Katie Tweedy’s 15-Year Collectiversary
From SEO intern to Director of SEO + Content Strategy, Katie has spent 15 years helping elevate Collective Measures’ search marketing practice and our award-winning culture into what it is today.
Known for her insight, preparation, and ability to clearly communicate the “why,” Katie brings a rare balance of deep hands-on expertise and strategic leadership. She can be in the details one moment and guiding clients with clarity the next, turning complex signals into stories that drive action.
She’s also built a reputation for elevating the people around her. Her influence, energy, and collaborative spirit continue to shape our team in meaningful ways. No better place has this shown up than her impressive presence as a public speaker, sharing her expertise on industry stages with the same clarity and energy she brings to CM.
To celebrate 15 years of Katie, we sat down with her to reflect on her journey and the lessons she’s learned along the way.
Decide how you want your career to impact your sense of self
Some people want their work to be their passion, their reason for getting up in the morning, and to define a large portion of their sense of self. Others are comfortable simply working for the paycheck, clocking in and clock out, and spend their non-work time doing the things that drive them. Knowing where you fall on that spectrum is instrumental in finding happiness in your career so that you can choose a career, a position, and a company that aligns with what you need to have a fulfilled life
Keep a “warm fuzzies” folder
Those nice comments on your work? The amazing client feedback? Any of your work that gets broadly acknowledged? Save all of that somewhere you can find it again! It’s not only helpful come review time, it’s also a nice reminder of how lovely you are on the harder days
Read industry news
Seems like a no-brainer, but find a few publications or SMEs in your area of interest and expertise that you like and trust. Then sign up for their newsletter or podcast — whatever medium they produce and you enjoy. Having news hand-delivered without needing to hunt for it to you is crucial to staying up to date in an ever-evolving world
If you want to try your hand at public speaking, DO IT
Impostor syndrome is real and I promise you are qualified. I’ve listened to too many blowhards at too many conferences to let any one of my brilliant colleagues tell me they don’t think they’re smart enough/good enough/have enough experience to speak at an industry conference
Figure out a workflow/task management that works for you
It doesn’t have to be fancy! I have coworkers with AI agents integrated into their calendars and inboxes, and then there’s me, with the same Word doc “to do” list I’ve had since 2011. This list has saved me on more than one occasion when a client or team member asked what we did six months ago — I can refer back to my trusty Word doc and tell them exactly what I did!
Lead with empathy
Everyone has a life outside of work, and we often have no idea what they’re dealing with. Treating people with kindness is crucial not only for workplace success but is also just the right way to move through life
Remember that no can be an answer
This might be specific to me, but as a reformed people-pleaser, it’s important to remember that “no” is an acceptable answer. It’s important to respect your time and workload — and to level when a request truly isn’t possible
Don’t be afraid of change
This is true in every industry, but especially in marketing. Marketing is rife with change — this AI explosion is a stark reminder of that fact. Learning how to adapt to the changes, incorporating what works for your job and workflow, is crucial to staying relevant. Even if learning about and incorporating those changes means your efficiency takes a hit — it’s worth it
Keep the person in mind
This one is really specific to marketing, but it’s crucial to keep the actual human front and center in your work. It’s so easy to get lost in the data and the tools and trends and forget that at the end of the day, you’re talking to a real live human being. If you keep that person centered, I promise your work will be better for it
Have an opinion
Having a point of view is crucial as you grow in your career — even if that opinion is proven wrong down the line! But being able to take your past experience and general knowledge to make a prediction or have a bold stance is crucial to setting yourself apart
Learn how to organize your inbox
A silly-sounding piece of advice, but oh my goodness, having a method for my inbox has SAVED me in so many ways. I personally use folders and file everything away, leaving only the mission-critical emails and yet-to-be-addressed emails in my inbox. I also keep my inbox at one page, so fewer than 50 emails in my inbox at a time. Having everything neatly filed means I can usually find what I need quickly, but it also means I’m not wading through old, outdated emails in my inbox. Emails can easily become overwhelming, so having a process that works for you makes this mundane part of work so much easier to manage
Take your PTO
Oh my goodness, this is a no-brainer. PTO is part of your benefits package! USE IT! Especially if you work at a place where PTO expires or you can only roll over a certain number of hours or days. Time away from work is crucial for your mental health and overall happiness, and I promise you will not win any “most dedicated employee” awards by skipping your time off
Be comfortable with ambiguity
Some of my best work has come when I needed to figure out a new process or find a solution to a new client problem. Allowing myself to muddle through the unknowns, take a few wrong turns, and focus on asking questions rather than finding the most efficient solutions has resulted in innovative new deliverables for our agency and answers to questions I likely wouldn’t have been able to answer otherwise. It’s okay to not know the answer or how to approach the work as long as you trust yourself to figure it out along the way
Maintain perspective
This ties into knowing how your career impacts your sense of self, but it’s important to remember how your work ties into the bigger pictures. I work in marketing, which while important, at the end of the day, it is not in fact responsible for saving lives. Keeping that perspective in mind can help ground me in busy or stressful situations so I can approach the situation with a measured level of calm
Surround yourself with people smarter than you
This is probably my best piece of advice. I would not be the strategist I am today without my brilliant colleagues. Working with people smarter than me forces me to keep growing, challenges my assumptions, and ensures that I never stagnate. Being the smartest person in the room is boring. And I don’t like to be bored
