Our love of music is probably matched only by our love of technology. Initially, you may think those two things are not interconnected. But there’s a wealth of research suggesting the opposite. Music education has been shown to enhance neurological development, discipline, pattern recognition, and spatial analysis.   

These days, there are many efforts underway to introduce children, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (collectively known as “STEM” education). Such programs are not just important; they’re crucial. But, in our eagerness toward that approach, we should also be sure that we aren’t overlooking “the classics” in terms of giving our kids a cohesive foundation.  

The theme of this year’s Black History Month is “African Americans and the Arts.” All month long, we as a company have celebrated by sharing information about African American artists. We also spotlighted Seismic team members and asked them to share some of their favorite works/inspirations. Our team listened in on a great conversation about African American culture with noted DEI thought leader Julian Newman. And yes, there was also the playlist.  

But enough about us. To close out BHM 2024, we wanted to take a moment to highlight some great youth music organizations, starting with one in Seismic’s very own backyard of San Diego, CA!  

The San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra “makes the experience of performing ensemble music available to young people of any race, religion or ethnic origin, without regard to economic circumstances, in an environment that is positive and nurturing.” The “CYO,” as they’re called, is always accepting donations to help with their programming and equipment.  

Now let’s head to the opposite coast and show some love to our Boston office. ZUMIX is an east Boston-based organization that “empowers young people to build successful futures for themselves, transforming lives and community through music, technology, and creative employment.” They have a stated commitment to equity: “Diversity is an asset and the inclusion of multiple perspectives is necessary for a thriving organization.” We fully agree. You can give here.  

Last – but certainly not least – we’ll check in on our newest U.S. corporate office in Indianapolis. The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra is “a comprehensive program that equips students with the foundational abilities to learn and develop the capacities, skills, and knowledge needed to navigate challenges toward lifelong success, thereby strengthening the communities we live in.” There are several ways you can get involved with the MYO, including monetary/instrument donations, volunteering, or even booking them for your upcoming event! You can find more information on their Support page.  

As you can imagine, we could go on and on. But we wanted to take a moment to highlight just a few organizations that are doing incredible work with students, giving them a strong cultural education that is also proven to enhance their ability to tackle the STEM fields of today and tomorrow. We love what these organizations are doing, and we hope you’ll support their efforts where possible via your time and resources.  

We hope everyone had a great BHM 2024. See you next year!   

The post Black History Month: Celebrating African Americans and the arts appeared first on Seismic.

Today’s main stage content, impressive breakout speakers, and energizing community were the perfect way to wrap up this year’s event. Here’s a look at some of the highlights from the day.

The power of transformational enablement

Did you know that the fastest pit stop time is 1.82 seconds? I definitely didn’t. But our attendees who did know this or follow Formula 1 Racing were in for a real treat with President and Chief Revenue Officer Hayden Stafford’s presentation. He opened his session with a pit crew analogy that perfectly summed up the enablement space.

Enablement is each organization’s race track. It requires consistency, alignment, and visibility to get across the finish line. However, only focusing on sales enablement is like only focusing on the back tires of a race car. Instead, organizations need to focus on enablement across the entire organization to better attain revenue goals. 

And just as a fast-moving pit crew needs total team alignment, so do today’s GTM organizations. Revenue enablement includes every customer-facing team that contributes to those bottom line numbers. In these organizations, enablement leaders are the ones who make this possible by bringing everyone together for 360 degrees of alignment.

Hayden then handed the mic over two customers — René Hefner, Head of Sales Enablement at Grab, and Chris Prudente, Global Head of Sales Enablement at Revolut, who reinforced Hayden’s F1 analogy. “Sales is the driver, but enablement is the race strategist,” explained René. “Only the race strategist is able to directly talk to the driver to ensure strategy execution. Similarly, the enablement team is responsible for consolidating and clarifying what needs to be done so sellers have a clear path forward.”

Seismic President and CRO Hayden Stafford

The fastest pit crew ever

CMO Paige O’Neill introduces the next keynote speaker

Finding your organization’s Rosetta Stone

When it comes to breaking down silos and ensuring alignment, it’s important for organizations to unify the language they use — at Seismic, we call this our Rosetta Stone. All too often, each department has their own language and goals they’re measuring against, but in order to be successful they need to use one consistent language. 

To get a better understanding of how this can be done, Senior Director of Field Enablement Meganne Brezina led a panel with fellow Seismic teammates from across our GTM organization – representing sales, marketing, enablement, and pre-sales. Here’s what some of them suggested:

• “Stop for a second and ask yourself if you can afford to not do this. You owe it to yourself, your teammates, and your customers to determine if you can really afford the cost of inaction.” — Patrick Jewett, Senior Value Consulting Director
• “Be that first person to step up and raise your hand. Change starts with you. It’s like a flute player outside of an orchestra. But, when they play in a symphony, it’s music to our ears. Be the person to say, ‘I’ll do it’ and help break those silos.” — Tamara Richards, Sales Engineer

The future of work is human with Shivvy Jervis

After hearing from Hayden and some of our Seismic teammates, we shifted gears to talk about the future of work with Shivvy Jervis. Shivvy is an award-winning innovation forecaster at Forecasting Labs, and she opened today’s presentation by sharing that Shift was her 600th keynote address this decade (Congrats, Shivvy!). 

And while Hayden talked about the speed of Formula 1 pit crews, Shivvy shared a staggering statistic on the speed of the neurons in our brains. The average healthy human brain has 80-90 billion neurons that move faster than the max speed of an F1 to function! So, what can we as business leaders do to appeal to each buyer’s very busy brain, build trust, and motivate them to take action?

Shivvy went on to explain that augmented intelligence is key. It’s important to keep people in the core of business functions and critical roles, but combine their brains with AI to work more effectively. Here are a few examples of how this can be done:

1. Create customer personas based on detailed, contextual information to raise conversion rates
2. Use AI to find hyper-specific buyer patterns so you can spend more time on high-value leads
3. Create and deliver personalized pitches to keep sales approaches fresh and unique for each buyer

And at a time when so many organizations worry about AI replacing human jobs, Shivvy had some words of encouragement and an important reminder. “We still crave human-to-human connections. Synthetic intelligence should only augment what we do, not replace it.”

Expert-led breakouts full of actionable tactics and tips 

One of my favorite things about the week is hearing from our customers directly. Whether it’s explaining how to show the ROI of enablement efforts or planning an enablement roadmap, they shared their knowledge, tactics, and tips across a number of different areas.

It’s no secret that AI was the hot topic of the week, so I attended a panel discussion featuring Seismic’s VP of Engineering Tom Strader and Senior Director of Product Marketing Anthony Russo. They were joined by customers from OneStream and Salesloft who shared how to evaluate AI opportunities and risks, build company guidelines around usage, and how to shift strategies to integrate AI.

I also had the chance to sit in on a few sessions that focused on learning and coaching. Panelists included leaders from T-Mobile, Alteryx, Jostens, and more. It was interesting to hear about emerging trends in adult learning theory and what it takes to create engaging readiness programs for workforces that are made up of four different generations — all of which have very different learning preferences!

And while we got to hear and learn from so many of our customers, we also had the opportunity to celebrate with them. Over the course of the week, we handed out awards to advocates and customers who transformed their businesses, achieved impressive outcomes, and inspired their teams to win as one. Congrats to this year’s winners!

That’s a wrap on Seismic Shift ‘23

That’s a wrap on our coverage of Seismic Shift ‘23. It’s been another amazing week for our customers, partners, and team members. And on behalf of the entire Seismic team, I want to extend a special shout-out to our Events team, executive leadership team, keynote speakers, sponsors, and community advocates who helped make this week such a success. 

If you couldn’t join us in person, you didn’t miss out on all of the fun! You can still sign up for Shift Wrapped to get access to all of the keynote and breakout session recordings. Sign up here! You can also take a look at some of the week’s events on social media — give us a follow on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram! 

The post Seismic Shift ’23: Day Two Highlights appeared first on Seismic.

So far, the keynote stage featured presentations from Seismic’s own CEO and co-founder Doug Winter, Chief Marketing Officer Paige O’Neill, and Chief Product Officer Krish Mantripragada. They were also joined by our customers and partners at Zendesk, Zoom, Five9, Michelin, IBM, and Microsoft before author and workplace culture expert Shola Richards took the stage. Attendees also had the opportunity to attend a number of breakout sessions that spanned across six different learning tracks. 

And while it’s impossible to summarize everything from the day, we’re excited to share some of the highlights.

A lot can happen in one year

Seismic CEO and co-founder Doug Winter began his keynote reminiscing about Seismic’s early days. The very first Shift conference didn’t even include a stage – Doug brought his own projector from home – and looked drastically different than it does today. This is indicative of how much things have changed for Seismic and the entire enablement space since the company was founded in 2010. What started as a mission to control content chaos has evolved into driving growth and understanding the impact of transformational enablement efforts.

This is something our customers know all too well. Over the past year, they’ve had to do more with less resources, pivot quickly, and transform the way things are done within their organizations. None of this would have been possible without Seismic, and the proof is in the numbers. In the last 12 months, Seismic customers have:

• Interacted with more than 49,000 pieces of content per hour throughout the Seismic Enablement Cloud
• Completed 19,000 lessons per hour through Seismic Learning
• Shared more than 500 social posts per hour through Seismic LiveSocial

We’ve been just as busy. We invested more in our customer success, research, and development efforts to ensure that our teams have the resources they need to help customers drive transformation and hit growth goals. We also completed more than 650 value and maturity growth plans and 700 value assessments to better understand where our customers are at in their enablement journeys and how we can partner with them in their current stage and in the future. 

Doug also spoke to how we have to keep our foot on the gas to keep innovating. One key area for that innovation is AI. Since last year’s conference, Seismic has released 11 different AI enhancements across the Seismic Enablement Cloud. As we look to infuse AI in every part of our product and process, it’s important to understand how go-to-market teams are currently using AI.

Our most recent market study, The State of AI in Enablement: 2023 Report, found that 93% of enablement tech users say that AI is key to driving their future enablement investments, and 73% of respondents believe that companies that fail to incorporate AI will fall behind their competitors in the next three years. We’re looking forward to helping our customers leverage AI in their enablement efforts, and plan to release dozens of new AI enhancements before next year’s event.

Seismic CEO Doug Winter talks about the impact of AI

Seismic attendees listen to Doug’s keynote session

Seismic CMO Paige O’Neill welcomes everyone to Shift

Customers joined Irina Soriano on the main stage

Seismic CPO Krish Mantripragada shares product updates

The time for transformational enablement is now

After we heard Doug talk about the importance of transformational enablement, Seismic CPO Krish Mantripragada took the stage to show us how the Seismic Enablement Cloud is helping organizations make it happen. 

“Together, we’re shaping the enablement function that we know today,” he said. “Over the years we’ve built several market defining capabilities that have shaped enablement, and we’re continuing to accelerate that pace of innovation.” Then, he gave attendees a look at some of the integrations, optimizations, and updates we’ve made to the platform in the last year. In total, we launched more than 200 features across the platform and more than half of them came directly from customers’ feedback.

And while Seismic launched Aura — our AI/ML engine that’s built right into the platform — back in 2021, we’re now reimagining everything with the evolution of generative AI. Generative AI will change how GTM teams search and discover content, create content, automate tasks, and advise sellers throughout the buying journey. 

Earlier today, we announced how we’re integrating generative AI into our latest products and capabilities in our Fall 2023 Release, and Krish gave an in-depth look at these features starting with Aura Copilot. It will be embedded across the Seismic Enablement Cloud as well as our partners’ technology like Microsoft PowerPoint, Outlook, Gmail, and leading CRMs. By combining the power of large language models with the power of Seismic, Aura Copilot will fundamentally change how sellers and enablers will work going forward.

Last year, we defined four requirements for effective transformational enablement: plan, enable, engage, and improve. By applying Aura Copilot throughout these four pillars, teams can operate more efficiently and effectively. To give us a look at how that can be done, he welcomed various product team members to the stage.

• VP of Product Marketing Eve Alexander gave us a look at the future of Enablement Planner and how it will help GTM teams launch, run, and optimize initiatives all in one place. It will also help leaders connect the dots of how your enablement efforts contributed to business outcomes. 
• SVP of Product Dave Myron showed us how to think about the enable pillar in two key areas: Content and Learning & Coaching. With the integration of generative AI, Seismic makes it easier to author, optimize, and surface the right content for the right situations. From simple descriptions to smart tagging, it automates manual tasks for consistent and streamline work. 
• Then, Senior Director of Product Rachel Fernandes re-introduced Seismic Learning and how it now supports structured, just-in-time, and peer-to-peer learning. She also showed us how teams can use Aura Copilot to analyze content and create engaging lessons that are broken into digestible sections and feature interactivity, role play scenarios, learning journeys, and more.
• Senior Sales Engineer Aly Smith also gave attendees a look at how powerful data and insights across the platform can be combined to provide teams with a holistic view of their enablement initiative outcomes.

Krish wrapped the session by focusing on another new product, Seismic for Meetings. Meetings are where the rubber meets the road, and one meeting can make or break a deal. From preparing slides to personalizing content, Seismic for Meetings streamlines the work that needs to be done before, during, and after meetings. Check out our recent blog post to learn more about this latest innovation!

Introducing Tomorrow’s Enablement for Today’s Leaders

Seismic’s Aftershock store features exclusive swag

Attendees connect during a Braindate session

Go-to-Market Magic podcast station

Words of encouragement for breast cancer patients

Breakouts, hub happenings, and experiences galore

After the keynotes, our customers had the opportunity to experience a number of different breakout sessions. And, with more than 20 topics and sessions, there was something for everyone. I joined colleagues Irina Soriano and Meganne Brezina to hear more about their new book, Tomorrow’s Enablement for Today’s Leaders and the Enablement Value Chain. I also had the chance to dive into Seismic Knowledge and hear about some best practices from our customers at Five 9, PTC, Bank of America, and Faro. 

When we weren’t taking in ideas during keynote and breakout sessions, attendees had the chance to explore The Hub where they could:

• Shop the Aftershock store to get some exclusive Shift swag
• Visit our with our sponsors including Microsoft, Loopio, Salesloft, and more
• Take a new glamorous headshot
• Record a takeaway or favorite Shift moment at our Go-to-Market Magic Podcast station
• Leave words of encouragement for breast cancer patients and donate to The National Breast Cancer Foundation

How to stay strong with Shola Richards

In his keynote, author and CEO of Go Together Global embodied Seismic’s value, “we are vulnerable.” He opened with a story of how a toxic work environment led him to a rough time in his life 20 years ago. After that, he reflected on what it takes to get really resilient — and that led to some mic drop moments — literally.

Shola isn’t the only person to experience a stressful or traumatic event. He shared a recent study where 70% of the global workforce says that it’s been the most stressful 12 months of their lives, and 78% said that their mental health has been affected. When it comes to being creating a resilient mindset even in the toughest circumstances, Shola suggests:

1. Controlling the Controllables: Our actions, efforts, and attitudes are important. We need to guard the door and stop doing actions that weaken us — like doom scrolling on social media. 
2. Entering the Storm: Our problems will not get any easier if we run from them. Instead, it’s best to enter the storm and do the hard thing. But, give yourself grace — resilient people are committed to talking to themselves in the same way they would talk to the person they love. 
3. Building your Crew: Resilience is a team effort, and it’s important to have empathy, purpose, perspective, and humor to build up as much energy to enter the storm.

Let’s do it again tomorrow!

That’s a wrap for today! We’ll be back tomorrow to hear from Seismic President and Chief Revenue Officer Hayden Stafford, Chief Marketing Officer Paige O’Neill, and Award-Winning Innovation Forecaster Shivvy Jervis. 

If you missed your chance to join us at this year’s event, we have great news. You can still sign up for Shift Wrapped, which gets you access to all of the keynote and breakout sessions recordings after this year’s event! Sign up here!

The post Seismic Shift ’23: Day One Highlights appeared first on Seismic.

Throughout this period, Somos Seismic, our Hispanic and Latinx Community of Belonging (CoB), hosted numerous events to bring awareness, education, and excitement to the global Seismic community. Throughout the month, Somos hosted in-office lunches that were catered by local Hispanc/Latinx-owened restaurants. The group also hosted a digital game show with questions about Hispanic and Latin American history and culture.

Additionally, Somos held a fireside chat with author and associate professor Dr. Delia Fernandez-Jones to discuss the contributions of civil rights leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. To learn more about Somos and what they hope their colleagues learned this month, I chatted with two of its members, Jacob Lopez and Sergio Toranzo. Check out what they had to say below!

Tony: Why is it so important to have the Somos Seismic Community?

Jacob: I think Seismic has really tried to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We have a diverse employee base, and for those of us who are minorities it’s important for us to have a safe space where we can all feel like we belong. When the opportunity and need came about, it was really important for me to participate. I wanted to give back to my community since I grew up in a diverse and predominantly Black and Hispanic town.

Sergio: In general, achieving diversity in the workplace is an uphill climb. It can be a slow (and sometimes painful) journey to get to the end. Until we get there, it’s important to have spaces where minorities and people of different cultural backgrounds can find and connect with others who are like them, who think like them, and feel like them. I can say from personal experiences, software companies and startups in general are predominantly white and male dominated, so it can be really hard to fit in. Regardless of your cultural background, we all deal a little bit with imposter syndrome, and it’s really hard to just feel like you belong. It helps to know there’s someone there that you can reach out to who has similar shared experiences. It’s refreshing to have a group of people who just understand certain situations or challenges.

Tony: What’s something special that you do to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?

Jacob: Honestly, I think Hispanic Heritage Month is really more of an Americanized celebration. Because we’re so diverse, we’re finally giving Hispanic and Latinx communities a month of celebration. So, I didn’t really celebrate it growing up. But now, I’m grateful that here at Seismic we’re able to share our emotions and different feelings on being Hispanic and Latinx. I never realized just how important that celebration was. There’s so much culture, diversity, and celebration for Hispanic people. It’s a great time as a collective community to celebrate and shine a light on everyone’s cultures.

Sergio: Growing up, I lived in a large Hispanic community, and the culture was a pretty big deal, especially at school. Hispanic Heritage Month was a time when my Hispanic teachers would teach us about the things that they didn’t have the chance to learn when they were younger. So during Hispanic Heritage Month (and other cultural celebrations) we’d celebrate iconic and historical figures and learn about cultural milestones that really impacted our community.

Now that I’m older, I wear my culture on my sleeve. I highlight Hispanic creators, movies, television, and writers whenever I have the chance. I want to make sure that there is more than one viewpoint out there that highlights the areas where we are being represented because it’s easier to complain about the ways we aren’t represented. In my mind, I’m a micro-influencer who can help build up excitement and shed light on all of the different things that Hispanic people create.

Tony: How does Somos Seismic plan the events that you hosted this month?

Jacob: There was a lot going on for me both personally and professionally when it came time to plan our events. So, this was really a big team collaboration. A lot of leaders stepped up to be that extra pair of hands that I needed, and I’m so thankful for my team. It wouldn’t have been as successful if it wasn’t for everyone who was involved.

Sergio: To echo what Jacob said, I think it all really does stem from collaboration. The biggest thing I’ve learned from being part of Somos and our other CoBs is that there’s power in collaboration. We’ve learned that the most helpful thing to do when planning these events is get together and collaborate with other CoB leaders on what’s worked well for them and what hasn’t.

One thing that I think resonated well early on was something that our former co-chair, Isa, did. She put together these care packages for us that had some swag with candy from different Hispanic cultures and a letter that explained why we were celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. That came directly from a Somos monthly meeting where we discussed different snacks and candy that each culture gravitated towards. We took the idea of exciting people with swag from other CoBs and then put our own spin on it using our group’s direct feedback and conversation. The fact that Isa took the time to hand-make these packages was also huge.

Tony: What do you hope that our colleagues have learned from this past month?

Jacob: I think there’s a lot to learn. Right now, we’re trying to shed light on our culture to the greater Seismic team. We’re a community that wants to feel like we’re no different than everyone else. It’s not only a place for Hispanic and Latinx people, but it’s also a place for allies who want to celebrate the success and cultures within our community. Yes, we talk about some of the nitty gritty topics, and we also want to educate each other and have fun. We also want to have that outreach and attract more amazing and talented people to Seismic.

Sergio: Like Jacob’s said, we want everyone to understand why we demand visibility, representation, and respect. At the end of the day, all of our CoBs are a place to raise awareness, share different ways people can get involved with the community, and shed light on topics that some people might not know much about. For me, it’s all about creating that space for education and making it something that people actively want to participate in.

Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month

As we near the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’d especially like to thank our Hispanic and Latinx Community of Belonging for bringing these opportunities to learn, celebrate, and grow to the entire Seismic community. If you’re interested in learning more about Seismic, you’re in luck – we’re hiring. See our latest openings here.

The post Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with Somos Seismic appeared first on Seismic.

Here are just a few of the biggest lessons we’ve learned in the first five episodes. 

How to be a seller that buyers actually want to speak to 

On the first episode, Samantha McKenna, Founder of #samsales Consulting, joined Heather and Steve to share her unconventional approach to selling and buyer engagement. Among other insights, she emphasized the value of sharing helpful content on social media to build trust and drive the business forward. 

“I’m not here to sell you. I’m here to truly help you. By helping you, I’m getting great exposure. I’m getting people to share our content far and wide on social channels, on LinkedIn, in the comments, through DMs, and that is selling us just because our expertise is out there,” says Samantha. 

It’s not easy to cut through the clutter and capture the attention of your busy customers and prospects, but Sam gave us tangible advice on how to do just that.

How to support your enablement team in unconventional ways 

Dave Lichtman, Founder and CEO of Enablematch, joined Heather and Steve on the second episode of Go-to-Market Magic. They talked shop about all things enablement, including how to support your team when times are tough.

“Think about a hybrid enablement function,” says Dave. “I mean FTEs [full-time employees] and hyper-specialized contractors who you bring in for discrete jobs and discrete projects. That type of approach is a whole new way to think of enablement as a motion and it unlocks a lot of doors.” 

Dave taught us the power of thinking beyond headcount when it comes to supporting your enablement team.

How to tell a compelling ROI story 

Heather and Steve were joined by Sangram Vajre, Co-Founder and CEO of GTM Partners, for episode three. With his strong background in account-based marketing (ABM) and go-to-market strategy, he shared his tips on how to overcome a variety of GTM challenges, including how to teach your customers to tell a compelling ROI story. 

“What companies need to do, especially in 2023 right now, is help your customers tell a good ROI story,” says Sangram. “If you cannot teach your customers to speak that language with their CFO and CEO, you’re going to see a huge churn at a lot of different companies.” 

With so many challenges facing GTM teams today, Sangram’s guidance is worth a listen.

How to use data and dialogue to strengthen global enablement

Georgia Watson, IBM’s Sales Enablement Leader for Australia, South East Asia, New Zealand, and Korea, joined Heather and Steve for an insightful discussion about enablement on a global scale. 

“The key thing is really to understand what’s happening on the ground,” says Georgia. “There’s the maturity of your sellers, there’s maturity of the market that you need to factor in, and then you really need to think about the actual context — what’s going on for your sellers right now, and then what are those kinds of cultural differences? Because all of those play a huge role in whether something is going to land and add value for your audience and, in turn, the business or not.”

Georgia also shared real-life stories on how she’s turned to both data and dialogue to build better enablement programs.

How to build a lasting social selling program 

Heather and Steve were joined by David (D. Fish) Fisher, Global Social Selling Lead at SAS, for episode five. He emphasized the importance of focusing on building relationships on social, rather than growing a large following. 

“Even when we think about building a (social selling) program, you’re not trying to get a bunch of people who are social media superstars. You’re trying to get people to be comfortable engaging with that network that they would have had 20 or 30 years ago – that they would have engaged at events, at conferences, and industry trade shows throughout the year. Now, they just have a place to connect with those people more regularly in the digital space,” says David.

How to stay up to date on the latest GTM-relevant conversations

There’s more where that came from. We’re releasing new episodes of Go-to-Market Magic every other week featuring bold leaders and visionaries paving the way for growth. Follow the show on Youtube, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so that you never miss a moment of the magic. 

The post Five takeaways from the first five episodes of Go-to-Market Magic  appeared first on Seismic.

What is Seismic Shift?

Shift is Seismic’s annual user conference that’s jam-packed with hands-on workshops, in-depth sessions, and a peek into our product roadmap. The four-day event is where the best and brightest go-to-market (GTM) leaders come together for innovation, inspiration, and camaraderie.

This year’s theme, “Win as One,” celebrates how GTM organizations can work together to achieve business goals. Attendees will hear from world-class leaders, industry visionaries, and their peers in the enablement space. Customers will also share their unique stories and how they’ve used the Seismic platform to achieve business growth. 

What to expect at Shift ’23

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your enablement journey, Shift offers something for everyone. And, with six-tailor made tracks that include more than 35 breakout sessions, you’ll be able to make the most of your experience. Here’s what attendees will get out of this year’s event!

1. Control chaos and win big 

It takes time to build and improve your enablement strategy. Regardless of the track and sessions you choose, you’ll learn best practices and tips to refine your strategies, build a solid foundation, and drive engagement. So, get ready to say goodbye to disorganization and inefficiency, and pave the way for more victories and success!

2. Drive transformation, alignment, and growth

The pressure for GTM teams has never been higher. The current economic climate and changing buyer preferences have required teams to pivot, update priorities, and look for new ways to be more productive with fewer resources. As a result, it’s important for enablement leaders to be able to drive transformation, alignment, and growth across the entire GTM organization. But, you shouldn’t have to go at it alone, which is why Shift will equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to optimize growth and be a catalyst for positive change. 

3. Understand the impact of your efforts

GTM leaders need to be able to connect the dots between their enablement efforts and business outcomes. This year’s breakouts and main-stage content will include stories from our customers who are doing this well. You’ll gain invaluable insights and learn how to measure your program’s ROI across key areas like efficiency, buyer experience, operational optimization, and speed to market. By focusing on improving your team’s overall effectiveness, you’ll also ensure that every step you take drives meaningful results. 

4. Connect with the brightest minds in enablement

This is your chance to connect with industry leaders, learn from their experiences, and build valuable relationships that can shape your future in this dynamic field. We believe that a great event is about so much more than keynotes and breakouts, so we’re also offering unique opportunities that will allow for organic connection and collaboration. We’re especially excited for Braindates where you can book one-on-one or small group conversations to brainstorm, solve challenges, and share experiences or expertise! 

5. Take in the latest and greatest innovations 

As an enablement leader, you also know how important it is to stay up-to-date with industry trends. That’s why we’ll offer a sneak peek into the latest innovations and technologies that are shaping the enablement landscape. Be the first to know about cutting-edge AI tools that will revolutionize your strategies and take your results to the next level. You can also drop by Discover Seismic to explore these innovations, ask Seismic-related questions, and test run new functionalities for yourself.

If this isn’t enticing enough—we have plenty of other fun things in store for you! From wellness activities and happy hours to rooftop and pool side soirees, you’ll be able to unwind, build relationships, and celebrate in style.

We’ll see you in sunny San Diego on October 23-26

Whether you’re looking to refine your strategies, measure impact, or drive transformation, Shift is the can’t miss event for enablement pros. Mark the calendar, grab your ticket, and get ready for an unforgettable experience! We hope to see you there!

The post 5 reasons to attend Seismic Shift ‘23 appeared first on Seismic.

I recently woke up at 2 a.m. with a migraine. I was still awake at 4 a.m., and all I could think about was how lucky I am. That may sound kind of odd, but hear me out. As someone who struggles with fibromyalgia and chronic migraines, these episodes are not unusual for me. I’ve been unable to sleep during times of immense pain. I’ve worked with an ice pack strapped to my head, hoping it would help enough for me to finish my meetings. I’ve covered myself in pain-relief gel, begrudgingly accepting the strong smell of menthol, in order to find some relief (which is a bit more embarrassing in an office environment).

Before I worked at Seismic, I dreaded nights like this. With only four hours of sleep, the stress of not knowing how I would feel that day, or even if I could get through the day, would only make me feel worse. I’d start counting the hours until I had to wake up to get ready for work – a surefire way to ensure you’re never falling back asleep. I’d try to remember how many sick days I had left and if this was bad enough to use one. When you have a fixed number of days off, each day counts. Especially when you don’t know if a flare-up is around the corner.

Seismic is the first company I’ve worked at with a flexible work policy and time off. These two policies empower and free me to take care of myself. I don’t need to choose between my health and my career. I don’t need to drive 45 minutes to get to work or be there by 8 a.m., simply because that’s when everyone else gets there. I have the flexibility to make my own hours, which removes such a heavy burden when managing my condition. 

Seismic has unleashed a new drive that I didn’t know I had. I’ve accomplished more in a year than I had in prior roles. The flexible work policy actually results in me taking fewer sick days, because I can schedule my work around my worst moments and symptoms without having to take entire days off. I don’t need to worry about taking time off to go to the doctor or get treatment, or worry about the perception of leaving the office early again. Working at a global company with a flexible work policy means that people work different hours and for various reasons. I don’t need to explain where I am or what I’m doing. I can just focus on showing up, getting stuff done, and doing my job.

Not only do these policies help me, but they make me a more loyal employee. I want to work somewhere I feel valued – somewhere I don’t need to put myself last. It motivates me to do more and go above and beyond. I can be someone who struggles with a chronic condition, while also being a high achiever that our company can depend on.

Ultimately, policies that provide everyone with the opportunity to be their best selves will always allow employees to deliver the highest quality of work that they’re capable of. On top of that, they’ll likely enjoy their work more, be less likely to burn out, and more likely to stay at the company long-term. When you think about the next 5, 15, or 25 years of your life, think about the type of company that you want to give your loyalty and your time. It took me 10 years to realize that my life could be different. It could be better.

So that morning when I was miserable, instead of worrying about how this would impact my work day, I thought about how grateful and lucky I am. I felt safe and comfortable, knowing it wouldn’t ruin my day. I’d find a way to get everything done. I always did. And when I need a bit more flexibility or a break, I’m met with grace and understanding. 

If you’re interested in learning more about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Seismic, we encourage you to download our Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report FY2023. We’re also hiring – see the latest job opportunities on our careers page. 

The post A perspective on Disability Pride Month appeared first on Seismic.

Shortly after we resumed flexible, in-person office activities, we quickly determined that our headquarters in San Diego — outfitted with a dedicated workstation for each employee—was no longer a good fit. The role of physical office space evolved during the pandemic, and we knew we needed a more agile site.  

But what exactly did we need? How would the office serve our people in a post-pandemic world? What direction would we take? 

We needed to listen and learn. I read everything I could find on the “workplace of the future.” I spoke with peers in CoreNet, my trusted industry group. And I started a search for a workplace strategy and design partner, which we found in Unispace, the global strategy, design, and construction firm. Unispace brought strategy and research to the table, but their “special sauce” was their ability as a design-build firm to craft solutions that fit our needs as a growth company. 

Seismic Employee Input 

The next step was to deeply understand how our people want to utilize an office in this new era of work. We convened focus groups with employees representing all departments and career tenures, which produced diverse ideas about how and when to use the office. Our c-suite and marketing team also provided input into the process of developing a workplace strategy. 

Many focus group participants recalled a pandemic-era all-hands meeting where our CEO Doug Winter shared the sentiment that the office is no longer just a place where you go to do your work. The office is a destination for shared experiences, brand experiences, and high-fidelity collaboration. This sentiment drove our planning and raised the bar for what employees would find in our future space.  

We collected feedback, iterated with consultants, and produced our flexible workplace strategy anchored on five tenets: collaboration, connections, inclusion, flexibility, and wellness.  

A new place to work

Wellness  

In our search for a new office, we looked for a space that supported wellness and inclusion with onsite amenities and a convenient location. Torrey Plaza has an onsite cafe, full fitness center, conference center, and adjacent childcare.  

Inside the suite we have a quiet library area with great light, views of the ocean, and a few balconies. A wellness lounge has soft seating, a curtain, and laptop desks for those who want a private conversation or a change of scenery. Plants are infused throughout the space on top of recycling units. 

Connection and Collaboration 

Our new workplace is designed to bring employees into a social space with entry into the Balboa Commons, our kitchen, and assembly point. Just off that are innovation rooms; designed to allow for hackathons or business process reviews. Down the hallway, you’ll find the formal meeting rooms, then smaller huddle rooms designed for hybrid meetings, and finally into our collaboration corner, where teams can arrange the furniture to fit their needs around moveable whiteboards. Many of our dispersed teams meet quarterly for strategic planning and these spaces flex to support how they want to work together.  

Flexibility 

In designing space for tasks and solo work, we took to heart the need for variety. We pivoted to activity-based zones rather than assigned spaces. Employees can choose from focus pods, sit-to-stand workstations, call rooms, or insulated phone booths.  

Seamless technology is critical to a workplace where you may change locations multiple times daily. Our IT team set up workstations so that a single cord gets team members up and running on two monitors in seconds. The Cisco Video Conferencing units we deployed are similarly user-friendly with wireless or one-cord connections.  

Inclusion 

We wanted the office to reflect the local team and area. 3-D printed surfboards hang from the ceiling. The huddle rooms are named for different surf terms. Meeting rooms are named for local landmarks. Employees in our Communities of Belonging helped design artwork recognizing local civil rights leaders.  

As employees feel more comfortable bringing their whole selves to work, our spaces need to accommodate them. The variety of work points and opportunities for low stimulus environments helps employees who may be neurodivergent. There is an enclosed quiet wellness room that employees can use for prayer, meditation, or stretching.  

Closing 

Our vision of a successful in-office day for our San Diego team is something like this: team members converging for a morning of planning meetings, breaking for lunch at the on-site cafe, catching up on their tasks for a few hours after lunch, having a one-on-one meeting in the wellness lounge, then hitting the fitness center or nearby trails and beaches to end their day. 

The days of the cubicle as your eight-hour work location seem like ancient history now. As an organization, we’ve rethought the workplace, built it, and now will remake it with our employees. So far, no one is asking for their own 6×6 cube!  

We’d like to thank our partners: Unispace, Bycor (general contractor) Cultura (furniture), Paladin Technologies (AV and Security), and American Assets (landlord/property manager). Every construction project has its share of hurdles, but this team was excited by the challenge, and delivered an exceptional product! 

Check out our photos and video or, better yet, check our careers page and see if Seismic is the place for you to grow your career!  

The post Our new San Diego headquarters appeared first on Seismic.

Throughout the month, Seismic Pride Alliance hosted pride lunches which were catered by LGBTQIA+ businesses. The CoB also hosted a fundraiser for Give OUT Day, a month-long fundraising campaign hosted by Horizons Foundation that is intended to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ non-profits.

Other Pride 2023 events included drag bingo and a workshop on practicing sustainable allyship that were planned in part by Seismic Pride Alliance’s co-chairs Kat Smith and Sergio Toranzo. I did a brief question and answer session with them to learn more about how they planned this month’s Pride celebrations and what they hope their colleagues learned this month. Check it out below!

Tony: Why did you join the Seismic Pride Alliance?

Sergio: I initially joined to get a sense of community. I had been here four or five months before the Communities of Belonging started, and I didn’t know anyone because everyone was remote due to the pandemic. 

At my last job, I felt like I did a really bad job of putting myself out there and making friends, so when I heard that we had these communities, I almost cynically decided to join and see if I’d find any friends. Before I knew it, I was meeting people from other departments and talking about things that were important to me, or that I thought were unique to my experience. I think I needed some human connection at the time and I definitely got it in spades. I met Kat through the community, and I’ve talked with so many people who I don’t work with or who have moved on, and I’m still friends with them. So even though I didn’t believe that I would, I’ve found a really good sense of community here. 

Kat: When I joined, we were just founding Communities of Belonging and I raised my hand to be a leader. Sergio raised his hand shortly after and that’s how we became co-chairs. I wanted to get involved because when I was in college, I was heavily involved in our Pride group and I wanted to bring that experience here and make sure we got off to a good start. And I think it’s been pretty fantastic so far. 

Tony: How important is it to have an LGBTQIA+ community of belonging?

Kat: I think it’s really important because in order to be fulfilled at work, you need to be able to be yourself. If you want somebody to stay long-term, they have to feel like they can fit in and belong, and it’s hard to do that if they’re pretending to be something they’re not. So, I think having this makes people feel like they do belong, and there’s a sense of community there. And you get to know other people at work. I get to relate to other people and meet people outside of my core team. 

Sergio: The last 6 to 8 years have been so tumultuous politically, I think, for everyone. But especially for women, people of color and LGBTQIA+ people, the last 3 or 4 years have been pretty bad in terms of legislation going backward. What I appreciate about this group is that I can have conversations with my coworkers about external factors outside of work that contribute to me being angry, depressed, or anxious. These are things that traditionally, we would only be able to talk about with really close friends. After I joined the group, I realized that there are other people here who are willing to talk about what’s happening, give their opinion and share their stories. It empowered me to do the same and find ways to engage the community.

Tony: How did you plan the events that your team hosted this month?

Kat: The first event we did was drag bingo and that was my event. I actually had a friend who went to a lot of drag bingo events online during the pandemic. We were trying to find somebody who ran their event themselves so we could pay the LGBTQIA+ performer directly and try to cut out the middleman. Through this referral, we were connected to Charlie Hides, who was on Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and I was like, wow! I was not expecting a celebrity. And, so we figured out the logistics with Charlie and got it set up, and it turned out to be super amazing and super popular. Everybody was talking about it for days afterward.

Sergio: This year we wanted to be really conscious about having a more active hand in selecting the types of events and speakers that we hired so we could be intentional about the ideas behind these events, and why we thought they were important. When we were planning, we had almost too many good ideas and didn’t really know where to start without outsourcing to an events company. In one of our meetings with our Exec Sponsor, Cary Heaton, he gave us the idea to leverage our own network. That was a game-changer. We all have LGBTQIA+ friends with inspiring stories. We wanted the ability to work directly with members of the community, so we weren’t giving money to a third party who would only cut them a piece of the profits. The idea was to employ queer and trans people and give them the spotlight they deserve to tell their own stories and share their talents. 

In addition to Drag Bingo, we also had two other major events. Seismic Pride Alliance started an A/V Club that meets every month to discuss a movie or book by a queer or trans person. We started this because we wanted to make a conscious effort to introduce each other to more LGBTQIA+ media. I happen to be friends with Adam Sass, a fantastic YA author who wrote a thriller about a group of queer and trans kids escaping a conversion therapy camp. We picked the novel for our June edition of the club and invited Adam to speak to our group about the struggles LGBTQIA+ authors face in the space today and how the novel came to be. Kat and I also both belong to Out In Tech and secured an incredible DEI Speaker, Chris Angel Murphy, to lead a powerful presentation about sustainable and intersectional allyship.

Tony: What do you hope our colleagues learned this month?

Kat: We’re having Chris Angel present their workshop on Practicing Sustainable Allyship, and that’s geared towards the allies in our community. It’s going to be really informative and explain how you can take small actions every day to be good allies and go through situations where, for example, if you mess up somebody’s pronouns, it’s not a huge deal. You just correct yourself and move on instead of apologizing and focusing the conversation on you. I think it’ll just provide more examples and scenarios for people to learn and grow and become better allies.

Sergio: For me, visibility, representation, and allyship are the three things I wish people would take away from this because intersectionality is huge at Seismic. We have so many different people who work here from all sides of the world – all races, ethnic groups, and minorities. Obviously, there are queer people who are part of Seismic, and my message to them is to feel empowered to be themselves and to be visible, that’s what the world needs right now, especially the younger people in the community. 

The other piece, I think, is the allyship. As Kat said, we’re not really afforded the luxury of being visible and being represented without good allies who are there to push us along and pick us up when others try to push us down. They may not be part of the community officially, but they believe in who we are and what we stand for. Those are the big themes of the events that we’ve planned. We want people to recognize that there’s value in being visible, as well as being a strong and committed ally. 

How to get involved

Pride doesn’t end on June 30. We plan to celebrate Pride in the months to come. If you’d also like to help honor Pride, we encourage you to also donate to Give OUT Day. You can also visit Seismic’s swag store, AfterShock, to purchase a Seismic Pride t-shirt – all proceeds will benefit the Trevor Project.  

The post A Q&A with Seismic Pride Alliance appeared first on Seismic.

Seismic Sisters is dedicated to the advancement and professional growth of women and advocating for equity and equality in the workplace. The CoB aims to be an inclusive space where each person can feel engaged and know they belong. It’s a safe space that empowers all women at Seismic to share their experiences and become advocates for equity and inclusion. 

This Women’s History Month, Seismic Sisters hosted two company-wide events. The first, a Latinas at Seismic panel, featured a candid dialogue among Hispanic women at Seismic. We heard their perspectives on how their cultural identity affects navigating life and career, the realities of being a Latina in tech, what it means to strive for excellence, and much more.

Seismic Sisters also sponsored a second panel discussion that focused on empowering diverse teams. The panel included the CoB’s executive leaders SVP of Product Design Carmen Cano and President and Chief Revenue Officer Hayden Stafford. During the discussion, they shared strategies for building an inclusive workplace that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Spotlighting members of Seismic Sisters

As part of our weekly employee spotlight, we spoke heard from members of Seismic Sisters about the importance of belonging and how they’re celebrating Women’s History Month. 

Ellie Ryan | Senior Mid-Market Sales Director | Sydney, Australia

I joined Seismic Sisters because I wanted to connect with like-minded individuals and be a part of a supportive community at Seismic. Seismic Sisters provides a space for women and allies to come together, share their experiences, and support one another. One of the biggest benefits of being a part of a CoB is the instant expansion of your network at Seismic! I highly recommend it because you never know what you might learn or when you can help someone!

Megan Thompson | Event Marketing Planner | San Diego, CA

I joined to support and be supported by the fabulous women of Seismic! Being a part of Seismic Sisters and the Seismic Pride Alliance has helped me feel included and seen, there is no better feeling than knowing other people in your company are there for you.

Michelle Miller | Team Lead, Renewal Operations | Chicago, IL

I joined Seismic Sisters because we [women] really do run the world! I am all about celebrating diversity and inclusion and surrounding myself with people who support the growth and success of one another – not to mention the positive effect it has on mental health and emotional well-being!

Empowering women through professional development

Women’s group circles have a rich history that dates back centuries. History shows that women have been gathering in circles to share stories, seek support, and build community since ancient times. In some cultures, these gatherings were reserved for women only and were seen as sacred spaces to connect with one another, heal, and grow. 

In recent years, the concept of women’s group circles has seen a resurgence. Women are looking for ways to connect with one another, share experiences, and build a supportive community. This is especially important in the workplace, where women have historically been underrepresented and undervalued. 

To celebrate Women’s History Month, the leadership team of the Seismic Sisters Community of Belonging, Haley Thompson, Sarah Porteous, and Tamara Richards used Seismic’s professional development fund to attend the GameChangers, inc retreat in Tulum Mexico. The retreat is a unique opportunity to bring together a diverse group of women to level up their careers and provide women with professional development workshops, where they can experience community lift and break down career obstacles, together. 

Haley, Sarah, and Tamara each shared a bit about the impact of attending this retreat. 

For Sarah, the retreat was an opportunity to harness her power of intention, lean into vulnerability, and find a moment of lift with the other women in attendance. She was grateful for the messages shared by the facilitators, the connections and friendships built, and the energy she had to bring back to her team. 

Haley found that there was something to be said about bringing together a group of women who were all GameChangers in their industry. She shared knowledge and inspiring stories, worked on career obstacles, and took time to reflect and celebrate her successes. 

For Tamara, the retreat was a chance to experience women supporting women in a way that was different from what she had seen before. She appreciated the safe, supportive, and empowering environment created by Rachael Rogers and Sofie Angelica Svelander. It was a powerful reminder for her of the power of collaboration and how we can achieve greater things when we work together. 

The importance of the Seismic Sisters CoB

The Seismic Sisters community is a testament to the power of women coming together to support one another. When women are empowered and supported, amazing experiences can happen. The founders of the Seismic Sisters recognized this power and are using it to create positive change in their own lives and communities.

If you’re interested in learning more about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Seismic, we encourage you to download our Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report FY2023. We’re also hiring – see the latest job opportunities on our careers page. 

The post Celebrating Women’s History Month with Seismic Sisters appeared first on Seismic.