GTM 44: Taking Tableau from $5 million in Revenue to over $1 Billion with Elissa Fink

Elissa Fink serves on several not-for-profit and corporate boards. Retired from Tableau Software in 2019 after 11+ years as their CMO, she helped grow the company from ~$5 million to over $1 billion in revenue and helped lead it through IPO and enterprise growth, leaving right before acquisition by Salesforce. She earned a BA in English and an MBA in Marketing. She now enjoys time with her husband, teenaged daughter and 9 year old son.

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What you will learn

• Exercising the power of no
• The importance of surrounding yourself with exceptional individuals
• Always hire folks who’s best years are ahead of them

Highlights

(4:00) What made Elissa stay at Tableau for 11 years

(7:27) Elissa explains her experience as a leader at Tableau and having to adapt as a Marketer

(12:56) What Elissa attributes her career growth to

(17:42) Elissa explains Tableau’s decision to start the Tableau conference at 12M in revenue

(33:10) The importance of excercising the power of no

(36:08) Elissa’s vital mistake attacking a competitor

(39:37) How to make a big impact in your first 90 days at a new role

(44:27) A brand touch is a demand touch

(46:57) How to hire the best folks

Quotes

“Every once and I while, stop and think: who am I and how am I doing this, and is this what we need right now?”

“As you go through your career and your startup journey, it’s very valuable to take a look at what other people around you are doing”

“To be around excellence is a really important thing, and it helps you grow because you see it and you can emulate it”

“The power of no is pretty powerful”

Links and Resources

Elissa Fink's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elissafink/

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