Full name?: Miró Cassetta
Position / Job title?: Marketing Manager at a tech company // lifestyle blogger at DoseOfDash.com // freelance marketing and branding consultant
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A child star on Broadway – my debut role would be Annie, of course. I even once complained to my parents that they weren’t stage parent-y enough. I know if I had just had a little extra pressure… just kidding.
2. Fast-forward several years/decades. How did you land (or create) your current position?
I have always worked or interned for small companies, which is great for trying out different roles and finding out what you like. Luckily, my boss at my first job out of college really trusted me. I started in sales and also began to help him with media buying. There had never been a marketing person before but it was much needed. The more I showed a knack for it the more responsibility I took on. Eventually I was able to switch to marketing full time.
3. Did you have to take on internships to get there? How important in general, do you think, are internships?
I did a lot of internships when I was younger and think they are infinitely invaluable. Looking back, I wish I had had more internships in college because it’s a great way to build connections and gain experience in an industry you’re interested in career-wise. Most liberal arts-type internships are unpaid, unfortunately, so as I got further into college I had to take on paying jobs in non-related fields. Being a hostess at a restaurant helps pay the bills but it doesn’t get you that star-studded job you want.
4. Tell us what a typical work day looks like for you. What is your job REALLY like, both the glamorous and not-so-glamorous parts?
Oh my gosh it varies. Like I said, I work for a small company so I pretty much schedule my own day. Some weeks I’m nose-to-the-grindstone writing and editing technological white papers and other B2B educational content (not glamorous) and some days I focus on big-picture strategy and crazy ideas, which I find really exciting. Pretty much everything you can think of (except for graphic design) I do, so there’s not a typical day.
5. What is the biggest career mistake you’ve ever made?
Not admitting how much I needed help. I tend to bite off more than I can chew, do a really great job, and then collapse with exhaustion. That ends in bitterness when really I just needed to be upfront, say ‘NO’ to certain tasks, and be honest with my boss about what I could sustainably handle. I’ve also had to learn how to be better at delegating tasks when I can. Sometimes this ends in sub-par results but, at the end of the day, delegating does help my work-life balance.
6. What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to other career-minded women?
It is SO important to have (multiple) mentors that you trust and can go to for advice. Just like you have friends you talk to about certain topics, have multiple mentors that are experts in different areas. I have 5. One marketing, one entrepreneur, one corporate recruiter, and two young professionals. There is no one right way to do things and being able to pull advice from multiple sources and then decide what is best for YOU is key. Kind of like writing a good research paper…
7. Let’s talk about work/life balance. What does that mean to you? Is it important?
It is incredibly important to me and something I struggle with daily. I learned the hard way how to not take work home with me (literally and figuratively). Now I am much better at turning off the computer at 6 and knowing that the world is not going to end if you don’t get that paper edited. I also need a lot of sleep all the time. This, as well as alone time to decompress, always comes first for me. I am actually a much better friend when I’m not stretching myself thin, even if it means I don’t see or call all of my friends quite as often.
8. On that note, do you think women can have it all? Both the baller career, and the happy family?
I sure hope so because that’s what I’m striving for. I don’t have children or a husband, so I can’t speak from experience, but I think it is doable with a few sacrifices here and there. You can have it all but you can’t be absolutely perfect at everything you do every moment of every day. I also think it has a lot to do with knowing how to prioritize, delegate, be efficient, and most importantly knowing when to let go.
9. If you could look into a crystal ball and see 20 years into your future, what would you want to see?
I want to see a successful serial-entrepreneur. I have so many interests that I would love to have a life where I have the luxury to be involved in many different projects. I would also love to have enough flexibility and trustworthy employees so that I could spend a good amount of time traveling, working remotely, or being with family.
10. Do you have any career role models? Who are they? I admire anyone that has created a career doing what they love and is able to make a living from that. One of my role models is a friend of the family I’ve known all my life who started her own consulting business. I always have her book, How to Wow, and blog close at hand for any kind of business etiquette reference whether I’m asking for a raise or getting ready for a big presentation.
I also admire two Austinite movers and shakers – hotelier and coffee maven Liz Lambert and restaurateur Larry McGuire. Both are successful entrepreneurs with multiple businesses that are built on excellence in everything — from experience to taste to aesthetics.
11. What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received – career-related or otherwise?
Trust your instincts but don’t act rashly.
12. Parents love to say, “just wait ’til you have to face the real world…” When you were in college or high school, what did you think the “real world” looked like? What is the difference between what you thought and reality?
No one ever told me how hard the early 20s would be. It can be brutal at times. In the media and from people waxing nostalgic it seems like it should be the best time of your life – not many responsibilities but some money to do the things you want. In reality it’s incredibly hard. Most of us make little money, have little time off to focus on extracurricular interests, and there’s still so much to figure out and get a hold of. That being said, I do love the freedom to come home from work and do whatever I want. I consider myself a lifelong learner, but I always resented homework and I don’t miss school.
13. Should you work for the money, or do what you love? Am I allowed to say both?
I really think it depends on who you are and what is going to make you most miserable. Then do the opposite. For me I need a bit of both. It’s hard for me to do work if the only thing that’s driving me is money; I need to have a true interest in my work.
14. How important is money to you when considering a job?
I do have a penchant for luxury items, fine dining, and travel, so money is also fairly important. I like to live well and I like to live comfortably. That being said, money is not the sole thing that motivates me. I just don’t want to be worrying about paying my bills or never be able to go out for dinner and drinks.
15. What is the single most important factor of a job?
Ooof. I’m not sure I know the answer to this yet. Right now I feel like it’s interest in the subject matter and passion for what you do. That could change.
16. If you married a millionaire husband and didn’t have to work, would you? (Be honest.)
I would always work, or at least be involved in some kind of organization. I would love to set my own schedule. Many days would definitely be spent shopping and relaxing, but I think I would get bored and feel like my life had no purpose if that’s all I did all day.
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