Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to work in a dynamic, high-powered digital marketing role at a big company?

We recently sat down with Brony Popp, the Global Brand Marketing Manager at Canva, who contributed to the coursework material for the Digital Marketing: Analytics and Strategy Career Accelerator by Melbourne Business School Online, to find out more about what a day in her life looks like – both in and out the office.

Brony has worked in marketing for 13 years. She’s currently part of the brand marketing team at Canva and works with global campaign managers to roll out projects that boost the much-loved online design tool’s market growth and popularity. 

Getting to know Brony Popp

What does a typical workday look like for you?

“I either work from home or in the office, depending on what my diary looks like. I spend about half of the week in the office, which I find really good for me, and the incredible food doesn’t hurt! I’m really grateful to have a flexible policy at work because it allows me to manage other commitments.”

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“I loved the show ‘Changing Rooms’ and wanted to renovate spaces, but that’s about as far as I’ve taken my renovation dreams (for now).”

How do you wind down at the end of the day?

“Walking my dog is a good circuit breaker at the end of my day, and my notifications from Slack switch off at 6 p.m.” 

Do you have any general productivity hacks?

“The things that have consistently stuck over the years and are now part of my team’s way of working are:

• Start the week fresh: At the end of each week, I clean out my inbox and write a to-do list for the following week. My team and I schedule status updates for Monday morning while it’s still fresh in our brains so we can pick up where we left off.
• Prioritise: I often block out my diary to do certain tasks that have deadlines or the days just disappear. Not everyone’s focused time is in the morning, so I “Eat The Frog” at the time of day when I get the most focus, which is the afternoon after our US team logs off or on my meet-free Monday when it’s their Sunday. 
• Don’t get distracted by things that aren’t urgent: This one is Slack related but works with a lot of software – send things back to yourself later. I push a lot of ‘later’ jobs to come back and remind me when I have capacity. This ensures I’m focusing on what’s important, not just what’s the latest alert (this takes practice!).
• Monthly reflections: I asked my coachees what we do that helps productivity, and they said the monthly snapshots. This is a Confluence page where they each track highlights, lowlights, lessons learned, opportunities and progress towards growth goals. Only they and I see it, so it’s an honest way to keep track of progress and recurring issues and take stock so that the months don’t just roll into each other.”

Do you completely log off from work over weekends?

“I really do. Sometimes, this isn’t possible if I’m working on events or travelling for work but by and large, I keep work out of my weekends. We are all just better at our jobs when there is space and rest, and I think it’s important to set that example for others. I close work programs if I use my laptop on the weekend, so they don’t lure me back in. Also, I recommend taking some time to set up your notifications. I have them turned off on the weekend, except for certain key stakeholders.”

What’s the most challenging part of your job? And the most rewarding?

“The most challenging part is the ever-evolving category that Canva is in. Being in such a fast-paced industry means long-term planning can be difficult, and you need to be nimble and flexible to adapt and change strategies to suit the vision and the market. But that is the most rewarding too. We often galvanise and pull off great things that weren’t even on the table a few months prior, so it’s never boring.”

What core skills do you look for when interviewing someone to join your team?

“I look for someone who is skilled at what they do but never too big to pack a box. The only way we get ahead is by everyone really working as part of a team and being willing to take on jobs that aren’t always in their remit for us to get to the result. Our team works with a lot of stakeholders and connects a lot of the dots across the company, so incredible communication is an absolute must-have – both written and verbal.”

What would you say to someone looking to achieve a better work/life balance by moving into this field?

“Take responsibility for your personal life as you do for your work life by setting boundaries to facilitate both. There will always be more work to do, but making the hours you work more impactful is the key. It’s important to have a well-rounded life because I believe it makes us better at our jobs.”

Launch your own career as a Digital Marketing leader

You can now register to secure your place in the Digital Marketing: Analytics and Strategy Career Accelerator by Melbourne Business School Online in partnership with FourthRev.

Download a brochure here and then book a call with one of our friendly Enrolment Advisors to discuss your interest further.