG, Napster, Yahoo Music and then Yahoo Entertainment. I was fascinated by the business potential that the power of the internet held for the music industry. At Yahoo! I was fascinated by the reach of the internet. Now, at Demand Media, I’ve discovered the importance of the internet in every day life. The internet can provide an answer for nearly every question someone has, or a way to connect with anyone, anytime. Through my work here, I’ve discovered my passion for online marketing, and learned the importance of voice and positioning, and assembling the right team who will push the boundaries. It’s the only way to stand out from the pack.
Q: Where do you find your inspiration in life?
A: Usually at the end of an empty wine glass :) I always seem to be inspired by my team and colleagues. I’m inspired by open possibility and typically come up with most of my ideas in the shower or while driving…somewhere inconvenient where I can’t write it all down. Hiking with my dog, live music, lyrics, and the production of music all really inspire me personally and professionally. Professionally, I am also inspired, or at least fired up, to do better and win.
Q: In cultivating your own career in technology, what challenges did you overcome and what is your advice for women tackling those same issues?
A: I’ve always doubted myself. Technology is pretty daunting, and being on the creative side, it was something that I never wanted to dip my toe into. Turns out, I am really tech savvy. Until you get out and talk to other people, you don’t know how much you actually know. The internet has made everything attainable. Thinking about building a website myself would never cross my mind, but with tools like WordPress or Squarespace, I know I can tackle that. My mantra when I’m skiing down a tough trail is always, “you can do this, you’re not going to die”…I take the same approach with technology.
I also think it’s important to be decisive. Not everything requires a democratic process. It’s important to get consensus in a lot of cases, but I get infuriated by the silliest of discussions. i.e. “What should we call our team email alias?” That doesn’t warrant an in-person meeting, a slack conversation or an email. Just set up the email alias and tell us what it is.
Lastly, as women, we default to the nurturing role in an organization, especially in a marketing or creative role. Along the same lines of Lean In, women really need to lean out of being the default administrative assistant, group organizer, food orderer and travel agent. I see it constantly with myself and my own team. Let someone else remember to order the food for the meeting. Unless you’re their assistant, don’t book anyone else’s travel. Donald Draper days are over.
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: Pennie Lane from Almost Famous. She was an original groupie, toured with bands, hung out backstage, fell in love with lead singers, rubbed elbows with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd and probably (at least in my mind) the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and everyone I have always loved before they were on the radio. It’s my favorite movie. I imagine we’d have cheap wine backstage somewhere.
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: See above about technology. You can do anything. If you ask yourself “what’s the worst that can happen?” and learn that’s not really so bad, then you’ll find yourself going further than you ever expected. Do whatever you can possibly do to gain confidence. Don’t let anyone else limit you and if they do, then it’s ok to use that to prove them wrong. Motivation is the goal and it doesn’t matter how you get it. Don’t worry if it seems like your jobs are all over the place. When you’ve had a few behind you, you’ll see that they all connected in some way and have gotten you to where you need to be.
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer
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