Brooke Zonana of BDX: Product Managers Value Their Teams
Great product managers value the teams they work with shared Brooke Zonana, Product Manager at BDX, for my interview series Austin Voice Of Product. Our interview has been edited for clarity.
Don’t miss the next interview — sign up for the bi-weekly email newsletter.
Austin VOP #76
What was your path to product management?
It has been anything but straightforward. I studied classical flute in college with the intention to become a flute professor and play in a professional symphony, but after moving to Austin, and several months of good sleep away from flute, I shifted gears and started my first job at Mitratech (a legal technology company). There I worked as a Training Coordinator, a Training Specialist, and ultimately a Product Owner and Product Manager.
My time in Training allowed me to learn the nuances of different roles within a software company and it’s where I developed my own interest in Product Management. I was inspired by other Product Managers I met whose jobs entailed creative problem solving, customer interaction, technical facility, and servant leadership. The best of all worlds!
Fueled by eagerness, I self-funded my Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) and eventually approached the Director of Product about my certification, my obsession with anything written by Marty Cagan, and my goal to become a Product Manager. Luckily the Director of Product was keen on the idea of me helping out. He immediately assigned me a Proof of Concept and Product Owner mentor. After several months of juggling 60-hour workweeks as both a Trainer and Product groupie, a Product position opened up; I had already been ambitiously putting my foot in the door, and I became the Product Owner for the company’s new top strategic product.
In the role, I fell even more in love with Product Management, and I haven’t looked back since.
I am now a Product Manager at BDX, and while I no longer compete in classical flute competitions, I occasionally teach flute lessons, judge band auditions, and practice Texas All-State Etudes for fun in my free time.
What advice do you give to other product managers?
Great product managers are only as good as their teams.
Take time to have one-on-ones with your developers, spend an extra moment connecting with your customers, and inspire stakeholders through your curiosity, passion, and sincerity. We are all humans who want to be encouraged and accepted. Successful product managers maximize the value of their teams to drive their strategic vision. I have found that by spending extra effort to develop a sincere interest and concern for your teammates as individuals, they will step up to support you when challenging times arise (which they definitely will!)
What has inspired you lately?
I am going to be bold here and admit that lately, I have been taking a non-traditional approach to cultivating inspiration. While there is tremendous value in Marty Cagan’s Inspired, Mind The Product conference recordings, Pragmatic Marketing courses, ProductCamp Austin, or LinkedIn Learning courses (just to name a few for those looking for pure product resources!), there are endless doors to inspiration that just take a few minutes to open and result in a profound impact on productivity and happiness. Here are a few wacky ideas that I’ve found inspiration from recently:
Popsicles — Yep! Hang with me here. I recently purchased a 100 pack of ice pops and a fridge and several afternoons a week during the lull of lunchtime sleepies, I walk around the office offering popsicles to coworkers and stakeholders. This takes 5–10 minutes, but it’s an opportunity to step away from my desk and connect with my team on a personal level. We talk about our weekend plans, support tickets, or how current projects are going — all while enjoying popsicles and breaking through a lull in productivity!
Left Brain / Right Brain. As Product people, we know the devil is in the details, and we spend a considerable amount of time honing our logical left brain … but the power of engaging our right brain and pumping some creativity into your day should not be undervalued, so go ahead and jam out to your favorite music for five minutes! Out of my love for Product people and music, I’ve created a public playlist on Spotify here. If you dare, take a listen while you’re feeling a lack of inspiration.
Brain Breaks! What is 6 x 13? What is the best thing that has happened in your day so far? How fast can you do 20 jumping jacks? Have you touched your toes today?
Inspiration exists in small moments, too (think quality time over quantity time). Try carving out an intentional three-minute brain break. Whether it is physical movement, math problems, or a pause to daydream about the moments of your day that brought you joy — no act of pursuing inspiration is too small.
All of this to say … sometimes our inboxes are too full, and our lives too busy to feel like there is enough time or energy to get reinspired through Product books, trainings, and seminars. So try something small like a brain break. Listen to your favorite tunes. Hand out Popsicles or challenge your team to pop quizzes. When you are inspired you will accomplish anything. So do what works for you in five minutes and get started!
What is exciting about the product you are working on now?
I am one of the Product Managers working on the redesign of NewHomeSource.com, which is the number one site for new home construction listings in the U.S. Home purchases are the biggest debt individuals take on in their lifetime and where 80% of our memories are made. As someone who recently built a new home — and has more power tools than your average techie — working on software for the new home industry is a dream job of mine.
I am currently leading the implementation of site personalization, user data augmentation, and modern design to support our core actions of guiding new home shoppers to their perfect new home, or at least helping them dream about it.
What is your biggest product challenge currently?
In the first chapter of Marty Cagan’s Inspired, he confesses that he hasn’t met a successful Product Manager who is not working 60 hours a week, and I have also found that to be mostly true. Due to this, I consider time management in combination with prioritization, socialization, and alignment to be the four perpetual challenges I face as a Product Manager.
How might we build a stronger product and tech community in Austin?
Be an advocate. Since there is no one path to Product Management and it is often challenging to break into the field, we could all build a stronger product community by advocating for those who have an eagerness to move to a PM career. I am where I am today because of advocates who provided me with opportunities to learn and grow. Whether by giving advice over a cup of coffee, stretch project assignment, job recommendation, resume review, or invitation to a Product meetup, we all grow stronger the more we share and encourage.
I also believe it is critical to support those in our community (like Reza!) who are actively devoting their time and energy to grow the Austin Product ecosystem. Subscribe to this Austin Voice of Product newsletter, challenge yourself to attend one meetup a month, or be bold and reach out to a Product Leader at your company. The more we learn and collaborate, the stronger we will all become. So no matter how much experience you have — jump in, show up, and speak up!
Last question, what is your favorite product?
As a self-described presentation and product enthusiast, my favorite product is Google Slides. Since this technology has been around for quite some time, I will skip the more obvious reasons for loving the product (beautiful user interface and real-time collaboration) and talk about the more advanced product nerd functionalities: slide size modifications, embedded slide linking, and short-cuts to deck duplication.
Slide size modifications
By changing the page setup to a custom size of 8.5"x11", Slides can be a great alternative to Adobe InDesign. I’ve leveraged Slides to create my resume, cover letter, whitepapers, and eBooks; export to PDF and you quickly have a beautiful document with formatting emulating expensive design software.
Embedded Slide Linking
The next cornerstone of the product for me is embedded slide links. When I create a presentation for a customer or internal training, my agenda becomes a “Choose Your Own Adventure” with the slide linking feature. I ask “Where do you want to start first?” and jump to that section of my deck, returning to the agenda without a hiccup, almost like navigating a sophisticated PlayStation game. While this is possible with competitor products (PowerPoint & Prezi), it’s cumbersome, time-consuming, and doesn’t share seamlessly among devices.
Short-cuts to deck duplication
Finally, as a Product Manager, I love how the core action of the product (make more presentations!) is interwoven throughout in delightful ways — one of which is “make a copy.” I use this feature daily to quick-start the creation of more decks, build off complex animation slides I’ve made previously, or drag and drop from my slide icon collections. “Make a copy” is simple, beautiful, and plain Product genius.
Google Slides has changed the world of professional, personal, and educational presentations. With best-in-class user experience, real-time collaboration, and virtuous cycles supporting the product’s core action — it is an amazing product for presentation-enthusiasts, Product enthusiasts, and beginners alike — and overall, my favorite product.
Thank you, Brooke!
Austin VOP is an interview series with product leaders to build a stronger product and tech community in Austin. Please like, share and tweet this article if you enjoyed it.
Don’t miss the next interview — sign up for a bi-weekly email newsletter.
