CMO Spotlight | Karima McDaniel - 4U By Tia

The CMO Spotlight is a chance to get an inside look into the minds and journeys of high-performing marketing leaders. 

Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Karima McDaniel, the President and General Manager for 4U by Tia, to discuss the importance of advocating for yourself, being an adaptable and flexible leader, and more.

WATCH + READ THE RECAP BELOW (SCROLL TO THE END FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW)

Q1 | Is there any advice you would like to share?

“If I could tell my younger career self anything, it would be to speak up sooner.”

McDaniel wishes that she gave herself more credit for her skills and articulated the “breadth” of her experiences earlier on in her career. New marketers spend a lot of time observing and absorbing information, and often feel less knowledgeable. She shared, “I wish I had freed myself from that worry of not knowing enough or not having enough information. Looking back, I realized I knew way more than I gave myself credit for. I wish I just owned that.” To combat the imposter syndrome, she encourages marketers to have confidence in themselves and advocate for things that interest them. 

Q2 | What is your superpower?

McDaniel shared two of her superpowers. 

On the technical side, she is skilled at building a brand. “I do think that I am a really good brand builder,” McDaniel noted. Her marketing tactics are based on consumer data that helps her “read consumers' minds” and “understand the underlying tension that they feel.”

McDaniel is also adaptable and resourceful in her personal life, and pulls these traits into her professional life. She’s worked on teams of various sizes and always makes it work to exceed expectations on deliverables.

Q3 | What values are important to you?

“I really value intellectual curiosity because I think it makes you resourceful.”

McDaniel always challenges her team to ask more questions because it helps them gain more information and reach solutions. She also values people who are direct when delivering information. She falls back on the quote “clear is kind,” and believes that it’s important to deliver information in a straightforward manner to avoid hurting the other person.

Q4 | Tell us about an impactful campaign.

McDaniel worked on Rodan + Fields’ new innovation campaign building out product launches. She had to think outside of the box when it came to appealing to their audience by playing with unique approaches and channels. There was plenty of trial and error, as well as learning opportunities, that eventually led to a successful campaign. “Though we're still learning. We're still new. We're still building, but it's been such a different world starting from scratch.” 

Q5 | Is there a quote that inspires you?

Earlier in her career, McDaniel would experience periods of burnout from working hard. When she came across this quote, everything changed: "There's another way to exist in the world."

The quote stuck out to her because it helped her realize that she can control how she feels in certain situations. “I was overextending and stressing myself out, and I didn't have to live like that. I can do the things I love to do, but reshape how they show up in my life so that it makes room for my professional life and my personal life.”

---

For more marketing leadership advice and a view into the mindset of marketing executives in various industries, be sure to watch the full interview with Karima McDaniel, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW TO THE RIGHT.