Apple •Spotify• Pocket Casts •Youtube •Overcast •RSS
What’s up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Nataly Kelly, CMO at Zappi.
Summary: Global expansion is a wild process that connects brands to the unique vibe of each market, it’s not just creating a website or translating content. Every market brings its own needs, from how audiences navigate sites to what resonates visually and emotionally. Moving into international territories means showing up prepared, with a localization strategy that’s flexible and has a ton of local insight. Marketing Ops and RevOps both play a key role in localization as a strategic partner, organizing data and decision-making to fuel growth across departments.
Jump to a Section
- Understanding the Nuances of Going Global
- Strategic Timing for Going Global
- Elevating RevOps to a Strategic Partner
- Challenges in Scaling Global Localization
- Implementing a Universal Language Strategy
- Mastering Budget Management in Localization
- Why LLMs Can’t Replace Human Translators
- Communicating Brand Value to CEOs and Boards
- Developing Executive Presence Through Clear Communication
About Nataly
- Nataly started her career as an interpreter at AT&T and later co-founded a research and consulting company which was acqui-hired by her biggest customer where she would serve as Director of Product Development
- She later held Chief Research Officer and VP of Market Development titles at a market research firm and a translation and localization company
- Nataly then made the mega move to HubSpot as VP of Marketing where she would spend nearly 8 years – involved in all aspects of full-funnel marketing globally, including International Ops and Localization
- She then moved to Rebrandly as Chief Growth Officer leading sales, marketing and product
- Nataly’s also an author, she’s published 3 books and 1 coming out next year, she has a Newsletter called ‘Making Global Work’
- Today, Nataly’s moved into her 4th SaaS marketing leadership role as CMO at Zappi–the leading consumer insights platform
Why LinkedIn Works for Building a Newsletter
Nataly decided on LinkedIn for her newsletter with one primary goal: reaching more people, fast. In marketing, there’s always talk of “owning your audience,” but for Nataly, the built-in reach LinkedIn offers outweighed the usual risks. Sure, LinkedIn could shift its algorithm or start favoring video, but Nataly isn’t fazed. She believes adaptability is more valuable than control. “If LinkedIn ever moves entirely to video, I might reconsider,” she says. “But for now, it’s a writer’s platform, and I’m a writer.”
What really sold her, though, is LinkedIn’s “triple play” effect. Each time she publishes a newsletter, her audience doesn’t just see it once—they get three reminders. The content appears in their feed, triggers a platform notification, and even lands in their email inbox. This multi-touchpoint delivery isn’t just convenient; it significantly boosts her visibility. In a crowded digital space, those three nudges are powerful. And the best part? It doesn’t take any extra work on her end. For Nataly, this setup is gold: “If I can reach my audience in three different ways without doing three times the work, I’m in.”
On top of that, LinkedIn’s algorithm has started indexing her posts for keywords, so they pop up in search results long after she hits “publish.” Nataly likes this longevity. She’s seen her posts gather momentum over time, which reassures her that LinkedIn isn’t likely to abandon text-based content anytime soon. This layered exposure works in her favor, especially since she’s already built a solid following on LinkedIn. Her audience is naturally expanding, without any additional ad spend or email list management.
This approach ties back to a guiding principle Nataly picked up at HubSpot: follow the growth. When a channel shows traction, commit fully and ride the momentum. LinkedIn’s growth trajectory fits perfectly with her goals, allowing her to spend her time effectively—engaging with followers, creating relevant content, and letting the platform do the heavy lifting. “I see LinkedIn growing, and I’m here for the ride,” she says.
While email newsletters and other platforms might come into play in the future, right now, LinkedIn is her sweet spot. It’s a low-maintenance option that lets her connect with her community directly, on the platform where she’s already active. She’s writing for the sake of sharing knowledge, and LinkedIn offers a direct, hassle-free way to reach a broad audience without splitting her focus across multiple channels.
Key takeaway: For marketers aiming to maximize reach, LinkedIn’s multi-touchpoint setup and organic audience growth make it an ideal platform. When traction is the goal, LinkedIn’s notification, email, and feed distribution offer valuable, low-effort exposure—perfect for those who want to focus on content, not channel management.
Back to the top ⬆️
Understanding the Nuances of Going Global
Nataly makes a clear distinction between “going global” and “going local,” a distinction that goes beyond simply putting content online for everyone to see. Launching a website, or even setting up a LinkedIn profile, can technically connect a person to a global audience. But creating an intentional, local connection demands a specific approach, one that carefully considers language, cultural context, and user experience. For Nataly, globalization isn’t just about reaching people across borders—it’s about meeting those audiences where they are, with language and content that resonate.
Her insights stem from years of experience, including her work at HubSpot, where she developed a practical framework to explain these concepts to teams across the company. She found that simplifying these ideas into one-word definitions helped cut through the confusion. For example, “internationalization” is about adapting the technical side, like making code accessible to different languages and regions. This step ensures the foundational structure can support localized content, but it’s just the beginning.
Translation, Nataly explains, isn’t about directly swapping words. True translation involves adapting the message itself. For one audience, a particular phrase might evoke excitement; for another, it might fall flat or even offend. Nataly emphasizes that effective translation reaches beyond literal words to convey a message that feels native to each audience, maintaining intent, tone, and cultural relevance.
Localization goes further, adapting the entire user experience for specific markets. It’s not just about making text comprehensible but ensuring every interaction—from navigation to design—feels intuitive for users in diverse regions. For instance, a website optimized for American users may assume all visitors speak English, but this model doesn’t apply universally. In countries like Canada, India, or across the EU, multi-language realities complicate navigation. This level of adaptation requires deep cultural and technical knowledge to avoid common pitfalls and create a seamless experience.
Globalization, however, is the ultimate adaptation, demanding a complete rethinking of the framework itself. Nataly notes that one of the biggest challenges is getting teams to shift from a single-market mindset to a truly global perspective. A platform initially designed for one language or culture may struggle when stretched to fit a multilingual or multicultural user base. Globalization requires a build-it-right-from-the-start approach, anticipating diverse user needs and ensuring the platform can expand without limitations.
Key takeaway: Successful globalization is about more than just reaching an international audience; it requires intentionally adapting every layer—from code to experience—to create content that resonates locally while remaining accessible globally.
Back to the top ⬆️
Strategic Timing for Going Global
When HubSpot considered expanding internationally, it wasn’t about leaping into new markets; it was about waiting until the timing and resources aligned. Nataly recalls that CEO Brian Halligan was deliberate, even drafting a Harvard Business Review piece outlining HubSpot’s decision to hold off on global expansion. At HubSpot, strategy often meant saying “no” to opportunities that seemed enticing but didn’t fit their growth phase. This clarity extended to a concept they called “omissions”—essentially a list of things they chose not to pursue each year. For global growth, this approach meant aligning everyone on why the company wasn’t immediately diving into international waters.
Nataly highlights that intentionality was baked into the company’s DNA. When HubSpot finally decided to expand, her role was a direct result of that shift, signaling a commitment to a thoughtful global approach rather than a rushed one. Nataly joined as part of a carefully crafted strategy to invest in localization, language adaptations, and new markets—all essential components of a successful global strategy. This level of planning isn’t always present in startups, where there’s often an urge to “take on the world” without considering the challenges of meaningful localization.
Many companies, Nataly observes, don’t have this level of strategic rigor. They leap into new markets, assuming translation alone will do the trick. But inadequate investment in professional localization often leads to poorly translated products that don’t resonate with local audiences. A quick “let’s just get someone who speaks French” approach might seem efficient, but without an understanding of cultural context, brand voice, and even packaging constraints, the outcome is often a clunky experience that doesn’t inspire confidence.
For Nataly, the decision to enter a new market should be as intentional as designing a logo or creating a brand voice. Going global isn’t just about being present; it’s about making a solid first impression. “You wouldn’t launch your brand with a careless logo,” she notes, “so why would you approach a new market any differently?” This commitment to quality in new markets isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for building trust and loyalty with a brand-new audience.
Key takeaway: Successful global expansion requires intentional planning, a commitment to quality, and the discipline to hold off until the brand can deliver a positive, localized experience. Rushed, underfunded international moves often lead to poor first impressions, making it critical to approach new markets with the same care as a company’s core offerings.
Back to the top ⬆️
Elevating RevOps to a Strategic Partner
Nataly sees RevOps as more than a support role; she views it as a strategic partner. At HubSpot, RevOps wasn’t just a resource center for other teams; it was integrated into the core of the company’s strategic planning. Nataly credits her experience at HubSpot for giving her this perspective, where RevOps and other operational roles like Marketing Ops and Sales Ops were seen as central to shaping business strategy. This wasn’t simply about reporting data or fulfilling ad hoc requests. Instead, RevOps was about creating intentional, scalable systems that could evolve with the company’s needs.
When operational roles are treated merely as service desks, it’s easy to end up with a chaotic, fragmented setup. Nataly describes it as a “tragedy of the commons,” where different departments continuously request specific data cuts, reports, and segments. Over time, this piecemeal approach builds a cluttered infrastructure, managed by various people with little continuity or purpose. The result? An inefficient system where no one really knows how to interpret the data, and strategy takes a backseat. “Why not make it strategic from the start?” Nataly asks, emphasizing that aligning RevOps with strategy saves time, resources, and fosters a cohesive vision.
At HubSpot, using their own product reinforced this strategic alignment. The company’s commitment to becoming “power users” of their software allowed them to identify gaps, push limits, and enhance tools that would ultimately serve their customers. This close relationship between RevOps and the product team kept the company’s internal needs and customer experiences tightly integrated. Nataly believes this model is essential, especially in martech companies where operational roles directly influence both customer success and internal growth.
As a CMO, Nataly considers her RevOps and Marketing Ops partners as indispensable allies—strategic counterparts who play a critical role in every significant decision. To her, RevOps isn’t just a function within the company; it’s a trusted partner in steering strategy. This collaborative approach, where RevOps leaders work alongside CMOs, CEOs, and other key stakeholders, represents the ideal model of operations that Nataly saw at HubSpot and has carried forward in her career. It’s a setup that not only supports but also amplifies the strategic direction of the company.
Key takeaway: Positioning RevOps as a strategic partner, not just a service function, strengthens a company’s long-term strategy. By integrating operations into the core decision-making process, companies can avoid chaotic, fragmented data and foster a streamlined, impactful approach that benefits every department.
Back to the top ⬆️
Challenges in Scaling Global Localization
Taking HubSpot global came with a unique set of challenges that extended far beyond basic translation. For Nataly, a critical part of the journey was finding a way to balance immediate localization needs with a long-term vision. The challenge wasn’t just translating words; it was building a scalable approach that could support everything from software systems and partner ecosystems to extensive knowledge hubs like HubSpot Academy. Each of these pieces needed to serve global markets in a way that resonated culturally while maintaining HubSpot’s brand integrity.
Nataly explains that one of the biggest hurdles was the sheer scope of content involved. With thousands of knowledge base articles, video assets, blog posts, and live customer support systems, localization became a task of endless adaptation. Take HubSpot Academy as an example—video content, which can be a logistical and financial nightmare to localize, had to be carefully adapted for each market. To make this happen, her team not only translated the text but sometimes re-recorded entire videos to capture the nuances that each market expected. It was an intense, costly process but essential for ensuring that HubSpot’s educational content felt locally relevant.
The need for agility was another major factor. HubSpot operated on a continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) model, releasing code updates and new features daily. This meant the localization team had to adapt and update content, often on the fly, to keep up with product changes. “Imagine trying to manage localization on steroids,” Nataly recalls, referring to the relentless pace of updating resources across 20 languages. Each deployment involved updating product documentation, knowledge articles, and Academy resources—an intricate, ongoing process that required extensive coordination.
Adding to the complexity was the cultural challenge of promoting an inbound marketing philosophy in regions where the concept itself wasn’t widely recognized. In some countries, like Japan, “inbound marketing” had unexpected connotations, such as marketing to Chinese tourists. Localizing this philosophy required a complete reframing of ideas to ensure the message landed correctly, resonating with local cultural norms and expectations.
Throughout her time at HubSpot, Nataly’s team worked tirelessly to deliver localization at scale while preserving HubSpot’s ethos and brand promise across all markets. Her experience offers a roadmap for other companies facing similar challenges: rather than viewing localization as a mere checklist item, treat it as an integral part of your company’s strategic growth.
Key takeaway: Effective global localization requires more than just translation; it demands an agile, strategic approach that aligns with both the brand’s vision and the cultural nuances of each market. Building scalable systems and anticipating long-term localization needs are crucial to successful global expansion.
Back to the top ⬆️
Choosing the Right Approach to Global Expansion
For companies on the brink of international expansion, Nataly offers a pragmatic approach: start with strategic markets, not necessarily a long list of countries. Successful globalization doesn’t have to mean diving headfirst into complex localization from day one. Nataly explains that for certain businesses, expanding smartly can be as simple as selecting markets that make sense logistically and culturally, rather than jumping to far-flung regions with more complex language and cultural needs.
One example Nataly shares is a toy company she advises called Lottie Dolls, a small Irish manufacturer that creates diverse, STEM-focused dolls for children. Knowing that the toy market has a natural ceiling with kids aging out of the demographic, they recognized early on that capturing market share in multiple countries would be essential to reach their revenue goals. But instead of a massive, resource-intensive localization project, they tapped into Amazon’s global reach. By focusing on meeting product standards in various regions and creating localized descriptions, they achieved international distribution without the heavy lift of adapting complex content.
Nataly also suggests that companies often overlook simpler, more manageable expansions—like moving into neighboring countries. She’s seen U.S. companies eager to break into Europe or Asia while ignoring the sizable market opportunity just across the Canadian border. Expanding to Canada not only keeps companies in a familiar time zone but also provides a test market where they can gain valuable experience adapting to a new country without tackling a completely different language or culture right away.
For companies new to localization, Nataly advises starting small and building from there. This could mean expanding into a country with the same primary language or choosing a market with a single additional language, like Canada with French, as a way to ease into localization without overwhelming resources. A measured approach allows teams to build confidence and skill in adapting content and product experiences, setting a stronger foundation for future, more complex expansions.
Key takeaway: Expanding internationally doesn’t mean tackling every potential market at once. Companies can benefit by targeting strategic markets with manageable localization needs, starting with neighboring countries or shared-language markets to build experience and minimize risks.
Back to the top ⬆️
Implementing a Universal Language Strategy
When HubSpot approached localization, they faced a fundamental challenge: how to scale language across diverse markets while maintaining clarity and relevance. Rather than localizing French or Spanish for each individual region, HubSpot opted for a “universal” approach. Nataly explains that the team chose what’s known as “Universal French” and “Universal Spanish.” For French, this meant using a version that could be understood in both French-speaking Canada and Europe. For Spanish, they leaned towards Latin American Spanish but avoided words with hyper-local meanings that might create confusion in Spain or other Spanish-speaking regions.
This universal language strategy wasn’t about perfect localization for each region. Instead, it allowed HubSpot to scale efficiently across multiple markets, using language that would make sense to most speakers. For instance, while Canadian French and European French can vary widely, HubSpot avoided terms specific to one region to minimize potential misunderstandings. This approach required careful word selection, focusing on terms that bridged differences and would resonate with the largest number of users.
One of the benefits of this strategy is consistency across markets. Using universal versions of French and Spanish kept the brand message cohesive while reducing the need for region-specific translations. This uniformity also made it easier for HubSpot’s localization team to manage the content and provided users with a consistent experience, even if slight nuances were sacrificed. Nataly’s team recognized that while a fully localized approach might suit a single region, the universal language strategy offered a sustainable path to scale, especially for a fast-growing company with content-rich platforms.
There were, of course, limitations to this approach. Certain words or expressions simply don’t translate universally, especially for culturally specific concepts or idioms. However, for HubSpot, the goal was balancing reach with relevance. They developed a strategy that kept their content approachable for users in multiple regions without overextending their resources. This approach allowed HubSpot to maintain linguistic inclusivity while sidestepping some of the complexities of hyper-localization.
Key takeaway: A universal language strategy is a scalable solution for companies expanding across multiple regions. By choosing terms that bridge regional language differences, brands can provide a cohesive, approachable experience while minimizing the challenges of full localization for each market.
Back to the top ⬆️
Mastering Budget Management in Localization
Managing a localization budget isn’t just about tracking costs; it’s an exercise in strategic precision. Nataly explains that at HubSpot, the localization budget spanned multiple departments—product, marketing, legal, and even the app partner program—each with unique localization needs. It wasn’t simply translating product descriptions; it extended to sales contracts, terms of service, and customizable forms in every language HubSpot operated in. With so many stakeholders involved, localization managers had to not only track each segment’s spending but also ensure the budget served both immediate and future needs.
Localization’s reliance on outsourcing adds another layer of complexity. It’s rarely feasible to keep in-house translators for every language or specialization required, so outsourcing is essential. Nataly describes the importance of knowing exactly where to source different types of translations based on language and content type. Some vendors are experts in legal language, while others excel in product or marketing terminology. Budget-conscious localization managers avoid the “one-stop shop” for all languages, which tends to be expensive and less precise. Instead, they build a network of specialized vendors, choosing partners based on their niche expertise.
Nataly also highlights the importance of selective machine translation. With the pace of a growing company, they leveraged machine translation for basic content where precision wasn’t critical. It was a cost-saving measure but one applied carefully to avoid quality issues. Machine translation had its place in streamlining certain content updates, allowing the team to allocate resources more effectively for high-stakes or specialized content that required human oversight.
Budget management in localization also demands a deep understanding of language nuances and cultural context, something even bilingual professionals can find challenging. Nataly recalls her own humorous experience of using outdated business terminology in Spanish, which made her realize how vital it is to stay updated on regional language trends. This insight reflects a key lesson in localization: knowing the right word isn’t always enough—staying culturally relevant and up-to-date is critical for creating content that resonates.
Key takeaway: Effective localization budgeting relies on strategic resource allocation, specialized outsourcing, and knowing when to apply machine translation. Localization managers who understand these nuances can maximize their impact without overspending, delivering tailored, high-quality content that feels locally relevant.
Back to the top ⬆️
Why LLMs Can’t Replace Human Translators
Large language models like ChatGPT may impress with their fluency, but Nataly sees a fundamental gap when it comes to truly capturing cultural nuance. Language evolves constantly, mirroring changes in society, trends, and even humor. “Memes and slang pop up, become part of a campaign, and disappear just as fast,” she says. Human translators have the unique skill of adapting these fleeting cultural elements on the fly, a task that’s challenging for any AI to emulate. While AI can mimic fluency, it lacks the cultural intuition to pick up on these shifts, often falling short when language needs to be more than literal.
At HubSpot, Nataly’s team often discussed “proximity to the home culture” as a crucial quality in translators. This goes beyond speaking the language; it’s about staying deeply connected to both the original and target cultures. She reflects on her own experience, having lived in Ecuador for years but being away long enough that her cultural connection has evolved. “When you’re deeply rooted in one culture but need to understand and adapt to another, it’s a balancing act,” she notes. Being bicultural is a unique skill set, and as a translator, maintaining this proximity over time requires more than language; it demands continuous cultural immersion.
Nataly emphasizes that AI lacks this dynamic understanding of cultural “proximity.” Human translators negotiate meaning with an understanding of what the source language intends and how it will be received in the target culture, an interpretive task that demands empathy and a strong cultural pulse. AI, on the other hand, doesn’t adjust based on subtle cultural shifts, which means it risks misinterpreting intent or missing cultural context entirely.
The ability to bridge cultural and linguistic divides, then, isn’t just a language skill; it’s a form of cultural ambassadorship. Translators bring cultural context, navigating sensitive language choices and ensuring the message resonates accurately in the target culture. As much as AI continues to advance, Nataly sees human translators as irreplaceable when authenticity and nuance matter most.
Key takeaway: Language evolves as culture does, requiring translators who aren’t just bilingual but bicultural. AI can assist, but only human translators bring the nuanced, ever-shifting understanding of cultural context necessary for authentic translation.
Back to the top ⬆️
Building the Case for Brand Investment
Nataly believes that brand-building is an integral part of marketing, one that can’t be reduced to a single metric or left on the back burner. Reflecting on her time at HubSpot and now at Zappi, she points out that while some companies once succeeded without focusing on brand, today’s market requires differentiation that goes beyond product features. At Zappi, where many of her peers are B2C marketers and brand managers, brand’s value is readily understood. Her team’s in-house creative efforts have built a distinctive brand without relying on external agencies, delivering everything from Times Square ads to book covers.
For Nataly, brand isn’t a standalone focus; it’s part of what she calls a “marketing investment portfolio” that includes brand, demand generation, and a “land and expand” strategy. This approach acknowledges that marketing isn’t just about bringing in new customers but also about nurturing those relationships. For SaaS businesses, it’s essential to invest in renewals and advocacy, which in turn fuel brand loyalty and drive new demand. Rather than isolating brand as a line item, Nataly uses this interconnected model to highlight how brand work supports—and is supported by—demand and customer advocacy.
Budgeting with this portfolio mindset allows Nataly to quantify investments across brand, demand, and customer expansion. When it’s time to allocate budget, she assigns percentages to each investment area, based on expected impact on brand velocity, demand, and renewals. For example, her content team’s output can be allocated by project focus, whether driving brand awareness or supporting demand campaigns. This allows her to communicate the brand’s value in concrete terms, providing a measurable connection between brand investments and overall growth.
Ultimately, Nataly finds the flywheel model, popularized at HubSpot, to be a practical way of illustrating this interplay. With brand, demand, and customer advocacy working in tandem, the flywheel emphasizes the continuous motion required for growth. Each investment area fuels the others, creating a reinforcing cycle that grows stronger over time. With this framework, Nataly can demonstrate how each part of the marketing mix contributes to a healthy, sustainable growth strategy—something even the most data-driven board members can appreciate.
Key takeaway: Effective brand investment involves a portfolio approach, where brand, demand, and customer expansion reinforce one another. By quantifying brand’s impact within a holistic growth model, marketers can illustrate how brand-building fuels demand, renewals, and customer advocacy, supporting the long-term success of the business.
Back to the top ⬆️
Communicating Brand Value to CEOs and Boards
When Nataly speaks to CEOs and board members about brand investments, she knows it’s all about the numbers. Rather than explaining marketing theory or educating them on branding, she uses a practical approach: framing brand within an investment portfolio that’s clear, quantifiable, and meaningful to executives. “It’s about speaking their language,” she explains, acknowledging that expecting leaders to understand marketing’s nuances without a relatable frame just doesn’t work. This audience-centered approach allows her to communicate the value of brand as part of a cohesive marketing strategy rather than as an abstract concept.
One way she makes this case is by showing brand’s impact alongside demand generation and customer expansion. For instance, she describes how Zappi’s events often serve multiple purposes, supporting brand awareness, generating demand, and strengthening customer relationships. After each event, she allocates the results by percentage: 40% for customer retention efforts, 30% for brand exposure, and 30% for generating new leads. This clear breakdown shows how each part of the budget contributes to specific goals, presenting brand investment not as a cost but as a key piece of a well-rounded marketing strategy.
To help executives see brand investments as a strategic necessity, Nataly uses a “tiered investment strategy.” For example, when Zappi attends events, the strategy shifts depending on the primary focus. If brand is the main goal, she might reduce sales team presence and focus on high-impact messaging. For demand-driven events, she’ll ramp up sales resources to capture qualified leads. This adaptable approach demonstrates that each dollar spent on brand, demand, or customer expansion aligns with their specific marketing objectives, giving board members a clear view of the investment’s purpose and return.
Nataly emphasizes that building this understanding requires marketers to “localize” their message for executive audiences. Just as she would adapt content for different international markets, she tailors her explanations to fit the executive mindset. This isn’t about expecting them to understand marketing-speak; it’s about finding a way to convey marketing’s value in the language of business impact and financial results. Her background in translation gives her a unique perspective, reminding her that effective communication is about meeting people where they are.
Key takeaway: When presenting brand investment to executives, frame it within a clear, quantifiable portfolio that includes brand, demand, and customer expansion. By showing how each investment area contributes to overall business goals, marketers can demonstrate brand’s impact in a language CEOs and board members understand, building alignment and support for long-term brand strategies.
Back to the top ⬆️
Developing Executive Presence Through Clear Communication
Executive presence is hard to pin down, but Nataly observes that those who have it are exceptional communicators. They speak plainly, know their message, and ensure it resonates, repeating key points to drive them home. For Nataly, effective communication is the foundation of executive presence, and while she’s humble about her own abilities, she acknowledges that the executives she admires all share this skill. They make complex concepts simple and memorable—qualities she strives to incorporate in her own interactions.
Leading with data, she notes, is also crucial. Data isn’t just a tool for analysis; it’s a means of aligning conversations with senior leaders. The most compelling executives use data to tell stories, grounding discussions in something tangible that others can relate to. For Nataly, presenting data is about synthesizing key points and weaving them into a narrative. This approach not only aids comprehension but also steers the conversation toward actionable insights, showing leaders “here’s the metric that matters, and here’s why.”
Nataly also emphasizes the importance of simplifying the message without losing its essence. In her experience, cluttered presentations filled with extraneous data lose people. Instead, she recommends distilling complex information down to what truly matters. Her approach is to offer only the critical metrics or insights that are relevant to the decision at hand. This clarity, she explains, keeps executives engaged and provides them with a straightforward path forward.
Using data storytelling as a tool for clarity and impact is what she believes defines executive presence. By focusing on clarity, relevance, and conciseness, Nataly demonstrates how marketers can communicate effectively with senior leaders. Ultimately, she sees executive presence as a balance between showing confidence in the data and making it meaningful to those who might not be entrenched in the daily marketing grind.
Key takeaway: Executive presence hinges on clear communication and data storytelling. By distilling complex information and focusing on relevant metrics, marketers can convey impactful insights in ways that resonate with senior leadership, building alignment and trust.
Back to the top ⬆️
Hiring for Potential Over Experience
Hiring for potential rather than experience is an approach that Nataly champions passionately. She believes that, while convincing traditional hiring managers can be challenging, it’s not impossible—especially if we target companies that are open to innovation and aligned with these values. Nataly’s advice? Seek out companies with cultures that emphasize adaptability and growth mindset, as they’re more likely to hire for potential rather than sticking to rigid job titles and years of experience.
At HubSpot, Nataly saw firsthand the value of hiring people who were unafraid of change and curious about growth. She describes HubSpot’s hiring process as intentional, looking beyond the surface of resumes to find individuals with humility, adaptability, and a team-oriented mindset. A key indicator of humility, for example, is whether candidates take credit for achievements as part of a team rather than using “I” statements throughout. This, Nataly believes, can reveal a lot about how candidates will behave as team members.
Nataly also values the “immigrant mindset”—a tolerance for change and adaptability that often comes with moving to a new country, learning a new language, or navigating unfamiliar systems. These traits tend to align with the needs of startups and fast-growing companies, where roles evolve rapidly, and resilience is essential. Her hiring approach is about identifying qualities that suggest a strong growth mindset and an ability to thrive in dynamic, sometimes unpredictable environments.
Cover letters are another underrated element of Nataly’s hiring toolkit. She sees them as more than formalities; they offer insight into a candidate’s communication style, personality, and attention to detail. Whether someone expresses themselves with “I” or “we,” or how they describe their achievements, can hint at whether they’ll approach work with humility and teamwork. Nataly’s thorough approach even extends to deep online research, where she looks at candidates’ past public statements or writings as another window into their mindset and values.
Key takeaway: Hiring for potential involves looking beyond traditional markers like job titles and years of experience. By seeking out traits like adaptability, humility, and a growth mindset, companies can find team members who thrive in fast-paced environments and contribute meaningfully to a collaborative culture.
Back to the top ⬆️
Embracing Work-Life Integration Over Balance
For Nataly, the idea of “work-life balance” feels more like a balancing act on a tightrope than an actual way to live. Instead, she embraces the concept of “work-life integration”—a philosophy that accepts change and motion as constants and aims to align one’s work with personal passions and purpose. This approach, she believes, allows her to focus on what matters most at any given time without the pressure to maintain a perfect balance.
As a mother of two daughters in competitive cheer and dance, Nataly has a lot on her plate, and her time is precious. She’s an introvert who prioritizes recharging and intentionally omits activities that don’t align with her core values or that drain her energy. Whether it’s skipping the office happy hour or turning down invitations, she’s clear on her boundaries. This intentional approach lets her channel energy where it’s truly impactful, honoring her commitments both at work and in her personal life.
Nataly also understands that life moves in phases, and each phase might require a different focus. Some seasons are family-centered, while others demand a deep dive into work projects. She’s comfortable with this ebb and flow, noting that trying to stay perfectly balanced every day is unrealistic. Instead, she’s attuned to the areas that need her attention most, and she adapts as necessary to meet those needs.
Her secret to fulfillment is recognizing and accepting that focus shifts over time. She puts her heart into work, but when her energy flags, she steps back to recalibrate. It’s not about achieving balance on a daily basis but about being mindful and responsive to her own needs and passions over the long term.
Key takeaway: Forget perfect balance and aim for work-life integration. Life comes in phases, each requiring different levels of focus on work, family, or personal interests. By accepting these shifts and aligning work with personal passions, we can create a fulfilling life without the constant pressure of balancing every moment.
Back to the top ⬆️
Episode Recap
Expanding globally is less about building accessible content and more about creating experiences that feel natural in each market. Nataly’s experience at HubSpot revealed that localization is as much about adapting systems to match cultural nuances as it is about language. With constant product changes, the team’s agile approach enabled growth in diverse regions without losing brand authenticity.
Choosing when and where to go global matters just as much. Companies that pace themselves and prioritize key markets can avoid rushed, underfunded expansions that risk poor first impressions. Testing nearby or shared-language markets first often helps companies refine their approach, laying a solid foundation for genuine international connections.
A universal language strategy provides a practical framework for scaling across regions. By choosing adaptable terms, brands maintain consistency without exhaustive localization for every market, offering a unified experience that resonates with local audiences while keeping complexity in check.
Internally, integrating RevOps as a strategic partner rather than a service unit aligns operations with brand goals, keeping data organized and useful. This approach, as HubSpot found, strengthens the company’s infrastructure and helps every department move forward with a clear, cohesive vision.
Finally, building executive support for these long-term initiatives means communicating in a way that resonates with leadership. A portfolio model—where brand, demand, and customer expansion are interconnected—illustrates brand’s role in fueling advocacy and long-term growth, ensuring the C-suite sees these efforts as strategic investments, not just budget lines.
Listen to the full episode ⬇️ or Back to the top ⬆️
Follow Nataly and Zappi👇
✌️
—
Intro music by Wowa via Unminus
Cover art created with Midjourney (check out how)
Apple •Spotify• Pocket Casts •Youtube •Overcast •RSS
Related tags
<< Previous episode
Next episode >>
All categories
- AI (94)
- career (60)
- customer data (59)
- email (64)
- guest episode (168)
- operations (127)
- people skills (34)
- productivity (10)
- seo (14)
See all episodes
Future-proofing the humans behind the tech
Apple •Pocket Casts•Google •Overcast •Spotify •Breaker •Castro •RSS