Sean Broderick, Senior Manager of Product Marketing at Altify, was first made aware of our  mentor program through the ambassador channel in the PMA Slack community. Initially, he went through the program as a mentee and felt inspired enough to sign up as a mentor.

“I went through the process of being a mentee in the program and I felt like I had some relevant experience to share with people who are starting out in their product marketing careers.”

In this case study, he discusses:

  • Why he signed up
  • Why he picked us,
  • PMA's Mentorship program's main benefits, and
  • Key outcomes

Sean’s motivation

Sean felt that the program was a great opportunity to give back to the product marketing community.

“I wanted to impart some of the things I’d learned throughout my career in B2C and B2B then progressing from exec to manager, to senior manager, to product marketing lead.”

“Once I started the mentorship process, one of my mentee’s key goals was to actually get promoted and over the course of a couple of months of mentorship, that goal was achieved, which was amazing!”

Why the PMA mentor program?

Sean found the whole process seamless and was really impressed by the support offered in terms of structuring sessions.

“I found the entire process really well run, the structures that have been put in place by the PMA have been fantastic in regards to systems, the way the sessions are set up from one to five, and outlines of what you should be covering in each session. It’s a great framework for success for both the mentor and the mentee.”

What are the mentor programs’ main benefits?

Sean got a lot out of the experience both personally and professionally.

“The experience has helped me really focus on the development and growth of my mentee and as I’m going through my own journey in product marketing, it’s shown me just how important it is to put my team’s growth and development first. In doing so I’ve actually grown a lot myself, you get so much gratification from seeing people you helped grow in their careers and taking their opportunities to shine.

“I also really enjoyed getting to know my mentee Alan, he’s a really great guy and it’s amazing to build those relationships with somebody you may not have realized was going to be in your life before. We generated a great friendship over the course of the program and it was incredible to watch his growth over the last couple of months and be able to enable opportunities for that person was extremely gratifying.

“One of the things I really enjoyed about the mentorship program was bouncing ideas off of Alan in our own structure. We’re always looking at our overall marketing operations versus the product marketing structure as a whole and to be able to bounce ideas off Alan and see how they do things at his organization was really helpful for me in terms of bucketing the content marketing, the flow of campaigns and how they flow from product marketing into the marketing operations as a whole. Some of those key areas were great to validate the things I was thinking of from a structure perspective at my organization.”

Key outcomes

Taking part in the mentor program has changed the way Sean thinks about professional development and he’s found himself open to new possibilities.

“I think it’s been a good lesson to just ask for help when you have a blindspot or an area in your skillset. To be able to talk to somebody whose been there and done that is really valuable.

“I’m definitely going to double down and go back into the program as a mentee. To see the growth Alan has made in his career has inspired me to apply that to my own career. Everybody’s on a growth journey and every day is a school day.

“I’d recommend signing up as a mentor and a mentee because no matter what stage you’re at in your career you have something to offer at both of those levels. If your 10 years into your career and looking to make that step into a director or a VP role there’s plenty of people on there you can speak to help you generate that growth. If you’re straight out of college and you’re looking to grow your experience or knowledge there’s something for you too. The overall recommendation is to get out there get enrolled and get stuck in.”

Thinking about taking out a PMA membership plan? Access the content, tools, tips and templates needed to pave your product’s path. Head here to check out what’s on offer.