Q&A4Her – Megan Conahan, VP of Advertising Sales at Direct Agents
Megan Conahan is the VP of Advertising Sales at Direct Agents, a digital marketing agency providing brand advertisers with performance-focused solutions. She is responsible for overseeing the high-performing ad sales team, helping her team secure new business and growing existing client businesses.
She started with Direct Agents in 2005 and has since garnered a proven track record of partnering with leading brands to help them grow their digital marketing strategies. Megan has also played a crucial role in expanding Direct Agents’ client base both in the US as well as abroad in the UK, Germany, France and Spain.
Most recently, Megan was recognized as a leader in the online advertising agency arena and as such has spoken at several leading industry conferences including Affiliate Summit, OMExpo, Affiliate TactixX and Internet Week. In 2008, Megan was named as a finalist for the “Stevie Award for Women in Business.” Megan enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise with other business women and is frequently asked to speak on a variety of subjects related to digital and online marketing.
- Did you ever imagine yourself achieving what you have?
I have always been a hardworking and positive person so I always knew if I could find the right company, my professional life would flourish. I love that I’m working for a company that’s just as ambitious with their goals as I am with mine. It pushes me to be successful.
2. What in hindsight would you say you underestimated about your industry or business and why?
I underestimated how quickly things change and develop in the digital industry. If you don’t pay attention for just one week you come back to an entirely different market place with new media, new companies, and new opportunities. I love that though – you never get bored and there is always something new to learn.
3. What is the best business related advice you have ever been given?
Be the type of person that people can and will trust. If you are ever on the other end of a call with me I will never sell anything I don’t personally love and think would work. I don’t care if it’s the hottest thing out there right now and the client is begging for it, I don’t want to risk my reputation on something that will not deliver the results that the client is looking for. I would rather a client trust me and my recommendation verses me just telling them what they want to hear.
4. What do you love most about what you do and why?
I love talking to different people all day. I get a chance to speak with different clients in different industries on a daily basis. I’m such a people person so it really energizes me. If I had my way I’d be in meetings with new clients’ day in and day out!
5. What if you knew then what you know now – What would you do differently and why?
When I first started I would try to do everything for every client and what I quickly realized is that I just can’t. When you try to do too much you end up doing just an ok job and I’m not fine with that. The thing I learned was you have to choose what you actually have time to do and which are the most important tasks to handle. The rest you have to delegate to other people. It’s something I still struggle with daily because if I had my way I’d have a solution for everyone but that’s just not realistic.
6. When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your time?
I love staying active. Living in New York there are so many great things you can do between baseball games, shows, and just going to the many parks in the city. I also love to travel – planning my next vacation is how I spend many weekends!
7. How do you define success?
To me, success would be finding a balance between all that is going on in your life both personally and professionally.
8. If you had to share one final thought with our audience of thousands of women in business, what would it be?
Your business and job are what you make of it. You have so much control over how your professional life can grow so you just have to make sure to keep steering it towards what you envision and want.
About Megan Conahan
As VP of Advertising Sales, Megan is responsible for overseeing the high-performing ad sales team, helping her team secure new business and growing existing client businesses. Having started with Direct Agents in 2005, Megan has a proven track record of partnering with leading brands to help them grow their digital marketing strategies. Megan has also played a crucial role in expanding Direct Agents’ client base both in the US as well as abroad in the UK, Germany, France and Spain.