After my time as a creator for Western’s Marketing Program, I got the opportunity to continue my Integrated Marketing Communications journey through Applied IMC as a Product Manager. When Jimmy Bui, my PM as a creator, asked me about the role my first thought was, I don't think I'd be a good PM. I’ve never been in a manager position before and I was scared to fail. But I thought this would be a great opportunity to widen my skillset as a marketer and more experience working on social media campaigns. In AIMC, I learned how to be a leader and it’s okay to not know!

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How to be a leader

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To be a good manager, it’s important to be a leader. I’ve been a leader in situations before but never in a manager position. At first I had no idea how to be a manager. I felt very insecure with my abilities and credentials to even be a Product Manager. But despite all the anxiety, I knew this would be a great opportunity for me to prove to myself that I can be a leader. 

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Over time, I became more confident with myself and my abilities. With lots of planning for meetings, encouragement from AIMC and being honest with my group about my feelings, it became second nature to me. My squad became my friends and people who shared the same goal as me: to run an engaging and fun campaign. Once that became clear, the role became fun rather than stressful. I learned that to be a manager is to be a leader. 

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It’s okay to not know

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Because I’ve never been a Product Manager before, I had no idea what I was doing. I’d had a Product Manager last quarter and had managers at jobs so I’d learned through example. But some parts of being a manager are unpredictable and circumstantial. And in those moments, it’s hard to say you don’t know. But fighting the urge to stay in a silo allowed me to learn more than I would’ve by myself. By being open and honest about what I didn’t know, it brought me closer to the people in AIMC and my squad. Even though it might feel uncomfortable to ask questions, the feeling will go away. 

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My takeaways

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Being a Product Manager taught me a lot about myself and gave me the opportunity to manage an amazing group of people. I’ve learned so much from the people around me and truly loved my experience being in AIMC. Even through the ups and downs, I’m proud of my squad for what they accomplished and working together to create some awesome content! 

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What I learned:

1. Be transparent with the people around you
2. Be confident! (even if it’s fake at first)
3. Communication is key
4. Rely on the people around you
5. Always make an agenda for meetings
6. Most things don’t go as planned

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If you want to hear about my experience as a Creator check out the blog here: https://courtneysipila.com/post/what-i-learned-in-imc

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