Meet a Member: Laura Metz
JUST THE FACTS
- Name: Laura Metz
- Title: Senior Growth Manager
- Years of Experience: 13
- College Name & Degree: University of Missouri-Columbia; Bachelor of Journalism, Strategic Communications
- Firm Name: HCVT
- Firm City & State: Los Angeles, CA
- Firm Size: 800+; $267 million in revenue
- Email Address: [email protected]
- Professional Memberships: AAM
- Community Involvement: Walk to End Alzheimer’s (2024)
- LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/laurajmetz
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
This month’s issue is all about internal communications. What types of internal communication strategies does your firm employ?
We have a regular firm update call that gives us a platform to share news and updates and celebrate progress. We get to hear from firm leadership as well some team members that are doing great things behind the scenes. This call is our opportunity to amplify voices that aren’t heard as often and come together as a firm to recognize our growth. We also have a firmwide newsletter that supplements these calls, providing the necessary resources for the firm to excel in their day-to-day operations.
What is the structure of your marketing department?
We have a Growth Team of four, including our Chief Growth Officer, and are in the process of introducing a National Markets Leader and Growth Intern to expand our reach and capabilities.
What have you learned the hard way?
Experience takes time. As soon as I realized that I’ll get where I’m going at my own pace, I was able to focus more on what was right in front of me instead of looking off into the distance at what I aspire to be.
What is a “must know” for new accounting marketers?
You can be great as a marketing generalist. At the start of my accounting marketing career, I thought that the only way to excel was to find a niche or to own an area of expertise. But on my path to discover what exactly I was great at, I found a lot of things that I was quite good at and enjoyed doing. Don’t overlook your capabilities in search of something better.
What are your special skills or what is something people may not know about you?
I am a wealth of useless trivia. From movies to music and history to pop culture, plenty of stuff has left my brain over the years to make room for things like the name of the actor who portrayed the Green Power Ranger in the 90’s and the state bird of Kansas. I can’t go too deep in any one topic, but I’m not a bad person to have around for a trivia night.
What is the biggest benefit you receive from your AAM membership?
AAM has always been my stretch goal. It has taken me outside my comfort zone and made me reach towards things that I wouldn’t aspire to otherwise, and that is due mostly to the support from the other members. I have said yes to things that I wouldn’t have considered otherwise because I trust that the people asking have faith in my abilities and want me to succeed. And I’m so much better for it.
Share one marketing tip.
Figure out your goal first, and then work backward. It’s so easy to get excited about an idea or a flashy new tool, but if they are a solution without a problem, then the shine won’t last too long. Figure out where you’re going and what success looks like, and then draw the map to get you there.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing accounting marketers today?
Doing more with less.
What would you be doing if you had not become a marketer?
Greeting card writer…I love putting things to rhyme and thinking outside of traditional boundaries.
What is the biggest project you are working on right now?
HubSpot implementation. And if you ask me next year, I’m sure it will be the same, but just with a different tone.
If you had an unlimited budget, what is one thing you would you implement immediately?
I would invest in our people: their skills, their interests, their work/live balance, their aspirations. Because when you find the right people, you know that their success is your success.
What books have you read recently that you feel would be beneficial to other AAM members?
The Culture Map by Erin Meyer