Please welcome Katie Robbert of Trust Insights to the hot seat today. She is operating at the intersection of data and marketing to help clients demystify, disentangle, and draw insight from the information they have available.
Now let’s get on to the spotlight questions so Katie can demystify herself a bit.
Tell us about yourself and your agency.
I’m Katie Robbert, co-founder and CEO of Trust Insights. We’re a data science company with focus on helping marketers do their jobs more efficiently. We utilize Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to support marketers in their day-to-day. We do the dirty work of fixing up the infrastructure to make sure marketers are collecting the right data, the right way. Our goal is to remove the redundancies, freeing up marketers to do more impactful work.
How did you end up in your current role?
There are currently no cost-effective solutions that make artificial intelligence and machine learning accessible to marketers – and I wanted to change that. I brought in Chris Penn, who is always on the cutting edge of AI/ML, to create practical applications for advanced technological methods. We created Trust Insights to help marketers do more with their data.
If you could turn back the clock 10 years and give yourself some advice, what would it be?
Patience is key, and don’t talk just to talk. Make sure when you speak it is with purpose. Actively listen and be present. Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.
What industry trend are you most excited about?
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning becoming more common place and available to marketers. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what we can do with this technology. I look forward to seeing marketing efforts run, adjust, and optimize themselves without human input – allowing marketers to focus less on button pushing and more on deep, strategic thinking.
How would you describe your leadership style?
My leadership style is even-keeled and pragmatic. I want to collect as much information from as many sources as possible before making decisions or taking action. I do my best to listen to all sides and lead by example.
What was one of your jobs while you were still in school and what did you learn from it?
I worked a lot of customer service/food services jobs when I was younger. Those are some of the toughest jobs out there and it taught me to critically think, creatively problem solve, and treat others fairly. You’re often reliant on tips in those jobs, so your attitude and treatment of the customer in the moment can make or break your income and determine whether you can put gas in your car that week.
How do you clear your mind when you’re not working?
Is there such a thing as “not working” when you have a startup? When I need to clear my head, I take my dogs out for long walks, I spend time in the woods, or I read crime/mystery novels.
Where did you grow up?
I am Massachusetts born and bred. Specifically, I grew up on the South Shore (not the same as South of Boston) in a town called Rockland. It’s a small town that falls somewhere between Boston and Cape Cod. The accent is distinct and despite my best efforts to drop as much of the South Shore/Boston hybrid accent, it rears its ugly head whenever I visit my family or friends.
Where can people find you online?
