Despite what you might see on Instagram, Tiktok or LinkedIn, marketing careers rarely follow a clean curve. They lurch. They stall. They leap forward in bursts, then flatline. One week you’re riding high – the next you’re questioning everything.
That was the theme running through my conversation with Brandt Bodamer, founder of Adduro.io. He’s grown a business that helps brands show up across streaming and audio platforms. But we didn’t talk tech. We talked about momentum, pressure, and what it really feels like when you’re trying to grow in unfamiliar territory.
Turns out, getting good isn’t a clean process either.
Learn in public
Brandt’s early career threw him into the deep end. New country, unfamiliar role, no real experience – and no time to get comfortable. But what he did have was a mindset that matters more than most people admit: he was willing to learn in public.
That means looking things up mid-meeting. Asking ‘basic’ questions. Admitting when something doesn’t make sense and doing the work to close the gap. Brandt talked about reading PPC for Dummies on the flight to his new role – then testing, asking, iterating his way to being seen as the digital lead.
Confidence didn’t lead to competence. It was the other way round.
And the trick, if there is one, is to separate fear from failure. Asking questions doesn’t make you look weak. Faking it without follow-through does.
Don’t flinch when it gets messy
One of the biggest mindset shifts I’ve had to make is understanding that turbulence isn’t always a sign you’re doing it wrong.
Sometimes it just means you’re growing. And growth never feels linear while you’re in the middle of it.
Brandt described that feeling of being only as good as your last month. The way one rough quarter can make you question everything – even if you crushed the two before it. I’ve been there too with that odd blend of fragility and bravado.
The truth? Riding the highs and lows is the job. Making peace with that can be weirdly calming.
Don’t just ask questions, ask better ones
If you’re feeling out of your depth, curiosity is a better bet than bravado. But it’s not just about asking questions – it’s about asking intelligent ones.
Brandt talked about joining highly technical teams and simply saying, “can you explain that like I’m five?” Because asking a clear, open question forces people to slow down and clarify their thinking. I do similar things too. In a recent conversation with a subject matter expert about some complex regulation, I played back what I understood about the underlying principles, then asked how those rules might shape behaviour in the market. What would a business need to do differently? Would it change how investors approached things? That kind of question doesn’t just fill in gaps. It signals you’re thinking about downstream impact too.
Ask the kind of question that uncovers assumptions. That challenges scale, impact or context. That shows you’re not just trying to understand what happens, but why it matters.
Done well, your questions can signal the quality of your thinking long before you have the experience to prove it.
Leading isn’t just levelling up
It’s a total mode switch.
When you go from being a high performer to leading others, the rules change. You’re no longer there to be the smartest in the room. You’re there to create conditions for smart people to do their best work.
Brandt put it well: leadership is about steering the ship without yanking the wheel every time your brain sparks a new idea. It’s harder than it looks.
And it often comes at a time when the pressure – from above, below and within – is peaking. No wonder so many people find that shift disorienting.
Make your adaptability visible
Anyone can say they’re adaptable. The question is whether you can help someone else see it.
That means telling the story of how you moved from one environment to another and still delivered. Like Brandt, who started in performance marketing, shifted to agency strategy, then went on to build a martech product. At each stage, he drew the link between what he already knew and the new challenges he faced.
You’ve got to connect the dots. Make it easy for someone to understand how what you’ve done equips you for what they need.
Some careers are built on clear ladders. Others are more like scaffolding. You try something, adjust the structure, climb a bit further and test the weight. You often end up better for it too, becoming someone who can thrive in change, not just endure it.
So if your path doesn’t look polished, or your progress feels bumpy – you might be doing better than you think.
By Dave Heywood
A marketer who’s spent his career figuring out how real growth happens – for brands and people alike. He runs Marketing Careers Uncovered, a podcast where marketers talk honestly about the work, the missteps, and what actually moves the needle.
