Few can do it like Lauren Cavataro. Not only is she a part-time cycling instructor, but she’s the Senior Director of Sales at CreatorIQ. While these two roles might seem quite different, for Lauren, they’re the same thing—just for a different audience.
We spoke to Lauren about navigating periods of transition, the power of communication across functional roles, and creating a safe space to ask for what you want.
Can you share your background, and the journey that led you to your current role within CreatorIQ?
I graduated college with a communications degree and a specialty in journalism, but I didn't immediately find a job in journalism. One of my first jobs out of college was selling to PR professionals at a B2B magazine. So when I originally started out in the space, I was selling to communications professionals, and that sort of felt natural, even though I wasn't one of them myself. I also sold things like advertising space, event sponsorships, tables, etc. I did that for a couple of years, and then finally I got the opportunity to sell a software, which was really a turning point for me—being able to demo something, and provide value to a client or prospect upfront, was more tangible than advertising or sponsorships.
I really loved the ability to show someone something and then have them see it and be like, yes, I want to buy this. So I sold several different solutions to PR and marketing professionals, and then I was at my last job, which was a little similar to CreatorIQ, as a journalist database. We helped journalists have their own profiles so that brands and agencies can pitch them better. We also helped brands track and monitor all of the articles that get written about them.
I joined CreatorIQ almost 2 years ago and have been working with the new business team here. My journey is very much the culmination of a lot of my prior skills, past jobs, and roles. So, it just felt like a natural fit.
I love how you went from communications to sales. Tell me about how you translated some soft skills to more hard skills, which is what I associate with sales.
Being a good communicator is essential whether you're a writer, a journalist, or a seller. Communication skills are transferable; being a strong writer is transferable. I also took public speaking courses. I really liked that side of things, and it aligned really well with selling. Most journalists, though not all, are usually spinning or selling something. To tell a story and bring it full circle with a beginning, middle, and end, is something that a lot of good salespeople do. So to be a good seller is also, I think, to be a good storyteller.
You joined Creator IQ at an exciting time, right around the Tribe Dynamics acquisition. I'd love to hear your thoughts on navigating ambiguity and change management.
I've been through a couple of changes, not only here, but at past companies with either acquisitions or even working with different teams cross-country or across the globe. Rolling with the punches when you're in different time zones takes a little bit of practice. So I would say that the lessons I have about managing a big transition are really just to keep an ear to the ground and stay abreast of everything that’s happening. Transparency across the board helps with that. Change isn't always easy, but it can be good. Sometimes discomfort, a little bit of change, or challenge can lead to great outcomes.
So I try to keep that perspective in mind: a zoomed-out perspective that this isn't just about me and my daily changes, this is about a larger vision. Looking back, it's been exciting and invigorating to be a part of those changes. I also know that we've gotten through one hundred percent of the tough times so far. We're really not designed to change, and that's okay. It’s helpful because the more I do it, the more comfortable I get getting uncomfortable. Selling makes you really uncomfortable a lot of the time, so it's easy to go there.
What other hobbies or interests are you passionate about outside of work?
Wearing another headset! I have a part-time job as a cycling instructor. I teach cycling three days a week at a local gym in Brooklyn. I joke that my two jobs are similar, just a different audience. Either I am on a headset with my Reps and prospective clients on Zoom, or I am on a different headset with my riders on their bikes. Either way I'm supporting them. It's nice to have a little side hustle, get out of the office, take my head out of the work, and build community and endorphins with folks who are local here. I've been doing this for five plus years now.
How can we work together to elevate women here at CIQ?
Mainly by doing the work ourselves. Part of it is on me to make sure that I'm elevating people who report to me, people whom I work cross departmentally with. It's really on everyone to take a look at their own position, both upward, downward, and across the table and say, who's there? How can I elevate them? Is it by congratulating them? Is it by bringing them into meetings, making sure that they have a seat at the table, making sure that they're seen, they're heard? There are a lot of different ways to do it, but I think it can be just the little things. Making sure that that person's seen, heard, has the opportunity to speak in meetings, and gets the floor. Luckily we're in a women-dominated industry. So it's really on us to practice what we preach, and do the work. It takes work. It is work.
What advice would you give to your colleagues who are looking to excel in their roles or advance in their careers?
I would say talk to people. For any colleague, whether they're in sales or not, I would say you do have to do a little bit of selling yourself to excel in your role or advance your career. So I would think about that in terms of what value do I bring to the role, to the org, to this team, to this group? Things that are helpful not only in the details, but also to the bigger picture. What can I bring to this team in this role, and what can I bring to the overall company, this year and in the coming years? ‘Put yourself out there’ is probably the best advice. Ask for it. If you don't ask, you won't get it. Document, document, and have a clear path for your own next steps.
What about people who are more naturally introverted or unsure how to put themselves out there in a corporate space?
Putting yourself out there can mean a lot of things for different people. For someone who's already naturally extroverted, is it going to take a lot more for them to put themselves out there? Do they really have to scream from the rooftops? I don't know. I think it's more about finding a trusted source, and that comes with community-building, building trust. Find a trusted source and pull people into your network, people above you, below you who are having conversations of ‘where do I want to excel,’ or ‘where do I want my growth to be?’ If you can find a safe space to have those conversations. It doesn't even have to be very loud, but can be one-on-one conversations. It can be, ‘I know I'm introverted, but I want something out of this conversation.’ You can still ask for what you want. You can still set next steps to try to get those things checked off. So, I would say it's more about just making sure that you're in a trusted, safe space. Just because you’re introverted doesn't mean you shouldn't ask. You can also always try big and then scale back. There are options.
“Being a good communicator is essential whether you're a writer, a journalist, or a seller. Communication skills are transferable.”
Lauren Cavataro
Tell me about your favorite Creator.
Right now I'm using Instagram for vintage shopping in my neighborhood. I'm using it more for local things, or staying up to date on what my sisters are doing. I forever love Eva Chen, who's the former Lucky magazine editor. She works for Meta. She used to work for Vogue, and she's a New Yorker. Her Instagram is @evachen212, which is the New York area code. She posts a lot about living in New York with her family, but also about high fashion, low fashion, eating an apple in the car with her Chanel shoes. It's very good. I’m also forever a Keke Palmer Stan. Hah.
