Nancie McDonnell Ruder, CEO of marketing firm Noetic Consultants, set out to write a book to help marketers learn from those who were thriving in an increasingly complex and ever changing marketing landscape. In the process, she discovered several important takeaways critical to success in any field, and, most importantly to a happy and fulfilled life. 

Nancie, whose career started at the legendary Leo Burnett Company, Inc., interviewed highly successful marketers and found that the key to true innovation requires leaning in to learning with unquenchable curiosity. She talks about how these values have informed her own journey — from agency exec, to entrepreneur, to CEO, to mom — and how this perspective has helped her to raise kids with grit. She also talks about how to dig deep, how to evaluate potential talent for grit, and the importance of “refilling your bucket” after major setback. 

While Nancie’s work and her book (Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill: How Senior Marketers Scale the Heights Through Art and Science) isn’t gender specific, she found important and instructive takeaways from the women marketers she interviewed. Many of them touched on themes all too familiar in our She Said/She Said conversations. Nancie shares their perspective, as well as her own story of how she recovered from a series of major life setbacks. A key piece of her recovery: learning to ask for help. 

Nancie is a shining example of the grit and perseverance for which she advocates. You’ll be inspired by her empowered perspective!