In this seven‑minute, six‑question interview on the Winning at Business and Life podcast, Professor Pete Alexander talks with Andrea Silva, a digital marketer at a B2B hardware technology company. Andrea explains that the most rewarding aspect of her industry is working with hardware that enables software, offering a fresh perspective beyond typical tech narratives. She discusses the challenges of work‑life balance, especially for women, emphasizing the need to accept occasional trade‑offs and to support team members by putting people first. Andrea recommends fellow marketer Stacy Sherman for her expertise in customer experience. Her key advice for other leaders centers on building high‑quality, cross‑industry networks during the uncertainty of COVID‑19, stressing relationships over mere contact counts. She recounts her first job as a traffic coordinator at a large advertising agency, highlighting the impact of a mentor who rewarded her willingness to “raise her hand” and take on unwanted tasks, shaping her managerial philosophy. The episode closes with Andrea’s LinkedIn contact information and a plug for the podcast’s channels.
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This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
Hi, Professor Pete. I'm Andrea Silva. I am in digital marketing. I'm currently working at a hardware technology company in the B2B space.
Andrea, it's great to have you on the show. Question number 2: What's the best thing about working in your industry?
I'm happy to be here. I think one of the best things from my perspective is I've not worked in the technology space, and I think a lot of times people think technology, they think software, but there is hardware that needs to make the software function. So for me, it's been really interesting to kind of learn an entirely different facet.
Mm, that's great. Question number 3. I hear from other business leaders that staying in a good work-life balance for them and their team members is a challenge. What are your thoughts?
Yeah, I mean, especially, you know, as a woman, I think there is even more pressure for that work-life balance. I do think it is a bit elusive. I think sometimes we have to be okay with not giving 100% in both places at the same time. So just being okay knowing that sometimes work is going to suffer just a little bit, sometimes family life is going to suffer just a little bit, and that you're always trying to— you're striving to achieve that balance. It's almost very rarely never going to be completely balanced, but just keep looking for that. For my team, I actually really do take time to make things personal. And I think if someone in my team is struggling, I always remind them that, listen, you come first. Work can come after. It will get done, and we'll figure it out. So I think it's important to know that you— to help your team know that you're supporting them in that way.
Oh, that's really insightful. I would think that that also creates a much better rapport between you and your team. Yeah.
Yes.
Yeah, 'cause they know that you have their back.
100%. I mean, there's nothing for me more important from my boss than knowing like, you know, you got me if I need you.
Mm-hmm, that's really important. Question number 4, what other successful business leaders like yourself should be on my podcast?
I would highly recommend that you talk to Stacy Sherman, Stacey and I have worked together in the past. She's gone in a little bit of a direct different direction from a digital marketing perspective and really focused on, you know, customer experience. And I think in the digital changing space where everybody's used to everything personalized and customized, she really has a unique insight into how you can make customer experience really important and fundamental for your business.
Wow, thank you for that referral. I'll reach out to Stacey. Question number— question number 5: What insight or advice would you give to other business leaders?
So this was one that I kind of struggled with a little bit because I think it's— it's— there's so many things that you could talk about. I think especially right now during this time is that you never know what is going to be, you know, what's going to happen. I think networking, having a good working rapport with those around you, probably one of the most important things. Business relationships, whether they're in your current office with other people, because during a time like this is especially with COVID-19 where none of us actually know what's going to happen next, what's happening from a business perspective, what really the world is going to look like when we're done, you know, to talk to other business leaders and understand, you know, how they're dealing with it, how they're managing it both professionally and personally, I think for me has been really helpful. You know, how are you surviving this? So I think my insight is really making sure that you build that network and not just the numbers, but really having people that you can talk to, rely on, and bounce things off of that maybe are not in your exact industry but are in the business world. There's a lot of learning that can happen cross-industry and cross-specialty.
I think that's really insightful and couldn't agree more with you. I mean, just because somebody works in a different industry, that gives you a different insight. And, you know, it can be refreshing to get an opinion from somebody outside of your, you know, with the industry where you got the blinders on.
Right. Fresh eyes, right? Exactly. Blinders. We all tend to kind of stay in our lane, so to speak.
Yeah. And I like the fact you mentioned also about the quality relationships, not just the numbers, just having everybody connected, but being able to have people that you can really rely on and bounce those ideas off of is fantastic. Absolutely.
Thank you.
And question number 6, tell me about your first job.
So my first real job was in the advertising world. I started as a traffic coordinator at a large agency in the city. And I think the thing that I liked about that job the most was, not that it was glamorous, because everyone used to think advertising was so glamorous, but I could tell you as an entry-level person it wasn't. But I think it was really the things that I was exposed to very early on, and probably because I found a great mentor. At that company, you know, somebody who really taught me the kind of manager that I want to be. And, you know, it was interesting because he gave me an opportunity that I don't know anybody else would have given me at that early age and with that experience that I had, which was not a lot at the time, you know. Later on, I asked him down the road, like, you know, why, you know, why did you give me that opportunity? And, you know, a little tongue-in-cheek, because of my brilliance and everything you saw in me. And he said, you know, yes, but also because you raised your hand. You know, we were in a meeting and, you know, they were going around and asking who would take care of this, who would take care of that, and he said, you know, every time there was something that nobody wanted to do, you raised your hand. And he, you know, and that was the thing that he saw in me. So, you know, that's something that I try to think about now, the person who's going to say, all right, I'm going to get it done and, you know, we'll kind of figure it out. So it had a lot of impact on me. And I got to do work on a lot of cool brands as well. And I had an office as a young person starting out eventually. So yeah, I was very fortunate. Very fortunate.
It sure sounds like it, having the office and being able to get the exposure that you did. But you know, you mentioned you made it happen because you raised your hand and you weren't afraid to hide in the back of the room. So congratulations on that. That's a neat story. So, Andrew, Thank you so much for being on the show. How can people find you?
Sure. Uh, thank you so much for having me, Professor Pete. It was great catching up with you. Um, you can find me on LinkedIn, Andrea Rovella Silva. Um, and I hope to connect and, and chat with other folks.
Thank you so much. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. For more insights and ideas, please go to LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, or iTunes and search for the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Thanks for listening.
