Let's Meet At The Intersection Of Marketing, Leadership And Blogging! A Q&A With Debbie Laskey

 

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For the past 16 years, I have relied on Debbie Laskey's Blog for expert leadership guidance and always interesting insights into marketing best practices and recaps of marketing trends. 

Fortunately, through the years, Debbie has also shared her expertise through a variety of postings on my blog, and I'm honored again today to feature Debbie with the following Q&A's: 

QUESTION: You've featured many leadership experts on your blog through the years. What is a common theme from all the Q&A's?

DEBBIE LASKEY: Back in 2011, I met Mark Herbert, a leadership expert and author based in Oregon, as a result of our interactions on Twitter/X. I interviewed him several times, and he provided a quote that I will always remember and share often: "Leadership doesn't require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to block and tackle for others."

That quote has appeared on my blog countless times over the years because, during Q&A's with leadership and marketing experts, I've shared the quote and asked what it means to them. All the answers inspire me, so I would have to say that it's a running theme on my blog.

Let's return to Mark's explanation for the quote: "There are many facets that make up a successful strategy. One person is typically incapable of mastering all of them. The best leaders recognize the elements that need to be represented in a complete strategy and integrate them. They don’t try to be the first chair - to use a musical analogy - they conduct the orchestra. I have watched people step up and do amazing things when they were given permission and freedom to make mistakes without fear of failing."

QUESTION: Why do you think there are so many books published each year about leadership?

DEBBIE LASKEY: The easy (but sad) answer is that there are too many unqualified people who are in positions of authority, whether their title is supervisor, manager, or member of the C-Suite. I'd like to say that each year's new crop of books help these individuals to improve their leadership and people skills, but unfortunately, the bad leaders don't read the helpful books.
 
QUESTION: What do you think leaders most often get wrong when it comes to branding?

DEBBIE LASKEY: First of all, the employee experience is critical. If employees are not happy
or trained regularly, their actions will suffer, and in the process, their interactions with customers will suffer - which can, and will, result in loss of customers. 

Second, happy employees will find creative ways to solve customers' problems, resulting in happy customers - which will result in increased profits/sales/donations. 

And third, a combination of happy employees plus happy customers will lead to a positive brand experience - which will lead to positive word-of-mouth marketing and positive social media reviews.

This alignment of employee experience, customer experience, and brand experience must be top-of-mind for everyone in an organization's C-Suite, not just a Chief Brand Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and/or Chief Customer Experience Officer. The finance, personnel, and IT people need to understand the importance of marketing...bottom line, EVERYONE in the organization is an ambassador for the brand!

Here's a perfect anecdote from Mark Herbert that appeared on my blog back in 2016:

A man visited a hospital in Texas because he wanted to meet a famous heart surgeon. As the man left the hospital following his meeting with the surgeon, he met an elderly man who was mopping the floor. The visitor asked, "What do you do here at the hospital?" The elderly man who was mopping the floor replied, “Dr. DeBakey and I save lives together.” The elderly man explained that Dr. DeBakey had told all staff members that hospital infections kill more patients than disease, so the elderly man was doing his part to keep the hospital clean. Dr. DeBakey was a man before his time. He provided a roadmap for employees before it was called employee engagement. 

Now, think about your business and your culture. If a total stranger interacted with any of your employees, would he or she have the same type of experience? Would he or she see firsthand that your employees understand your business, your brand promise, your competitive advantage, and why your business exists?

QUESTION: You’ve been blogging for 17 years. What is most rewarding to you about blogging?

DEBBIE LASKEY: I learn something from EVERY post - and not always related to marketing or leadership. Here's a sampling of fun facts that have recently appeared on my blog:

(1) Since the original of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, MoMA partnered with Mattel to create a "Starry Night" Barbie. The doll transformed one of the world's most iconic paintings into couture fashion. (Blog tie-in: co-branding - appeared on my blog on October 21, 2025 and January 6, 2026.)

(2) Give me a "L" "E" A" D" "E" "R" - started in 2005 and celebrated in March every year, National Cheerleading Week is dedicated to acknowledging the contributions of cheer athletes to the world of sports. (Blog tie-in: celebration marketing and leadership - appeared on my blog on March 3, 2026.)

(3) Would you like to pet and interact with a llama? If you're traveling through the Portland International Airport, you might have a chance to interact with therapy llamas. According to USA Today, "Since 2023, with handlers by their sides, the trained therapy llamas hang out at the entrance and main terminal, welcoming attention and affection. It's hard to miss them, not only because llamas and alpacas typically stand six feet tall and can weigh up to 450 pounds, but also because they're also dressed up in cheerful costumes. Pirates or western cowboys are just a couple of the outfit themes. During the hour-and-a-half-long visits, passengers can pet and hug the llamas and alpacas. Each camelid also has its own trading card that frequent fliers like to collect." (Blog tie-in: brand ambassadors - appeared on my blog on March 29, 2026.)
 
QUESTION: When you aren't blogging what brings you joy?

DEBBIE LASKEY: In addition to attending car shows and visiting museums and zoos, I love to read fiction for exposure to new experiences and different perspectives. I consider reading a good book as a gift to myself, and I never know when something I read will result in my saying, "That would make a good blog post!"

Let's not forget what Bill Gates says, "Reading fuels a sense of curiosity about the world. Every book teaches me something new or helps me see things differently."

My favorite genres and topics to read about include: historical fiction featuring inspiring women whose accomplishments have been overlooked or whose voices have been forgotten; legal thrillers; political thriller; medical thrillers; stories about books/bookstores/libraries/book clubs; stories about Paris/France/Italy/Greece; stories involving trains and airplanes; and kids' books due to their fun stories and amazing illustrations. The last one was added due to my involvement with Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California, a 53-year-old nonprofit whose mission is to give books free of charge to children in at-risk communities to create lifelong readers and help them build their own home libraries. I guess my bucket list includes writing a kids' book - but first I would have to find a talented illustrator to join me in the project!

I'd like to share the names of my favorite authors (translation, I'll read anything they write):
(1) Kristin Harmel
(2) Kristin Hannah
(3) B.A. Paris
(4) Janet Skeslien Charles
(5) S.A. Cosby

And here are the BEST books I've read during the last several years:
(1) The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
(2) The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
(3) The Women by Kristin Hannah
(4) Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
(5) American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
(6) The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

And a final note, here's my favorite quote about reading:

"For you unlock magic that is hidden within, and opening the cover is how you begin. Oh, all the worlds and the places you'll see; when you hold a book, you hold the key." ~Caroline Derlatka
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Debbie Laskey has nearly three decades of marketing experience and an MBA Degree. She developed her marketing expertise while working in the high-tech industry, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, the nonprofit arena, and financial services and insurance sectors. 

Her expertise includes brand marketing, social media, employee engagement, leadership development, and customer experience marketing. A brand marketing consultant to emerging businesses and nonprofits, she is also a regular contributor to several national blogs that provide insights about marketing and leadership and has been recognized as one of the "Top 50 Branding Experts" to follow on Twitter/X at @DebbieLaskeyMBA. Visit her website and her blog where you'll find something new nearly every day.