I’m excited to share the story of Cynthia Chiang, Branch’s Senior Marketing Manager. Cynthia joined the marketing team six years ago and it’s been incredible to see how her career has grown along with the company, as she’s made huge impacts on our team, culture, and the way we market Branch. In honor of AAPI month, Cynthia has also shared her experience of being an Asian woman in tech. If you’d like to work with amazing people like Cynthia, check out our open roles.
You’ve been at Branch for six years, how have you grown during that time?
I used to run all things related to our Mobile Growth Meetup community, from running the actual events to selling sponsorships to our partners. Eventually I owned other marketing programs like conferences, VIP events, dinners, webinars, revamping our email nurture strategy, working on ABM initiatives like setting up Slack notifications, and launching our direct mail program. I am now heading up field marketing in North and South America. It’s been a whole journey but I’m grateful Branch has allowed me to grow so much in responsibility in the last six years!
What do you love about your job?
I love the amount of ownership I get for my projects and how my team can hand me a huge project from scratch and give me the freedom to come up with the strategy on how to execute the project. It’s great to be given an immense amount of responsibility to make major decisions but also have the option to lean on leadership if there’s something I need a second opinion on. Your level doesn’t matter a lot at Branch and I love that the company empowers employees to have a bias for action. It’s nice how everything moves so quickly here because we aren’t bogged down by asking permission for everything.
What makes Branch different from other places you worked at?
I like how Branch is always trying to improve as a company no matter what size the company is at. The company puts a strong emphasis on sharing best practices, providing feedback to each other, and educating employees via trainings and book clubs.
How has being an Asian woman shaped what you bring to Branch?
It really challenges me in a positive way because I don’t want to fit into the mold of what a typical “Asian woman” is – agreeable, easy to walk all over, soft spoken, etc. Being an Asian woman at Branch has reminded me that it’s okay to speak up if you disagree or to bring up issues if I have any.
What do you value most about your coworkers?
Their dedication and ownership. I know I can expect the highest quality of work from them and it challenges me everyday to deliver the same quality of work. It’s inspiring to work with a group of colleagues that are so dedicated.
Tell us a memorable story about yourself or a coworker.
We hosted a conference in 2017 called Branchout and I remember folding t-shirts with Mike Molinet, co-founder and COO until 4 AM to make sure everything was perfect before the conference started the following day. This is when I knew how high Branch’s caliber of perfection was and how willing the founders are willing to get their hands dirty 😉
What motivates you?
Last year I was lucky enough to hire two people to join the field marketing team at Branch. My team, Kara and Claire, inspire me everyday. They both have an incredibly high sense of ownership, go above and beyond, and truly exhibit our Branch values. Their dedication to excel in their job always inspires me to be the best manager I can for them.
What do you wish people knew about being an Asian woman in tech?
I would say that when I first started working, I tried to be either Asian or American but as time went on, I really liked embracing being both Asian and American and bringing both cultures to the table at work. As an Asian, I was taught to put my head down and let my work shine while American culture generally encourages a lot more self promotion and visibility. Balancing this has always been tricky for me but I’m definitely learning how to navigate this and let my work shine in a humble way.
Do you have a piece of advice for other Asian women looking to build a career in tech?
I would say to just do it! I can’t imagine myself in another industry and although there may be a few challenges here and there, the rewards are so much more and it’s been exciting to see how I’ve grown personally and professionally.