By Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing
“How I Work” is one of my favorite recurring features in Inc Magazine as well as via Lifehacker’s This Is How I Work Series, and recently several sales experts (including Anthony Iannarino, Dave Brock and Trish Bertuzzi) participated as well.
Periodically moving forward we will feature a new B2B sales, marketing or business leader here answering what have become the standard “How I Work” questions. You can catch up on everyone we’ve featured thus far in the “How I Work” series here.
This week I’m excited to feature David Fortino, SVP of audience & product at NetLine Corporation. David has been with NetLine for 15 years (!) and in that time has managed thousands of demand generation programs for clients worldwide. He’s a mainstay on the B2B event circuit and has been active in numerous Philadelphia professional marketing groups including the Philadelphia Interactive Marketing Association and Philly Startup Leaders.
Suffice it to say, David gets stuff done. Here in his own words is how he does it.
Location: Philadelphia, PA (Burbs)! While my team is on the east coast, the vast majority of the company works in our Los Gatos, CA HQ.
Current computers: Dell XPS 15 and a Dell OptiPlex 9020 with dual 24” monitors
Current mobile devices: Blackberry Priv (Yes, you read that correctly. Yes, they still make phones. Is that a problem?)
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without? Clearbit, Import.io, Giphy, Evernote, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Fireshot, WhereGoes, RAW, LightBeam, and last but certainly not least Zwift. The last one is not work related.
What’s your workspace like? Clean, clear, and conducive to creativity with a few cycling related items mixed-in to remind me that I am more than just my work. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I made the desk myself from a live-edge slab of maple. It’s a damn fine desk if I do say so myself.
What’s your best time-saving shortcut or lifehack? Delegation. It’s taken me years to digest this simple yet often vital decision. There’s no way I can do everything regardless of the super powers I believe I’ve harnessed that given day. That said, delegation is only as good as your communication skills and those to whom you delegate. With that being the case, I’m always working on being a better communicator and have made it point to surround myself with incredible people.
What everyday thing are you better at than anybody else? Being me. At the core, I stopped caring about that kind of thing many years ago. Caring about how you stack-up against someone else is a worthless exercise that only leads to self-doubt.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager? We’re currently using Asana across the company. I’m not sure why but I can’t say that it feels like home to me. I’m generally not an old-school person but there’s something to be said about simply grabbing a coffee, scratching a short-list of to-do’s in my notebook, and swallow some frogs to get the day started.
What do you listen to while at work? I usually lean towards indie digital bands. Sometimes I’ll go back to my hardcore days (what’s up Quicksand!) if I’m looking for a little angst-driven inspiration. Other days I’ll move over to a more mild Death Cab for Cutie playlist. At this point, Spotify generally knows my taste pretty perfectly. I still can’t believe that every Monday morning I’m greeted with a custom playlist specifically created for me. It’s humbling that they’d do that! My only rule when it comes to music is no Country. I’m currently listing to The Postal Service while I’m writing this.
What are you currently reading? I just picked-up Cold War III by W. Craig Reed. It came recommend by NetLine’s President, Werner Mansfeld, who knows my taste and interests. Talk to me in a few weeks and I’ll let you know how the book was.
What’s your sleep routine like? It depends on the day and how far into the evening I’ve worked. My family (shout out!) offers me a much needed break in the day and generally keeps my mind distracted until they go to bed. Once the kiddos are in bed, I’ll get back online and catch-up on whatever wasn’t accomplished during the day. Working late tends to translate into poor sleep patterns. With that being the case, I try my best to put away the laptop and stop looking at my phone after 10 or so. Some days cooperate with my intentions and others do not.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Three items:
- “Always ask the difficult question.” – What’s the worst thing that can happen? Someone can say no! Who cares. Get over it and forge ahead. Being told no is simply an opportunity to open another door.
- “Treat everyone as if they cut your paycheck.” I grew up working at my parents gas station starting at a very young age. Customer service, respectfulness, and my entrepreneurial spirit are firmly cemented in my upbringing. My father specifically instilled in me that everyone deserves to be treated the same until they exhibit behavior that warrants a change in course. At which point, you’re give the right to promptly throw them out of the garage (I’m looking at you Dad! Haha). All kidding aside, It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO or a Junior AE reaching out to me for the first time…you’ll get the same level of respect and time from me.
- HAVE FUN! Work is generally stressful, chaotic, and sometimes confrontational. That said, it’s vital to remind yourself to keep perspective. Take a breath, go for a walk, have a slice of pizza, play some ping pong, have an office Olympics event while the boss is away, drink a beer/cocktail with your colleagues, and show some personality! Personally investing in your team, your culture, and yourself are key to developing bonds that stand the test of a difficult day at the office. This applies to life well beyond the time spent in the office.
Anything else you want to add? I’m genuinely only as good as my team. These types of posts tend to glamorize and/or hype industry leaders as know-it-alls that are incapable of failure. In my view, that’s perpetuating a distorted reality. To my team and NetLine as a whole, thank you for everything that you do each and every day to make us the little engine that could. We’re still climbing the mountain but I’m loving my fellow passengers.
Fill in the Blank: I¹d love to see BLANK answer these questions. Troy Vera. Tag, you’re it.
