#5Things: Matt Benson

WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:09.390 Welcome back to be tob growth. I'm Logan lyles with sweet fish media. 2 00:00:09.429 --> 00:00:13.949 Today is another episode in our five thing series where we're talking to marketing leaders 3 00:00:14.029 --> 00:00:17.910 just like you to learn the five things that they can't live without in work 4 00:00:18.109 --> 00:00:22.899 and in life. It's been great to talk tools, strategies, APPs that 5 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:27.500 a lot of our marketing leader guests I just can't live without. Today I've 6 00:00:27.500 --> 00:00:31.300 got with me Matt Benson. He's the director of marketing and business development at 7 00:00:31.379 --> 00:00:34.219 one point solutions. Matt, how's it going today? Man, it's going 8 00:00:34.299 --> 00:00:37.250 good, man, just relaxing at home. You know, working from home. 9 00:00:37.289 --> 00:00:41.250 How about you? I? Hey, I've been used to working from 10 00:00:41.289 --> 00:00:45.369 home pre covid and I'm still enjoying it today. The kids are a little 11 00:00:45.369 --> 00:00:47.530 bit stir crazy, but you and I are going to have a good jet. 12 00:00:47.609 --> 00:00:51.439 We've already been having a good jat even before we record. So we're 13 00:00:51.479 --> 00:00:54.679 going to be talking about the five things you can't live without. Number one, 14 00:00:54.799 --> 00:01:00.079 there's there's always been some sort of audio content or music that has made 15 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:03.960 a lot of folks list. Number one for you is your apple music subscription, 16 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:07.230 right. Yes, yeah, that's big for me. I kind of 17 00:01:07.269 --> 00:01:12.790 I've always been into music and I've always been into audio and like I find 18 00:01:12.829 --> 00:01:17.989 that at work when I really need to concentrate, there's really no better way, 19 00:01:18.030 --> 00:01:22.379 especially in like a busy office, to just like plug in some soundtracks 20 00:01:22.420 --> 00:01:26.459 or something like that. So having a nice subscription, and I mean it 21 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:29.780 could be spotify to I just using apple music. I don't want to start 22 00:01:29.819 --> 00:01:34.049 a war over that, but yeah, I'm super big into that. I've 23 00:01:34.049 --> 00:01:37.730 been kind of jamming out to the Moana Soundtrack a lot recently. Anything Lynn 24 00:01:37.769 --> 00:01:41.530 Manuel Miranda, you know, that gets me going absolutely. Man. Every 25 00:01:41.609 --> 00:01:46.129 once in a while we just bring back around the Hamilton soundtrack around our house 26 00:01:46.329 --> 00:01:49.319 and just just plow through it. I've just got about got everything memorized, 27 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:53.519 but you definitely don't want me to hear me saying that. I'm only so 28 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:57.599 good as a podcast hose. We definitely don't want me singing. So number 29 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:01.030 two for you, man. I saw this is the first time it's made 30 00:02:01.030 --> 00:02:05.709 the top five list for somebody on the show. It's Microsoft Office, and 31 00:02:06.109 --> 00:02:08.669 for me, I'm such a Google fanboy it it hurts my soul a little 32 00:02:08.710 --> 00:02:13.469 bit. So tell me a little bit about why Microsoft Office. You're such 33 00:02:13.509 --> 00:02:16.259 a die hard there and why it made your your list. Man. Okay, 34 00:02:16.580 --> 00:02:20.300 so look, I get that. I mean like back in two thousand 35 00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:23.900 and seventeen I was all about the g suite. But, you know, 36 00:02:23.979 --> 00:02:28.460 when I started at at one point we use all the Microsoft products and I 37 00:02:28.539 --> 00:02:30.370 kind of started to dig into them a little more because, you know, 38 00:02:30.409 --> 00:02:35.370 I tried using Google docs, which was what I was comfortable with, but 39 00:02:35.530 --> 00:02:38.490 it, you know, it wasn't really lining up with, you know, 40 00:02:38.610 --> 00:02:42.009 the best way to share. Like we had a one drive clouds subscription. 41 00:02:42.650 --> 00:02:46.439 And then once I like started digging in a little bit, I was actually 42 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:53.360 really impressed with how Microsoft has completely overhauled their cloud apps and taken like, 43 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:55.400 you know, all the you know, excel all is a huge standby and 44 00:02:55.479 --> 00:03:00.870 business and especially in marketing. The fact that you can now do so many 45 00:03:00.949 --> 00:03:06.270 interesting things with like auto saving and mobile access, I was kind of blown 46 00:03:06.310 --> 00:03:09.110 away. Like in the last year I've just completely gone all in on all 47 00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:13.659 the Microsoft office products and the fact that you can access them on your phone, 48 00:03:13.659 --> 00:03:16.620 anywhere, any computer is pretty awesome. So it's kind of like a 49 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:20.819 revel the revelation I had. They were kind of lagging behind there for a 50 00:03:20.860 --> 00:03:23.460 while at least. In this space and you know, truth be told, 51 00:03:23.500 --> 00:03:28.889 I haven't really touched touched Microsoft office in in a couple of years now. 52 00:03:29.009 --> 00:03:31.009 But you know our director of audience growth, Dan Sanchez. By the way, 53 00:03:31.009 --> 00:03:34.610 if you're listening to this and not following him on Linkedin, he's been 54 00:03:34.969 --> 00:03:37.650 on fire lately. Go follow him. But he was saying the same thing. 55 00:03:37.729 --> 00:03:40.759 He's like, man, Microsoft is making some moves right now and they're 56 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:46.120 doing some really things. We see them taking on zoom with Microsoft teams. 57 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:51.080 I know a lot of folks that have had really good success there. So 58 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:55.229 it's interesting to hear. Number three for you is an empowered team. So 59 00:03:55.389 --> 00:03:59.430 it's not just your team. I know you want to, you know, 60 00:03:59.830 --> 00:04:02.229 to the Horn of your team, and you rightfully should, but why'd you 61 00:04:02.270 --> 00:04:05.710 phrase it this way? And empowered team is one of the things that you 62 00:04:05.750 --> 00:04:11.460 can't live without. that. Yeah, so I'll kind of take a step 63 00:04:11.500 --> 00:04:14.180 back. I know, like one of your past guest Chris Ronzio, he 64 00:04:14.259 --> 00:04:19.220 mentioned he listens to Craig grow shells leadership podcast. I'm also a big fan 65 00:04:19.300 --> 00:04:23.500 of that. We actually all of the managers out at one point. Every 66 00:04:23.579 --> 00:04:26.730 Monday we were meeting and we start the meeting with like a ten minute group 67 00:04:26.769 --> 00:04:30.250 listening session of a Craigro Shell podcast. So one of the things he says 68 00:04:30.449 --> 00:04:38.680 is that good leaders create functioning teams and great leaders create empowered teams, something, 69 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:42.240 something along those lines. But I've kind of integrated that into the way 70 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:46.040 I think. And so at one point we sell, like we have the 71 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:51.910 market to a life science or commercial or an industrial sector. Like we're not 72 00:04:51.949 --> 00:04:57.829 a traditional software business where manufacturing company and our marketing team isn't really you know, 73 00:04:58.430 --> 00:05:03.029 generally has a lot of science background. So we're all learning as we're 74 00:05:03.029 --> 00:05:05.029 going, you know, and if I had to micromanage, you know, 75 00:05:05.230 --> 00:05:10.259 everyone, it really wouldn't work out. So like having a team that like 76 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:13.420 feels like they can go out and make decisions and go out and learn things 77 00:05:13.459 --> 00:05:16.620 for themselves and like contributing ways I physically can't. I think it is so 78 00:05:16.699 --> 00:05:19.220 key for me and it's that's kind of why I phrase it the way it 79 00:05:19.259 --> 00:05:23.329 did. It's like if my team is empowered to, you know, make 80 00:05:23.370 --> 00:05:26.209 their own decisions, that's going to be it's gonna be a game changer for 81 00:05:26.329 --> 00:05:29.529 me. I love that. Man, there there was a specific episode of 82 00:05:29.610 --> 00:05:33.209 that podcast of the craigro Shell leadership podcast where he talked about delegation and it 83 00:05:33.290 --> 00:05:36.560 kind of leans into this empowering thing. He was like you need to find 84 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:40.680 things to let go, you need to find a person to empower and he 85 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:45.560 kind of pushed like traditional wisdom kind of says if someone can do something ninety 86 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:48.240 percent as good as you can right now, you should delegate it. He's 87 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:53.069 like lower that bar if they if they can do it fifty percent as well, 88 00:05:53.470 --> 00:05:57.310 but they have a lot of potential upside to get to that ninety or 89 00:05:57.350 --> 00:06:00.269 even a hundred percent or beyond, then you should delegate it sooner rather than 90 00:06:00.350 --> 00:06:04.139 later because it's going to empower them. You're going to free up more time, 91 00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:08.420 you're going to be able to scale more quickly. Another quote that he 92 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:12.579 always says is people would rather follow a leader who's always real than one who 93 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:15.699 is always race. So he's always full of good stuff. That that podcast, 94 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:19.490 as well as at the table from Patrick Lindsay, only from a leadership 95 00:06:19.490 --> 00:06:25.009 percent interesting, should definitely be anybody's lation. Right. I've only heard him 96 00:06:25.009 --> 00:06:28.250 as a guest with on craigs, but yeah, I should check that out 97 00:06:28.290 --> 00:06:30.810 too. Yeah, it's new to my rotation. James are, founder and 98 00:06:30.850 --> 00:06:34.279 CEO, kind of tied me up to that one because it's regularly in his 99 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:38.519 rotation. I kept getting episodes from him like hey, you'd go check this 100 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:42.360 out and as like now maybe I should just subscribe to this one as well. 101 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:46.189 Number four on your list, Matt, is Linkedin. Now we've been 102 00:06:46.389 --> 00:06:49.350 making a big push on linkedin. We've got, you know, five, 103 00:06:49.870 --> 00:06:55.550 what we call internally evangelist here on sweetfish. We're building out what we call 104 00:06:55.589 --> 00:06:59.870 a thought leadership program and documenting the heck out of it, really trying to 105 00:07:00.110 --> 00:07:01.779 lead the way in what we think a lot of marketing team should be doing, 106 00:07:01.819 --> 00:07:06.060 and that is pushing out more content through personal profiles on your team rather 107 00:07:06.100 --> 00:07:12.019 than the traditional just company pages and sponsored posts and all that sort of stuff. 108 00:07:12.500 --> 00:07:15.410 Where has linkedin fit into your game plan, either learning or from a 109 00:07:15.490 --> 00:07:21.250 content perspect active for your marketing team at so the main driver for Linkedin has 110 00:07:21.290 --> 00:07:26.810 been on the networking side for me, and it's like I've kind of had 111 00:07:26.850 --> 00:07:30.839 this idea that I wanted to start a podcast and obviously you know you guys 112 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:34.600 were the OG's of that. You've been doing it forever. But I finally 113 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:40.680 kind of call wind of this and and Linkedin has been my main tool for 114 00:07:40.839 --> 00:07:46.149 almost everything. Like I had a moment in late autumn where Gary Vyner Chuck 115 00:07:47.069 --> 00:07:50.110 posted a video, you know, his like typical kind of like pump up 116 00:07:50.189 --> 00:07:56.990 evangelical, like evangelizing video of podcast and all that, and he specifically used 117 00:07:56.990 --> 00:08:00.379 an example. Someone should start a laboratory podcast. And so I me, 118 00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:03.459 being in the laboratory industry, I'm like, Oh crap, like this is 119 00:08:03.579 --> 00:08:07.579 this, is this, it has been written. They that he's listening to 120 00:08:07.779 --> 00:08:11.420 me. I think I saw that postman and I save that as like because 121 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:15.449 he's talking about, like I'm a big buyer a very, very niche podcast 122 00:08:15.569 --> 00:08:18.610 right now. That one right. Yeah, and and what's so? It's 123 00:08:18.689 --> 00:08:20.930 not even just that it motivated me, but I see a comment on there 124 00:08:20.970 --> 00:08:26.889 by a guy named Chris Conner and and he's like he's just like commented something 125 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:30.759 related to like, you know, some kind of a firmatory thing. That 126 00:08:31.079 --> 00:08:35.159 was a good idea. So I messaged him and he's actually the host and 127 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:39.279 founder of the Life Science Marketing Podcast, which has been going on for almost 128 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:41.870 like a decade, I think, and so we had a call and he 129 00:08:43.149 --> 00:08:46.669 hand up being my first guest and kind of me everything he knew and that 130 00:08:46.870 --> 00:08:50.950 just launched into like me finally getting out push to start my podcast and then, 131 00:08:50.990 --> 00:08:54.029 you know, I use it to source all my guests and even the 132 00:08:54.110 --> 00:08:58.139 guests I've had already. I made some good friends. I've learned a lot 133 00:08:58.179 --> 00:09:01.059 of great stuff, as you know, to help me and my kind of 134 00:09:01.139 --> 00:09:05.700 new journey of being a manager. So in man linkedin has been totally crucial 135 00:09:05.820 --> 00:09:09.779 and like overhauling how I see marketing and how I can execute on daily basis. 136 00:09:09.330 --> 00:09:15.049 And I love that story and I remember seeing that post and had no 137 00:09:15.169 --> 00:09:18.970 idea that, you know, you seeing that same post and like, hold 138 00:09:18.049 --> 00:09:20.850 on, he's not just the kind of encouraging me, but like someone who 139 00:09:20.850 --> 00:09:24.960 commented on that post, like it just it set you down this path which 140 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:28.879 obviously we agree. We with weird's yetting before, like you know, we 141 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:33.559 see podcasting obviously is a way to generate content. You know, James Talks 142 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:35.919 about it in his book. Content makes networking. It allows you to connect 143 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:39.070 with people in the target market you're trying to reach. They could refer you 144 00:09:39.190 --> 00:09:45.669 business, they could become customers and all the while you're you're also learning more 145 00:09:46.070 --> 00:09:48.509 about the market that you serve, which helps your messaging, helps your camp 146 00:09:48.590 --> 00:09:50.789 yeah, all that sort of stuff, and and and like, even from 147 00:09:50.830 --> 00:09:54.340 just a very technical perspective, the Linkedin Algorithm in the way it's set up, 148 00:09:54.340 --> 00:09:58.019 they've done a really good job making it like network worthy, where you 149 00:09:58.179 --> 00:10:01.019 see someone's comment in that tent takes in another field and kind of like a 150 00:10:01.100 --> 00:10:05.299 call back to what we just talked about. Guess who owns Linkedin? Microsoft, 151 00:10:05.700 --> 00:10:09.929 you know, like they're doing everything right as a company and it's like 152 00:10:09.009 --> 00:10:13.169 they're doing so much to kind of like push the bus this world. Yeah, 153 00:10:13.169 --> 00:10:16.250 absolutely. I got active on Instagram for a bit and it just it 154 00:10:16.490 --> 00:10:20.129 frustrated me that everything felt like a silo. There's no way for me to 155 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.080 more easily and so unless someone like tag me into something or I just go 156 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:30.440 searching like linkedin just organically, as you new avenues and and you're able to 157 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:33.600 find great content creators just just organically. I mean, I'm a I'm a 158 00:10:33.639 --> 00:10:37.029 big Fan. Yeah, I think with Instagram, like it really seems like 159 00:10:37.070 --> 00:10:43.029 that search page is like their primary discovery tool and unless you're like a big 160 00:10:43.190 --> 00:10:48.470 sport or a show or an entertainment brand or a culture brand, you're really 161 00:10:48.509 --> 00:10:52.220 not going to get good traction there. Yeah, absolutely all right. We're 162 00:10:52.220 --> 00:10:54.539 going to round out your list of five things you can't live without mountain. 163 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:58.419 This is on the health and productivity side. There's a Trifecta of things that 164 00:10:58.500 --> 00:11:03.379 are in just your normal day to day. What's that and why? So, 165 00:11:03.409 --> 00:11:07.889 like I kind of have this this recipe for just keeping my energy up, 166 00:11:07.889 --> 00:11:11.330 and that's raw almonds, water and coffee. So can you can throw 167 00:11:11.330 --> 00:11:15.889 on some hazelnut cream in there if you want, but you know, staying 168 00:11:15.929 --> 00:11:18.759 hydrated, staying energized. And then almonds are just like great. You know, 169 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:22.679 they have a nice balance of like carbs and protein. You can kind 170 00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:26.360 of just like munch on it for your first one or two meals and that 171 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:28.799 they'll keep you going. And Yeah, I'm just never been a big guy 172 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:33.429 for like kind of like process products or like all sorts of like fancy protein 173 00:11:33.470 --> 00:11:35.990 bars or shakes or anything like that. Just like keep it simple. Yeah, 174 00:11:37.070 --> 00:11:39.190 keep it simple. That's exactly what I was going to say. Great 175 00:11:39.230 --> 00:11:41.429 Way to UND it out. Keep it simple. Your five things, Matt, 176 00:11:41.509 --> 00:11:48.139 we've Got Apple, music, Microsoft Office and empowered team to great recommendations 177 00:11:48.220 --> 00:11:50.620 on podcast. You should check out from Craig Gro Shell and Patrick Linsey. 178 00:11:50.700 --> 00:11:54.980 Ony linked in in a different way than we talk about it from the content 179 00:11:56.100 --> 00:12:01.220 creation standpoint, but the networking aspect as well, and then your productivity hack 180 00:12:01.340 --> 00:12:05.370 with the Combo of coffee, water raw almonds. I love it. Man, 181 00:12:05.649 --> 00:12:07.570 Matt. If anybody listening to this wants to stay connected with you, 182 00:12:07.649 --> 00:12:11.570 I'm assuming linkedin's probably the best way to reach out. Yeah, Try Matt 183 00:12:11.610 --> 00:12:13.769 Benson. I'm sure there's like a million Matt Benz has in the world, 184 00:12:13.809 --> 00:12:18.519 but if you find the one point solutions one, that's me awesome. Matt. 185 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:20.799 Thank you so much for joining me on the show, man. I 186 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:28.000 really appreciate it. This was a fun conversation. Appreciate a man. Gary 187 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:31.710 B says it all the time and we agree. Every company should think of 188 00:12:31.830 --> 00:12:37.549 themselves as a media company first, then whatever it is they actually do. 189 00:12:37.350 --> 00:12:41.549 If you know this is true, but your team is already maxed out and 190 00:12:41.669 --> 00:12:45.659 you can't produce any more content in house, we can help. We produced 191 00:12:45.700 --> 00:12:48.700 podcasts for some of the most innovatively be brands in the world and we also 192 00:12:48.740 --> 00:12:54.059 help them turn the content from the podcast into blog posts, micro videos and 193 00:12:54.419 --> 00:12:56.379 slide decks. That work really well on linked in. If you want to 194 00:12:56.379 --> 00:13:01.490 learn more, go to sweet fish Mediacom launch or email logan ats from fish 195 00:13:01.570 --> Mediacom