Welcome to Campfire Stories, where we spotlight our Appi Campers and share their stories in their own words. We invite you to get to know and learn from other app marketing pros, app marketing experts and your camp friends - as we continue to grow, and learn together as a community.
Ashley Fauset Campfire Story
Ashley Fauset is Vice President of Marketing at Maple Media, where she leads the Product Design and Marketing teams to grow a dynamic portfolio of mobile games, social, podcasting & productivity apps.
Getting Started in Mobile
I’ve been interested in technology since I was young. In 2nd grade, my friend’s family got an Apple Computer— and the Print Shop program — and I was absolutely captivated. When I got my first computer several years later, I spent hours playing around with the different features and telling my friends about all the ways to customize your experience. I’m a super curious person, especially when it comes to how things (and technology) works. I’m the type of person who will buy an appliance and read the manual cover to cover. I’ve been hooked on learning about the latest tech innovations, and looking back, it’s clearly a running theme in my career.
Having a strong personal interest in what you do for work directly impacts your success, especially in the mobile industry. The best (and sometimes most frustrating) thing about the mobile industry is that it’s constantly changing which means the opportunities to iterate are endless. The overall pace of mobile is thrilling. Sometimes daunting, but thrilling.
Working With Multiple App Verticals
At Maple Media, we have a very diverse portfolio of leading mobile apps across several verticals: from photo & collage apps to fitness & nutrition, podcasting & social media, language translators, calendars, and more.
For someone as voracious and curious as me, working on such a variety of products offers the opportunity to switch mindsets regularly — who are we talking to, what is important to them, how are we solving a problem, how are we creating value? It’s the same set of questions, but sometimes the answers overlap. Based on user demos, we can identify organic opportunities to cross-market our products and experiment with creatives and content that might appeal to several audiences.
Working with such a fabulous portfolio offers such a great opportunity to experiment, test, and really get creative. I imagine if I created a Venn diagram of how all of our app’s audiences overlap, it would end up looking like a bright & colorful dreamcatcher, beaming with possibilities.
Keeping Your Personal Brand
From a personal branding standpoint, it is paramount that you are clear on what your own personal mission is. Most people will likely change jobs or companies several times over the course of their career, but who you are and what motivates you to show up and do your best work should be unwavering.
For me, it’s important that I convey a deep sense of commitment and passion wherever I go. Fostering collaboration and communication is extremely important to me. I try hard to make sure everyone in the room feels heard. People come from such a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds and all have something unique to offer.
It’s important to stay open to new ideas, from everyone on the team—title and seniority aren’t indicators of how good or viable an idea might be. Sometimes the person in the room who’s newest to the mobile space has the most creative and unique suggestions.
Advice for Women in Mobile
I’ve spent the majority of my career at startups, and looking back, half of them were female-owned while the other half have had teams more dominated by men. Oftentimes, I am the only female in the room, but I don’t let that distract me from my work or impact my contributions. Instead, I have a few tools I keep in my pocket—
- If I’m speaking in a group meeting and am interrupted, I continue speaking. Usually the other person will realize they’ve interrupted, sometimes I will say, “I’m not quite done” and finish my thought. I don’t allow myself to be interrupted and I have a few other tools in my pocket to make sure that I am heard in a male-dominated room.
- I am deliberate with both my choice of words and the tone in which I communicate. For example, I do not use the word “just”. Ever. It is inherently apologetic and typically tamps down the importance of your communication. I invite you to try eradicating the work from your vocabulary. “I’m just checking in” becomes, “I’m checking in.” “I was just wondering” becomes “I was wondering.” Be deliberate. Be direct. Exude confidence.
Female (and really, all gender) representation at the workplace is critical. Companies that invest in career growth for younger females and employ women in leadership roles have strong track records. Plus, it sends a strong message when there are female executives out in the world leading panels and making decisions. This visibility builds confidence in young women that these roles exist out there—and are within their grasp.
Want to learn more about personal branding? Get in touch with Ashley to hear her expert opinions on personal branding as well as empowering women in leadership – or read more about Ashley on her Appi Camper page.
