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Level Up: How Emotional Intelligence helps this marketer in his career

Nigerian growth marketer shares how developing his emotional intelligence has boosted this career.

In today's edition, we explore the career of Dolapo Balogun, a Nigerian growth marketer at TAD Technologies. He shares how developing his emotional intelligence has unexpectedly boosted his marketing career and offers valuable tips for junior and mid-level marketers on building a successful career in growth marketing.

🔍 IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH DOLAPO BALOGUN

If you could have any superpower related to your career, what would it be and why?

It’s definitely “Emotional Intelligence.”

In my line of work, I've had to build quotas from different departments, including engineering, products, and even marketing. Emotional Intelligence has also helped me lead team members and get tasks done.

Can you give an example of where EQ helped you get work done?

There was a time when we wanted to pivot at my previous workplace, and I needed everyone to align. I had to talk to the heads of the engineering, product, and customer success teams. With emotional intelligence, I could show all the parties involved why the pivot was necessary. Of course, I used data, too, but communicating tactfully made my work easier.

Aside from Emotional Intelligence, are there other unexpected skills you’ve picked up during your career?

Being analytical and understanding that growth is a combination of science and art. Usually, marketers forgo the science part. That’s where you measure and test hypotheses. You can then use the results to repeat processes.

What specific challenges did you face when starting, and how did you overcome them?

As a newbie, I thought marketing was just about activities. But early on in my career, I got to work under a mentor who broke everything down for me. He showed me a process and steps that could get results. Having this clarity early on in my career helped me to always communicate to management the goal of what I was doing and how we would get there. So when I’m coming back to ask for funds, they understand that what I’m doing would affect the business's bottom line.

What do you think is the best approach to mentorship for a mentee?

The mentee should always be thinking about asking the right questions. Your relationship with your mentor should not be one where you’re in their space every time. There are some things you should be able to figure out yourself, and mentors always appreciate that.

There are other times a mentor shares his mistakes; a mentee should be able to learn from them. Don’t be in a rush to reach out. Do some things yourself first before reaching out to the mentor for help.

Beyond salary and title, what are the most important factors you consider when looking for a new job?

Ownership; I need to see that the management or decision-makers trust me to make certain decisions regarding growth. Equity is also something I look out for. Having been part of management, I’ve understood that it’s not just by activity but by also aligning with the business goals, whether to drive acquisitions or revenue.

These two factors show my belief in the company's future and also inform my decision to stay long-term. I don't like to switch jobs frequently, so before I take a job, I need to believe in the vision and trust the leadership to make the right decisions.

Money is still important, though, especially in a place like Nigeria.

What specific technical skills have been the most valuable in your career progression?

As a growth engineer, you have to be flexible because you will be required to test out different tools, especially when you want to justify to other teams what you want to do and what the outcome will look like.

Specifically, I’ve had to learn more about data and visualisation tools and a little coding. I’ve also done a bit of product management.

How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance as a growth marketer?

I work remotely, so one of my routines is to jog in the evenings after finishing my tasks. I love spending time in nature. I also enjoy watching a lot of documentaries on YouTube and Netflix. Plus, I make sure to catch up with friends and family regularly.

What actionable tips would you give to someone trying to build a career in growth marketing

Every company has a goal, whether it’s to generate revenue or cut down costs. As a growth engineer, you must understand that and develop a growth mindset. A growth mindset is being flexible in doing what needs to be done. You need to understand that you’re not just doing marketing; what you’re doing will affect the product and the company. So don’t give up because you have tested different things, and it hasn’t worked.

Another thing I would say is to always start with the end in mind. Understand what the company wants to achieve. Understand your target audience, and ultimately, tie everything you do to the end goal you’re trying to achieve.

Also, you need people skills. You might be talented but struggle to develop relationships that get the job done because you lack people skills. Depending on the size of the organisation, you would need to interact with many people from different departments, and you need them to see the end goal of all you’re doing and how it adds to the bottom line.

Lastly, as a newbie, instead of just taking courses, do it the other way around. Find something you can build and grow first, then go after the theory. That way, you can see the mistakes you made while building, which helps you build confidence.

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