Inside Iron Horse is our employee spotlight blog series that takes a look at the people that keep this agency and our clients moving and growing. Join us in celebrating these remarkable people as we dive into their passions, talents, and motivations.
We’re ringing in the fall season with one of our newest Iron Horse team members, Maria Gianotti! Maria is our Senior Director of Growth Marketing and brings a breadth of experience that includes leading demand gen and revenue marketing efforts for B2B Series B and C startups at WeVideo, Unbabel and Vibes. Beyond the marketing realm, Maria’s passion for staying active is evident in her love for group gym classes and in her role as a devoted parent, where she finds immense joy in introducing her little ones to new activities, like swimming and soccer.
Read on to learn more about Maria!
What 3 words would you use to describe Iron Horse?
Collaborative, driven, and smart.
What’s your favorite part about working at Iron Horse?
It’s all about the people – both our team members and our clients. When you break it down, the absolute highlight of any job boils down to the people we collaborate with and the connections we build along the way. And that’s exactly the vibe at IH – we’re all about building a community, whether it’s how we collaborate with each other internally or how we show up for our clients.
What truly sets us apart from other agencies is that we step in like an extra arm of our clients’ own marketing squads. And for smaller teams, having a rock-solid partner who’s genuinely committed to your success, that’s a total game-changer. I also love the fact that our executive team is very involved in the day-to-day, pouring their energy into both the Iron Horse team and our clients. You really feel that each and every day.
What do you bring into every client relationship?
I bring curiosity, an open mind, and playbooks to help create better alignment between sales and marketing teams.
What’s your favorite new marketing trend?
I recently finished reading “Busting Silos” written by Hillary Carpio and Travis Henry at Snowflake. The key idea of effectively implementing an account-based strategy revolves around the concept that sales and marketing teams need to collaborate under a unified “one-team GTM” rather than operating as isolated units in opposition to each other. This notion strongly struck a chord with me as I’ve experienced first-hand the detrimental impact that arises in a business when there’s a lack of synergy between marketing and sales teams. I’m hopeful that a “one-team GTM strategy” will emerge as a new marketing trend, one that marketers can actively pursue within their organizations to elevate their success as marketing professionals.
Who is the most influential person to you?
The individual who has profoundly impacted me is my mother. A single mother, she embarked on a journey from Chile to Norway so she could provide me with a brighter future. To make ends meet, she embraced a whirlwind of roles – from clocking in 16-hour workdays that ranged from a full-time hospital job to part-time house cleaning, all while mastering a new language. It’s her unyielding resilience and unwavering determination that I credit for shaping the person I’ve become today.
What causes do you care about?
I care about supporting non-profit organizations, such as educational foundations and professional associations, that enhance learning and education so we can broaden our perspectives and continue to foster personal and professional growth.
What book did you last read?
I’m currently listening to “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong as part of Iron Horse’s book club.
If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Spaghetti with meat sauce is my absolute favorite meal.
Most important question – does pineapple belong on pizza?
Yes! Most definitely. I love pineapple on pizza.
Want to add your talents to our inspiring team at Iron Horse? Visit our careers page to check out all of our open roles.
