Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Scalice. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

In a single word: everything.

We treat stress like a badge of honor and are taught you must sacrifice your time to achieve success.

Last year, I became living proof of the hustle gone wrong. Born and raised in New York, I absolutely embodied the grind, until my body finally said “no.” I was diagnosed with a rare vascular disorder that was directly impacted by the stress I was consistently putting myself under. It was my wake-up call.

This diagnosis was a revelation about the unsustainable pace at which I was living my life to “climb the corporate ladder.” It underscored a critical misunderstanding in Corporate America, the glorification of the hustle culture, which mistakenly equates relentless work with productivity and success.

The culture of working yourself to the bone, especially prevalent in the creative industries, is fundamentally flawed. Stress, as I’ve learned firsthand, is both a productivity killer and a creativity extinguisher. I was forced to confront the reality that the relentless pursuit of work at the expense of health and happiness is a path to nowhere.

I discovered a secret that redefined my approach to work: the powerful combination of Agile frameworks, marketing systems, and artificial intelligence. These tools and methodologies allowed me to shift focus from mundane, repetitive tasks to what I love most: helping good people stress less at work!

With the right tools, we can work smarter, not harder. We can harness technology to manage the grind for us, freeing our minds and spirits to explore, create, and innovate.

This lesson is crucial for Corporate America to learn. In an industry obsessed with the bottom line, we forget that our most valuable assets are our people and their creativity. When we prioritize well-being, balance, and sustainable work practices, we nurture healthier individuals and foster a more productive workforce.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi! I’m Christina, Founder and CEO of Nurture Productivity.

My journey began at Stony Brook University, where I gained the foundation and confidence to start my career. After graduating with my MBA, my experience in-house at large companies was critical in shaping my understanding of traditional marketing – but what really excited me was the digital world. I was fascinated by how technology acted as an extension of ourselves. It allowed our messages to reach further than I ever thought possible.

Following this curiosity, I pivoted into agency life. Creating omnichannel digital marketing strategies, launching websites and campaigns, and developing my niche in the digital realm was invigorating. However, I began to see the struggles of the standard fast-paced environment and high-volume workload commonly associated with marketing agencies. That’s when my vision for a new kind of workday started to form.

As I progressed up the corporate ladder and eventually began consulting, I became heavily involved in project management and team-building – and I had a knack for it. Agencies often face the challenges of balancing intense client loads with lean resources. It’s easy to fall into the cycle of hiring fast, getting the wrong people, and not setting them up for success – ultimately putting more strain on high-performers to fix mistakes. Everyone ends up exhausted with even less getting done. In fact, according to the American Institute of Stress, over 50% of employees disengage at work when stressed.

Adding Agile project management and digital systems to my toolkit was a game changer. It greatly improved efficiency, employee satisfaction, and client retention. The transformation showed me that there is another way to manage work, and it’s so much better than the corporate standard. Little did I know the effect the stress was having on me. I was diagnosed with a rare venous condition that was directly related to my stress level. I needed to take a long break from work to get healthy. I knew there had to be a different way.

If you’ve ever started a business you know that marketing can be a dizzying whirl of terms, acronyms, and jargon. From best practices BOFU to ten x TOFU, it can get unnecessarily complicated. And don’t even get me started on marketing project management. Think about the creatives in your life – your artsy aunt or college roommate – imagine their faces at the sound of “So, what key performance indicators are you using to manage deliverables for the project deadline and avoid scope creep?” They’re probably already asleep.

As my health recovered, I cringed at the idea of returning to the world of Gantt Charts and unrealistic deadlines. With that pit in my stomach, I founded Nurture Productivity. With nothing but a decade of experience leading marketing teams and the support of my fiancee and spicy pup Hashbrown, I aimed to answer a seemingly simple question: can this be automated?

Your chair, keyboard, and mouse are ergonomic – why isn’t your marketing system? I set out to design the way I actually wanted to work. I tested every project management system, CRM, and AI platform I could get my hands on and found the ones that worked best for me: ClickUp, HubSpot, and ChatGPT. My productivity bloomed. Tasks that would take me a full day to complete started getting done in a quarter of the time. I finally started to feel excited about starting my day, not stressed.

I realized this wasn’t just a “me problem.” So many other agency owners and marketing leaders are pulling their hair out at the unbelievable workload of the industry. Immediately, colleagues began to ask me for tips and tricks and eventually to build and optimize their systems. For the first time in my life, as my workload exploded, I was feeling excited, not pressured. I am immensely proud to say that I’ve already exceeded my previous corporate salary doing what I love. Now, I help good people stress less and grow more.

At Nurture, we offer three main solutions: NurtureProjects, NurtureCustomers, and NurtureProductivity.

NurtureProjects is a custom ClickUp build that seamlessly flows with your existing process, takes the load of you and your team, and boosts efficiency and clarity.

NurtureCustomers is a custom HubSpot build designed to attract ideal customers, engage the relationship, and delight them like a sunflower in the sun.

NurtureProductivity is a consulting service for anything outside of our standard solutions. We support existing systems, help harmonize team structure and workflows, and unlock a world of tools and techniques to cultivate your creativity.

Reflecting on my journey so far, founding Nurture Productivity has been a transformative experience that redefined my approach to work and life. Automating over 7,500 tasks has freed creative teams from tedious work, validating our mission. Witnessing the relief and renewed enthusiasm in my clients reaffirms this every day.

My vision for Nurture Productivity is clear: breaking down the barriers that stifle creativity and fostering environments where marketing teams can thrive, not just survive. We’re on a mission to redefine productivity, to turn it into a force that nurtures rather than drains. As we grow, we remain committed to the principles of empathy, innovation, and collaboration that have guided us from the start.

To our current and future clients, partners, and the broader marketing community, I extend an invitation to join us on this exciting journey. Together, let’s challenge the status quo, embrace the possibilities of technology, and build marketing systems that are truly natural. Here’s to creating, innovating, and nurturing productivity!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Building a reputation in any market requires a combination of skill, dedication, and, most importantly, a set of core values that resonate with your clients. For me, the key to establishing a strong presence in my market is the alignment of my personal values, Nurture Productivity’s values, and those of my clients. This harmony guides our business practices and helps define our success.

The foundation of our reputation lies in the belief that business isn’t a zero-sum game. Success doesn’t have to come at the expense of others. Instead, it flourishes from mutual respect, shared goals, and common values. By solely pursuing relationships where our values align, we’ve consistently exceeded client expectations, which, in turn, fuels our own growth.

At Nurture Productivity, we see our clients as partners. This perspective shifts the focus from mere transactions to building long-term relationships based on trust and mutual benefit. We invest time in understanding our clients’ visions and aligning our strategies accordingly, ensuring that our services provide everything our clients have been dreaming of for their marketing systems.

The harmony between our values and those of our clients is instrumental in creating a virtuous cycle of growth. As we help our clients achieve their goals, their success becomes a testament to our work, further solidifying our reputation in the market. This reciprocal growth is a powerful reminder that when you work with the right people and stay true to your values, success is a shared journey.

This approach also cultivates a supportive community around our brand. Our biggest source of new clients is referrals from existing clients. We’ve actually spent $0 in advertising thus far – all of our clients come to us organically through the reputation that we’ve built.

Aligning with like-minded individuals and businesses creates win-win situations. By staying true to this philosophy, we’ve grown our business and also helped our clients thrive, proving that success in the market is as much about the values you uphold as the services you provide.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Drawing from the foundational principles at Nurture Productivity and my personal journey, here’s the advice I’d share:

Do right by your people and always lead with empathy. Understanding that your team members are individual people with unique motivations, challenges, and aspirations is crucial. By doing right by them, you acknowledge their contributions, respect their well-being, and support their growth. This means creating a culture where they feel valued, heard, and genuinely cared for. Remember, your team members are people first. Acknowledging their life outside of work, understanding their personal goals, and showing flexibility in accommodating their needs will significantly boost morale.

Listen and engage. Approach every conversation with kindness and an open mind. One of the things I love most about team-building is gaining new perspectives. Encourage open communication and create safe spaces for your team to share their thoughts without fear of judgment. This builds trust and shows that you value their input, leading to a more cohesive and motivated team.

Give your team the space to make mistakes. Give them the freedom to innovate, take calculated risks, and, yes, make mistakes. This encourages creativity, reduces fear of failure, and drives continuous improvement. It’s about striking the right balance between guidance and autonomy.

Gamify it! Introducing elements of gamification can transform mundane tasks into engaging challenges. Set clear goals, offer rewards (and I’m not talking pizza parties here; offer extra PTO days, monetary bonuses, things your employees actually want), and create a sense of healthy competition. Gamification taps into the intrinsic motivations of your team, making goals feel achievable and work more fun.

Empower your team by providing the tools, resources, and training they need to succeed. Offer opportunities for professional development and encourage them to pursue their passions within the scope of their roles. Inspire them by setting a positive example, celebrating successes, and always striving for excellence together.

Managing a team with high morale is about leadership that is empathetic, engaging, and empowering. It’s a leadership style that nurtures growth, values individuality, and creates a work environment where everyone feels motivated to contribute their best. At Nurture Productivity, these principles guide our approach to teamwork and leadership, reflecting our belief that the success of a business is deeply intertwined with the well-being and satisfaction of the team.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nurtureproductivity.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurtureproductivity/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nurtureproductivity
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nurture-productivity/
• Other: Christina’s LinkedIn if needed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinascalice/