Our Consultant Spotlight series lets us tell the stories of the people who make up the Lions & Tigers community. Nicholle McClelland-Beteille (she/her) is a marketing leader with a demonstrated history of working in the management consulting industry. A recent transplant to Seattle, Nicholle is a big believer in facing life head on and ruthless prioritization. She is passionate about saving Black Rhinos, yoga, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two dogs Poppie and Ellie.
ABOUT NICHOLLE
For well over 100 years, I’ve been a fact-based customer-obsessed marketing leader, an untrained engineer, a remote working guru, and a mama-bear.
What I am not
- Good at math
- An engineer
- An actual mama-bear
A recent transplant to the Seattle area, I work with B2B SaaS technology and venture-backed start-ups in Southern California and Seattle, Washington.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
With expertise in designing and executing scalable omnichannel marketing programs, I deliver end-to-end messaging for B2B tech providers and their consumer (B2C) audience. By balancing the needs of multiple internal stakeholders, I have transformed existing marketing teams–both in-person and globally remote teams–into high-performing (low drama) teams. I am committed to fostering high performing teams, finding opportunities to bolster confidence and hone skillsets so that team members become laser-focused on acquiring high-value customers and maintaining long-lasting relationships with them over time.
I’ve won awards for digital marketing (Stevie Award and Webby ) and have a track record of amplifying visibility and market reach by using best-in-class marketing practices and digital marketing technology. An early adopter, holder of multiple certifications, and an advocate of marketing automation technology, I have been invited as a speaker and panelist at Dreamforce, Gartner Marketing Symposium, and numerous online marketing virtual events.
As a start-up advisor to Southern California based start-ups, I have led multiple brand designs and launches, consulted global start-ups with brand pivots, and led teams in complex brand integrations (post-acquisition). In this capacity, I have collaborated with some of the best brand strategy, digital design, and design agencies.
WHY LIONS & TIGERS
Let’s be clear, L&T chose me and then I decided it was a fit after the first few conversations. But I was open to the conversation, that’s what was key here. I look for opportunities to connect with ‘REAL’ people every day through conversation, whether in a meeting or at the store waiting in line. That openness to people has been the driving force behind all the best opportunities that have been presented to me in life. L&T is REAL. Specifically, L&T stands for something other than “servicing the client” or “expanding client footprint”. The language used in my interviews was consultant-centric vs. being client-centric. L&T flipped the script, and it was a nuance I appreciated. It’s not that L&T doesn’t care about the client, but what came through was that the client would get the best possible experience if the consultant was happy and the right fit.
LIFE PHILOSOPHY
I have a philosophy of facing life head on. I’m not a confrontational person, but I’ve had years of training in how to have fierce conversations and confront issues that are getting in the way of meaningful relationships. This is how I tackle marketing and client interactions, I don’t like to beat around the bush. WARNING: This is not a recommended personality trait to have when you are new to Seattle and trying to make friends. The Seattle freeze goes into overdrive with people like me. I know how to throttle it back.
CURRENT WORK
Supporting Microsoft Project: from narrative development and strategy to GTM activation and all the steps in-between.
AREAS OF INTEREST & PASSIONS
When I’m not working, I am
- Building spreadsheet itineraries about travels to far flung destinations, like Palau, Bhutan or Mongolia.
- Playing with, cuddling with, or thinking about my two dogs. Both of them were literally found on the streets of LA.
- Dreaming about saving Rhinos. Specifically, Black Rhinos. I’ve had the honor of volunteering at a conservancy in Kenya where I’ve observed, tracked and studied 10% of the world’s remaining Black Rhino population.
- Getting unstuck from a yoga pose.
- Reading. Anything, literally, anything at all. I finish every book, which means I read some real stinkers. This is a way of reminding myself about the incredible gift to humanity that a well written book offers.
- Talking or laughing with my husband of almost 119 years. (We joke that Covid put an extra 100 years on our marriage). My husband Eric is my most cherished relationship. We work every day to make each other laugh.
BIGGEST BENEFIT TO HIGH IMPACT, FLEXIBLE WORK
Ruthless prioritization of what works and how to spend my time. I have a limited window of opportunity at the beginning of an engagement to prove my impact. Plus, limited hours in the day to get it done. So I am forced to be ruthless in my prioritization of tasks that keep me billable, impactful, and from going to sleep from boredom.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY
Pure joy is cuddling with my dogs Poppie and Ellie. I also believe yoga is life. I’ll talk to anyone and teach anyone who’s interested in yoga. Traveling and sometimes being a silly tourist is a pretty good runner up.
ADVICE TO OTHERS NAVIGATING A CAREER TRANSITION
For anyone who knows how to transition from working from 20 years in tech to running around the globe trying to save Rhinos please call me. Seriously. Please call me. For other transitions, make micro-moves or lateral organizational moves. Don’t be so quick to throw out your entire work history, try to keep the things you really excel at and ditch the things you hate, for me, that’s tradeshows. I hope to NEVER work another tradeshow booth in my life. But I will go to tradeshows, engage with analysts, attend sessions and be a speaker. Just don’t ask me to pull together booth and customer experience. Full-stop.
Interested in joining Lions & Tigers? Check out our open roles here.
I loved learning more about Nicholle here – she is so awesome and frankly, hilarious!