At the Root of Marketing at Cameo: Human Connection

When taking a look at Emily Boschwitz’s work experience, it comes as no surprise that she is good at what she does. Previously honored as Adweek Brand Visionary Award in 2019 for her work on the telemedicine brand Hims and Hers, Emily helped build the brand empowering the self-care movement. Perhaps because she herself is a leading example of self-care, positivity, and empowerment. Now, as the svp of marketing at Cameo, a marketplace creating the most personalized and authentic fan connections on earth, Emily leads a team charged with bringing to life brand strategy, product marketing, acquisition, lifecycle marketing and community marketing for both fans and talent. Her career path is similar to our other Women Trailblazers in the sense that it’s not—it’s a one-of-a-kind journey through different verticals where she picked up vast industry knowledge, powerful life lessons and compassionate managerial skills. To find out how to be a compassionate, innovative leader, read on to learn Emily’s take on how to form professional long-lasting relationships in your career, why she helps her team plan out their vacations and how she grew through risky decision-making. How did you get to where you are today? I began my career in rebranding for fashion brands and publications. While getting a degree in Economics and Math, I learned I wanted to help build amazing brands with good marketing economics. This began my tech career at Dropcam, which got acquired by Nest (Google), where I built their initial growth marketing playbooks. Through this journey, I uncovered my love for building brands that foster connection. This took me to a series of consumer startups including Boosted, a last mile vehicle company that connects people to their city, followed by Hims and Hers. How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? Personal, professional relationships have always been an important part of my career development. I try to focus on learning from everyone around me—at each level of my organization—as well as people I meet along my career and personal journey. Every person is a distinct knowledge leader who can help one develop. In these interactions, you'll also learn how you can help them, making relationships more symbiotic (and long term). I also believe it’s important to be giving in ways that don't directly benefit you. People will remember these interactions for years to come, and it is an incredible feeling to be helpful to others. And finally, I try to build real, personal relationships with those I work with. I know the lives and families of many current and former co-workers. This level of familiarity and friendship means we stay connected for reasons well beyond getting the job done at work. Cameo Isn’t Just for Fans Anymore—It’s for Marketers Too What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? Reflecting on my career, the moments I’ve grown the most have been when I’ve made a conscious decision to invest and believe in myself when faced with uncertainty or risk. I’ve learned that when you are unsure but you trust in yourself your value system, and the way you work, you will get a great outcome. You will be surprised both at what you accomplish and all of the ways you grow. How do you view work-life integration, especially now, and what advice can you share with others who may be struggling with it? There is no question that the last year and a half has been an ongoing lesson in creating balance. Work blends into home, teammates move to new time zones and each person I work with has a unique balance they need to create. What I have found most helpful in creating balance is to block time on my calendar for work and personal. I actively hold myself accountable to using those blocks of time with intention. It not only has helped me find balance, but has helped my team feel comfortable building their own—whatever that means to them. I actively hold myself accountable to using those blocks of time with intention. Another thing I’ve found particularly helpful is working with my team to schedule their vacation time. It has been hard for people to get away this year and—for me and my team—I’ve found that even taking a week at home can help catch up on the important personal elements of life that help bring balance, clarity and energy. What advice do you have for other women on how to overcome typecasting at work? The most effective thing for me has been to create open conversations with the understanding that I don’t have all the context. It's given me the opportunity to surprise people by listening with interest and to be surprised by them. Additionally, finding real allies has been helpful. This is not a support group (though those individuals have been invaluable to me as well). These are the people who, because they care deeply about you, tell you what you need to hear, help you see both sides and help you strategize on how to improve outcomes. Also, these individuals will often be your strongest supporters in ways you’ll never imagine and conversations you were never a part of. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? When it comes to salary negotiations and career growth, make it first and foremost about the company's success. If you tell someone "what you deserve," you are escalating the conversation and demonstrating a self-interested motivation. Make sure the person on the opposite end of your negotiation understands the action you want is in the best interest of the company. Second, everyone knows someone who is great at negotiating and if no one comes to mind, grab your friend who is great at sales. Ask them for tips before you ever are feeling pressure in a conversation or interaction. This will give you a playbook for when these events come up and you'll be calmer and more prepared because you did the prework. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? I have been fortunate to have many incredible mentors in my career. One is Liz Hamren, who was my manager at Dropcam. Liz took a bet on me early in my career, giving me the opportunity to build growth marketing programs at Dropcam. She consistently thought through team development, which I was fortunate to learn. I was always inspired by her openness to adapt to new ideas and ways of thinking across the organization. She also had a strong sense of interrelatedness, how one thing impacts another across the business. She did an incredible job of balancing work that was directly impactful to the business and personal goals her team set out for themselves. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Always take on new challenges, even if you are not sure you are completely ready. Trust yourself to learn new things, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or mentorship. It will keep you learning and growing—and you’ll continue to surprise yourself with what you are capable of. What does success mean for you? Embracing learning and winning together. Embracing learning: We deliver more value by embracing learning rather than the need to always be right. This is what drives innovation. Winning together: Empower each other—we are playing to win as a team and our success is measured by our collective impact. There is joy in the journey from all the experiences we will have together.

Women Trailblazers

At the Root of Marketing at Cameo: Human Connection

SVP of marketing Emily Boschwitz on relationship-building at work and why she helps teammates schedule time off

Luz Corona

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Luz Corona