Military Lessons in Search — Scott Swanson // iSpot.tv

Scott Swanson, VP of Demand Generation at iSpot.tv, outlines his experiences from submarines to SEO. Military service can offer a valuable foundation of skills, experience, and connections that can be applied to the business world. While it's not a guarantee of success, many individuals, like Scott, have been able to leverage their military background to build thriving careers. Today, Scott discusses military lessons in search.
About the speaker

Scott Swanson

iSpot.tv

 is a little camera shy

Scott is VP of Demand Generation at iSpot.tv

Show Notes

  • 03:17
    Scotts military experience
    Scott served as a sonar technician on a fast attack submarine stationed in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. The job involved conducting training exercises with aircraft carrier battle groups, monitoring naval activity, and generally maintaining a naval presence in the Pacific Ocean.
  • 04:55
    Transitioning from the military into marketing
    Scott transitioned from military to construction and real estate, but after the 2008 financial crisis, he joined Microsoft to launch Microsoft Azure. Later, he worked at Apptio where he gained experience in building demand engines and working with sales development teams.
  • 11:40
    How Scotts military experience influenced his career
    One of his biggest takeaways from his military experience was the military's ability to have a clear mission and focus on what's most effective. When applied to business, this strategy enables you to focus on the things that will drive the most impact with the resources available.
  • 13:09
    Using data as a point of leverage for career growth
    Scotts background in using spreadsheets and data for decision-making helped him to progress in his career and differentiate himself. Essentially, he was able to develop a skill set that enabled him to bridge the gap between marketing, sales, and engineering.
  • 13:54
    Lessons Scott learned from the Navy
    In the Navy, Scott learned about clarity of mission, leveraging data, and the ability to maintain professional relationships with colleagues while giving and taking orders. The latter skill is particularly valuable but often overlooked.

Quotes

  • "One thing the US military does particularly well is that there is clarity in mission. The application of that in business is a superpower." -Scott Swanson, VP Demand Generation, iSpot.tv

  • "There's an infinite amount of things that a startup can be doing. But the truth is, you should only be doing the ones that are going to have the biggest impact." -Scott Swanson, VP Demand Generation, iSpot.tv

  • "The ability to be friends with people you work with, and then turn around and take orders from them, or give them orders, is a good skill to have." -Scott Swanson, VP Demand Generation, iSpot.tv

About the speaker

Scott Swanson

iSpot.tv

 is a little camera shy

Scott is VP of Demand Generation at iSpot.tv

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