This week, our “Under the Hood” interview is with Nick Martin, Lotame’s Director of Global Client Success! If that job title sounds simple, read on for a taste of what a day in the life of this father of 5 (yes, 5!) can be like on the quest to make all of Lotame’s DMP clients successful. (Spoiler: There is never a dull moment.)
I have the privilege of managing the most diverse team at Lotame in terms of roles and responsibilities. We touch literally every aspect of the business outside of engineering and legal. Each of the folks I get to work with are “ninjas” in every sense of the word. We train employees on the company roles, overview and market. We onboard and train clients on how to use and succeed with their Lotame DMP.
Our folks draft technical documentation, author community content, develop marketing material, and even operate a video / webinar recording studio for multiple purposes. The team operates the Lotame support desk functions, develops proprietary solutions for internal operations tools, and administers the Lotame.com web site. We even generate and drive company culture and team morale events for the entire org! It’s a dream job with all the struggles, challenges, opportunities and fulfillment one could ever want in a dynamic environment that thrives off hard work and a good sense of humor!
Mondays are pretty long for me. 7am – 5pm meetings, interrupted occasionally by email and maybe lunch…a typical Monday. The rest of the week I’d characterize as “An Adventure”. That’s the fun part, I never really know what’s next except that there is a 90% chance it’ll present an opportunity to make someone’s day, save a ton of cash for another or maybe even discover a cure for Hump-day Blues. Of course, I keep a calendar but it merely acts as a guide. If a meeting or task ever kicks off at the scheduled time, I’ll buy into the lotto!
Set proper expectations. Not just of your time but of the ROI you can deliver whomever holds your number. You’ll remain sane, keep your clients happy and have the space to find joy in even the most stressful days!
I am a guide, a sherpa. I’ll carry my part of the load but am responsible for leading the team to success. So, I trust my team to follow my lead and they trust me to get us all to our destination on time and within a reasonable margin of budget. If I don’t know the way forward, I’ll forge the path first before sending anyone else along. At the same time, I hold each of my team accountable for their work, encourage contribution and facilitate collaboration. Most importantly, when I am wrong, I own that and make the changes necessary to correct course.
In my spare time (what’s that?) you’ll find me riding motorcycles and working my own custom car & motorcycle shop. My passion for building things dates back to infancy (my folks still talk about how I would stack my cheerios before I said my first word). Ever since, I’ve dabbled in many hobbies involving engines & machines that go fast. Motorcycles being a favorite, I’ve ridden for fun and transportation since grade school. The shop itself grew out of my garage as friends, family and neighbors … and their friends, began to come around. When I’m in my ‘shop’, music blasting amidst the clatter of power-tools and revving engines, the place has become known as one for ‘Motorcycle Ministry’ or simply ‘The garage’. I work exclusively on scratch projects and vehicles that are decidedly out of warranty!