Want to discover marketing and leadership insights from one of tech's most influential people? Look no further.

In this latest episode of our '3 Learnings From' video podcast series, we sit down with Meagen Eisenberg, CMO of TripActions!

She discusses what she looks for when hiring, how to get promoted, and finding a healthy balance between working and being a mom. Check out the interview.

The balancing act: how to lead by example

It's easy to think of the most successful leaders as those who never let up, are always last to leave the office, always switched on and ready to take on the next challenge, day or night.

But for Meagen Eisenberg, the best leaders master the art of work-life balance and set a positive example for the rest of the team. This doesn't mean working less, it means working better.

As the current CMO of TripActions and the mother of three young children, Meagen reminds us that a successful career and a healthy personal life go hand-in-hand.

This mindset has clearly served Meagen well over the course of her professional journey. She has accumulated more than 20 years of experience in high-tech, including roles as CMO of MongoDB and VP of Demand Generation at DocuSign.

Meagen is now leveraging big data and technology to deliver a sustainable revenue path for TripActions—the most advanced, AI-powered travel and expense management solution on the market.

Founded in 2015, the platform has recently become a major asset as companies' travel and expense systems have been left exposed to the ramifications of COVID-19.

Learning #1: What to look for when hiring

When Meagen first joined TripActions, she hired twenty people in six weeks with the firm belief that "there's nothing more important than the team you hire... and it's a very expensive mistake if you don't hire well."

For Meagen, some of the key attributes to look for when hiring include: problem solving, continual learning, and grit. She wants people on her team who are able to find creative solutions and are never "the victim of a situation."

One of the best ways to uncover a candidate's mindset, says Meagen, is to ask candidates during the interview what they don't love about their work, and to dig into their explanation: "If they tell you they couldn't get things done," for 'this' or 'that' reason, "...then they're probably not a good problem solver!"

Learning #2: How I think about promoting folks

"One of the worst things you can do if you want get promoted," insists Meagen, "is to talk about how much work you're doing, how busy you are... those are the people you can't promote. They don't have time to take on more responsibility... and they're gonna burn out."

Meagen wouldn't want someone like that to be managing other people and have others think that that's what a real leader looks like.  To get promoted, "you need to be able to take on more workload, to be able to get more done, to show work-life balance to others."

Learning #3: How I balance working and being a mom

"We live in a time that allows us, as parents, to do a lot more, just because of the world we live in and all these apps." Meagen makes full use of technology to organize her family life and to ensure that she maintains a good work-life balance.

One of the most useful tools for Meagen is "an online calendar, and to be able to share that across as a family..." in order to share the workload, and empower her children to become more independent and manage their own schedules.

"Now COVID's a different situation," she admits, where "there's a lot of strain on being a mother, home-schooling, and working... I look forward to the day they're back in school, for sure!"

Thanks Meagen!

Meagen Eisenberg understands the value of work-life balance and setting the right example for others. Her professional record speaks for itself and she is bringing the same level of success to her role as CMO of TripActions.

Which of her learnings resonates with you? When hiring, are you looking for problem solving, continual learning, and grit in your candidates? Are you dedicating enough time to your personal life outside of work?

More insights coming your way in the next episode, where we'll be speaking with Christen O'Brien, CMO at NFX... see you there!