Engaging Conversations with…Wendy Yale

In the Silicon Valley tech startup world, Wendy Yale is a stand-out leader. With her help, enterprise data center and cloud security company Illumio has transformed into one of today’s fastest-growing startups—and that’s only the most recent accomplishment on her impressive resume. We spoke to Wendy (a BSTRO client since 2005) about startup culture, her advice to women seeking success in tech, and how Silicon Valley has changed since the last bubble burst.

Name: Wendy Yale
Employer: Illumio
Location: Silicon Valley
Twitter: @WendyYale

What is your job title?

Vice President Corporate and Revenue Marketing

What do you really do?

Introduce Illumio to new customers while ensuring that they know why they need to care about what we do (drive demand and build a brand that people are invested in.) Good marketing keeps it simple and doesn’t need to oversell. It is about intersecting with customers at the right time, with content that is in context to the location they consume it (blog, website, article, etc.).

Another way I like to describe what my team does, we make “movie trailers.” What I mean by this is that we develop just the right type and amount of content so that our customers want to hear more about what we do, they want to get to the “movie,” which is a conversation with a very skilled account executive who can deep dive into the product capabilities.

How do you describe what Illumio does to a non-tech audience?

You know all those data breaches that you hear about on the news? Many of them originate from the servers inside data centers. Illumio is bringing a new, stronger security to these servers to contain threats from hackers.

You were at Silicon Valley tech startups during the tech boom in the early ‘00s, you weathered the bust, and have continued to thrive during this new tech resurgence. What’s different this time around?

A much better focus, time-to-profitability, by investors, boards, and customers.

What’s the hardest part of startup life?

You’re running at a sprint’s pace for the length of a marathon. Of course, this is also what makes startup life so compelling.

What do you think makes someone suited for corporate culture verses a startup culture?

If you want to work at a startup you need to be very interested in building, and welcome all the complexities that come with it.

What are the two qualities job candidates must have for you to consider them?

In this order:

1. Intelligence = curiosity + drive
2. Demonstrably good intentions

Experience is always 3^rd because you can’t teach smart or turn someone into a good person. Plus, intelligence combined with good intentions makes for an incredibly powerful team.

You’re one of two women on Illumio’s management team, which isn’t usual and is above average for many tech startups. Do women need to do things differently to succeed in tech companies?

I’d like to say no, but the truth is they need to be better in all aspects of their role—consistently.

Were there any clues in your childhood that you were destined for a leadership role in business and technology?

Hmmm, not for technology—but certainly for business. I was the kid in the neighborhood who was interested in earning my own money and convincing adults that they should hire me. I was always very entrepreneurial and never shy to apply for work that was new to me. From the time I was 10 I was mowing lawns, washing cars, delivering the newspaper, etc. When I was in college I was interested in working in film & television post-production so I wrote down all the companies that worked on my favorite show, Star Trek Next Generation (yes, I’m that kind of geek), and applied to them so that I could learn the industry.

A key part of leadership is a willingness to jump into new things and just try. That’s also the spirit of the tech industry so it’s always felt like a natural fit for me.

What was your most successful failure?

Trying to be an art major in college. I am deeply creative, but not someone who can draw or paint at the level I would have been satisfied with. But trying it as a major opened up a whole new world of creative thinking for me, which led me to writing and eventually to marketing.

Where do you get your best business advice?

I have key people I trust that I have known my entire career (they provide wonderful reality checks), and I am always working to surround myself with business people who are smarter and more experienced than me.

What business advice would you pass on?

Don’t apologize for being ambitious or not—do what feels right to you, don’t spend a ton of time comparing yourself to others. I’m a big believer in following your gut.

If you find yourself saying, “We need to do it this way because that’s they way we’ve always done it,” it is time to get a new job or change the way you are working. I believe in always challenging status quo and constantly challenging your own skills.

What’s on your daily must-read list?

Flipboard marketing, business, advertising, tech feeds. Fast Company, Inc., Fortune, Wall Street Journal, and all the great design publications (my personal passion).

In your world of cutting edge technology, is there anything old-school that you miss? 

No, I am a 100% digital girl. I love being part of “the latest” technology in every aspect of my life.

If you had a Pinterest-style motivational quote on your wall, what would it say?

I’m usually very positive, so my quote is for when the tough times come… “When you’re going through hell, keep going.”- Winston Churchill

Fill in the blanks….

1. I should have walked more yesterday.
2. I wish I could live back in Hawaii.
3. The first thing I do when I get to work is get a cup of tea. It really does make all the work that much easier.

by Jill Tracy