83. Inspiration from outside: six sigma, side hustles and yoga studios

The Unicorny Marketing Show

In this episode of Unicorny, we continue our exploration of the intersection between marketing and entrepreneurship with Sandra Vollrath, a marketing operations leader turned yoga studio owner.

Building on the insights from part one, we examine how Lean Six Sigma principles can help eliminate inefficiencies in marketing departments and why understanding your customer’s challenges is crucial, whether you're running a yoga studio or leading a global marketing team.

This episode is packed with practical advice for marketers aiming to elevate their strategic impact.

• Learn how Lean Six Sigma can improve your marketing operations.

• Understand why focusing on customer needs is essential for success in both B2B and B2C.

• Identify and address inefficiencies in your marketing processes.

Looking to refine your marketing strategy? This episode offers actionable insights that can help you streamline operations and drive results.

About Sandra Vollrath

Sandra Vollrath is an accomplished marketing professional and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience. Currently, she is the Director of Consulting (Marketing Operations & Strategy) at Intermedia Global (IMG), where she delivers major marketing operations projects with a team of marketing operations and process consultants.

In 2019, Sandra founded Unwind Yoga Studio in Maidenhead, Berkshire, which is a profitable and thriving business even through challenges like the pandemic, economic disruptions and market fluctuations.

Sandra's career includes significant roles at Bentley Systems Inc., where she excelled in product marketing and global campaign management. She led B2B marketing campaigns for Bentley's flagship product MicroStation, and implemented innovative marketing systems that enhanced operational efficiencies for a global team of 150 colleagues, supporting Bentley Systems' revenue growth.

Sandra is venturing into angel investment, focusing on female-led sustainable businesses, and aims to use her marketing expertise to create value for these ventures. She believes that marketing needs to be a strategic business function, supporting business objectives by creating value and increasing profits, whether in a B2B or B2C, SMB or enterprise environment.

Sandra's commitment to excellence and passion for leveraging marketing to drive business success make her a standout in her field.

Links

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk

LinkedIn: Sandra Vollrath | Dom Hawes

Website: img

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson

Other items referenced in this episode:

Six Sigma

B2B Ignite

Guest host Rachel Fairley

Rebrand Right by Rachel Fairley and Sarah Robb

Chapter summaries

The holiday mood continues

Dom Hawes introduces the continuation of the holiday-themed episode, reflecting on Sandra Vollrath's journey from B2B marketing to yoga studio ownership and the valuable lessons we can draw from it.

Lean Six Sigma in marketing operations

Sandra discusses the application of Lean Six Sigma in marketing, focusing on the seven areas of waste commonly found in marketing departments and how eliminating these inefficiencies can lead to better outcomes.

Managing brand risk

Dom and Sandra explore the concept of brand risk, discussing the challenges of maintaining consistent messaging and the importance of having solid brand guidelines or “brand recipes” to avoid common pitfalls.

Unnecessary meetings and waiting for approval

Sandra and Dom go over the common issues of unnecessary meetings and the delays caused by waiting for approvals. They discuss how these inefficiencies waste time and resources and explore ways to reduce these challenges, emphasizing the need for clear processes and the potential benefits of service level agreements (SLAs).

The benefits of a side hustle

Sandra emphasizes the value of running a side hustle, sharing how it provides real-world experience that can enhance your effectiveness in a larger corporate role, especially in understanding customer needs and refining product offerings.

Balancing strategic thinking with well-being

Sandra advises marketers on the importance of maintaining balance through movement and stillness, and how this approach can also enhance strategic thinking and overall effectiveness in their professional roles.

The power of customer insight

The discussion shifts to the critical importance of understanding your customers’ challenges and how regularly engaging with them can lead to more effective marketing strategies and better business results.

Cross-functional collaboration for better insights

Dom and Sandra discuss the benefits of cross-functional collaboration, particularly how insights from finance and other departments can provide a more holistic view that enhances marketing strategy.

Dom’s end bit

The episode concludes with a reflection on the similarities between marketing and entrepreneurship, advocating for a mindset that treats marketing departments as entrepreneurial ventures, focused on taking the business successfully to market.