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

Elizabeth, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

Brand strategy is a mystery wrapped in logos, personas, colors, and typography. It’s one of those elusive topics that brand experts wax on about, claiming a brand is “more than a logo.” A brand links itself to every aspect of a business- from its culture to its operations. Corporate America is too quick to lump a brand into a discipline rather than a philosophy. The winners in the market see brand work as a strategic differentiator and less as a necessary evil. It’s a way to win the hearts and minds of both employees and customers.

Often, “real” brand work is mistakenly reserved for elite Corporations with a big bankroll. In reality, you don’t need a vast team of experts eating up payrolls to create a great brand strategy. You don’t need a bench of New York City agencies whipping up new slogans to raise brand awareness. You need an expert invested in brand, ready to lead. Worse, the biggest culprits are B2B Corporations. They push brand work to the backs of their minds, believing brand differentiation is a time suck. They are so, so wrong, and their employee engagement speaks to that.

For the savvy few C-Suites and Executives who are in the know, a brand is a veritable gold rush opportunity. Brand offers endless strategic business opportunities. Brand can tackle it all: from talent retention in employer brand strategy to deep customer journey work in external brand experiences. The winners now and in the future are the Corporations led by innovators invested in brand. As the market battles uncertainty, inflation, and mass employee exodus, brand takes center stage as a beacon in the dark.

Elizabeth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Tireless underdog champion and 15-year brand marketing expert. Many of my clients have gone on to major corporate partnerships: Four Seasons, Whole Foods, Target, Meijer, Walmart.com and more.

And while I’ve got you…

• Award-winning
• Book published
• Invited Collegiate speaker
• Voted one of the “Most Remarkable Women in Georgia” by Ellis thanks to my pro-bono work with underrepresented female entrepreneurs in Atlanta
• Hot sauce aficionado

My titles have spanned everything from thought-leader to Co-Founder. I’m now hunting down my first board seat.

I am a leader of leaders. My achievements are all thanks to my incredible brand and marketing teams. I’ve set the vision and strategy for world-class content marketing talent. My focus is on the buyer’s journey, dark funnel strategies, and tying brand marketing to revenue. My teams thrive on mentoring, listening, and collaboration- together.

Any advice for managing a team?

Leadership is fundamental to the core of who I am at work. How you show up and present yourself as a leader directly impacts your team and their ability to do their jobs.

My management philosophy centers on one simple concept: AUTONOMY THROUGH TRANSPARENCY.

My team’s strength comes from both autonomy and understanding the road ahead of them. Without a strong north star to work towards and clear, tangible explanations of the “why” behind our work, we would be lost. It’s incredibly important to foster a sense of all of us rowing in the same direction. It is never “us” against “them.” It’s “us” against “the work.”

I never shy away from explaining my actions, philosophies, and strategies to my team. I work to get their buy-in and trust in all that we do together. In return they share new thoughts and ideas on how to solve complex problems. They take initiative and feel empowered to solve problems. They don’t need to run everything by me- I trust them to do their work.

I often tell my team, who is fully remote, to get out of the office. I don’t count their vacation days or micromanage their schedules. I lead by example and schedule heads down time, talk candidly about my own work/life balance struggles, and fold in occasional optional “happy hours” during working hours.

The results speak for themselves. In the last 15-years I’ve had significantly less voluntary employee turnover than my colleagues and stronger connections with those who have left for other roles.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Most of my actions as a leader can be traced back to a strong sense of justice and empathy. I found a calling in brand marketing but never quite got over the desire to help others who haven’t had the same opportunities afforded to them.

Guided by the simple principle that a rising tide lifts all boats, I’ve invested countless hours volunteering and mentoring with the WomenLead program at Georgia State University. In addition, I’ve added my time to other organizations such as AIGA, Plywood People, and local startup communities chock full of budding entrepreneurs.

Mentoring is directly tied to my reputation as an ambitious, thoughtful continuous learner. The more I invest in my community, the more my reputation grows. It’s been a total happy accident.

In 2018 I was voted one of Georgia’s “Most Influential Women” by Ellis thanks entirely to my tireless pro bono mentoring.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wildcatecho.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/followelizabeth/

Image Credits
Salesloft, Chef India – Sauce Queen USA, Crazy Rumors