“Lean in, and find a way,” Natalie Bastian from Teads

Meet Natalie Bastian, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Teads. With her roll-up-your-sleeves mentality and extensive experience in marketing, she has led multiple teams to success. Natalie actively strives to create strong bonds, be empathetic, and speak up when it counts the most. 

We had the pleasure of chatting with Natalie when she stopped by our podcast booth at Advertising Week New York. In her Pass the Mic interview, she shared her lean-in philosophy for life, leadership, and success. Check it out below! 

Be resourceful.

“Trust your gut. Don't be afraid to take a risk. I'd say money comes and goes, but it always finds you when you make the right decisions that are true for you. And don't always follow the biggest opportunity. There's always ways to make money, right? Especially early on in your career. If you truly are passionate about something that may not 100% pay the bills, still lean in, find a way, be resourceful. 

And you know, it will come together if it's meant to be. And so, I'd say if you're struggling to find what you're passionate about, lean in, get internships, read. There's so much out there that you can read, especially in our industry, that is free and accessible. And a lot of internships as well, especially in this economy where people are looking for entry-level people that are passionate and hungry and willing to grow with emerging companies, too. So don't be afraid to lean in and take the risk because you never know where it's going to take you.” – Natalie Bastian

Have passion.

“Whether you be yourself at the interview or be yourself on day one, it will come out eventually. And don't be afraid to be that way. And then I think it's the drive and the hunger that I look for, too. Because if you can work hard, you'll learn, regardless. You'll learn from the failures. You'll learn from the successes. But if you're willing to try, and you have that hunger, that's ultimately, you know, intangible. And those intangibles is what drives, to me, what I look for, for people that really have the spark, have the sparkle, and the interest, and passion, because the rest of the work will all come together.” – Natalie Bastian

Learn and always be curious.

“And I hire this way too. I hire people that are smarter than me that fill my gaps, so I can continue to learn and always be curious. And that also comes with people that are potentially more senior than you, that have a track record that you can learn from and then earn their respect through hard work and smart delivery. And it just will start to flow if it's the right fit.” – Natalie Bastian

Speak intentionally.

“Yes, I defaulted to being myself. I think over time you learn to listen more than you talk. And when you have something to say, make sure you mean it. Because at the end of the day, if saying the right things are what's productive, you'll have more opportunities to voice them. And I think early on in my career, I saw a lot of loud voices get the opportunities. And so, I am a naturally voiceful person, not afraid to speak my mind. And I've learned over time that just because I have something to say doesn't mean the people around me are ready to hear it or it's the right thing to say. 

And so, I think over time I've learned through having a bit of a filter and just making sure that what I'm saying is intentional. And I've learned to sleep on ideas sometimes and just like give it a beat, give it a day, and if it's the right thing to say, it will still feel that way the next day.” – Natalie Bastian

Find alliances. 

“I haven't really had a formal mentorship. Throughout my career, the vast majority of my time was spent being one of the only women at the table when I finally got the chance. And then when I wasn't the only woman, finding alliances across the table. And for me, being in marketing, my number one client is sales internally, right. And so, a big piece of that is showing support. And the beauty of marketing is you can see the work, and you can put in the hard work, build the street cred, build the respect. And then, what should come with that, with the right people—they'll lift you up, and they'll help support you.” – Natalie Bastian

Surround yourself with good people. 

“I think it's a combination of behind-the-scenes support and really surrounding yourselves around people that are smarter than you and that are also just genuinely good people. And for me, I'm fortunate because I feel like I have a lot of good people around me, whether that's intentional or not. 

You know, I have a close knit, tight circle that I trust. And when I have to make decisions, I lean into the people that have made similar tough decisions and understand perspective and get buy-in before making the major life calls, especially when it comes to my career. And then, as you grow, those people will lift you up, whether it's behind the scenes, in front of the scenes, and putting you in front of other opportunities because they know it's what's best for you, not for them.” – Natalie Bastian

Natalie is supporting us all with this great advice. Ready for more inspiring wisdom? There’s plenty more Pass the Mic content waiting for you.