The Power of Giving a S#%t: 20 Questions with Kat Yon

Plugged In, Switched On.

In this first episode of Plugged In, Switched On, we invite you into the conversations that matter in B2B tech marketing when our host, Barrie Seppings fires 20 Questions at Kat Yon of Harness Consultancy. Kat is one of Australia’s most experienced marketers when it comes to B2B Partner ecosystems and in this interview, she explains how partners and vendors should be treating each other if they want results.
The interview format at Plugged In, Switched On is very simple: we ask every guest the same 20 Questions and invariably we get 20 wildly different answers.
Here are some of our favourites from our interview with Kat Yon:

• What's the one career move you wish you could go back and undo?
• What’s the one thing in this industry that has gone on for too long and needs fixing?
• What’s the one question you’d ask an agency if you knew you’d get the truth?
• What’s a long-held belief about marketing that you no longer hold?
• How different are you in ‘work mode’ compared to when you’re off the leash?

Kat Yon has over 20 years experience in the B2B tech marketing industry, including stints with HP and Acer. In her current role as CEO of the Harness Consultancy, she is known throughout the industry as ‘The MDF whisperer’. If you want to see how she helps specialist partners unlock more than just funding assistance for better go-to-market results, be sure to check her out at Harness Consultancy.
Barrie Seppings is the Executive Creative Director of The Splendid Group and the host of Plugged In, Switched On. Connect with Barrie on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening!
If you want to learn more about Splendid Group , see some of our work or meet any of our people, visit splendidgroup.com

Chapters

1. The Power of Giving a S#%t: 20 Questions with Kat Yon (00:00:00)

2. Question 1: What is your company selling and why should anybody pay good money for it? (00:01:34)

3. Question 2: The superhero origin story. Kat Yon, did you grow up as a young woman dreaming of being in IT consultancy? Was that the thing that you grew up wanting to do? (00:03:48)

4. Question 3: I do this for free. What part of your job do you just naturally enjoy that you're drawn to, and you find yourself giving plenty of time to because of the pleasure it gives you? (00:05:40)

5. Question 4: Control, alt, delete. What's the one career movement or moment you wish you could go back and undo? Was there a moment where it was really clear that you just learned a valuable lesson? (00:07:01)

6. Question 5: Shout out. Who have you learned the most from in your career, even if it was perhaps what not to do? (00:08:35)

7. Question 6: The only constant in marketing is cliches. How do you convince yourself to continually just lean into and accept change? (00:10:12)

8. Question 7: Here is to your health. What do you do to keep yourself sort of healthy and physically active and keep that balance in your life? (00:11:35)

9. Question 8: Unique snowflakes. So, every market or industry or territory or job role thinks they are different. Which one really is, in your opinion? (00:12:53)

10. Question 10: That really gets my goat. What's the one thing in this industry that's gone on for too long? And in the opinion of Kat Yon needs fixing. (00:14:46)

11. Question 11: Truth serum. What's the one question you'd ask an agency or a supplier of yours if you knew you'd get the truth? (00:16:25)

12. Question 12: Better together. How do you make the call between when's the right time to collaborate with someone or ask them to collaborate with you versus just stepping back, letting them do their thing. (00:17:59)

13. Question 13: Change your mind. What's a long-held belief about marketing that you no longer hold? And what caused you to change your mind? (00:19:07)

14. Question 14: Put your money where your mouth is. In terms of effectiveness and ROI, which tactics or approaches are you advising your clients to pull back on? And conversely, what do you think they should double down on right now? (00:21:00)

15. Question 15: Overhyped versus underrated. Our industry is stacked to the gun wells with buzzwords. So, what buzzword or concept do you think gets too much airplay in our industry right now? And what's the under the radar or maybe even an old-fashioned ide (00:23:06)

16. Question 16: The supermodel question. Linda Evangelista once said she wouldn't get out of bed for less than 10 grand a day. Kat yon, what do you get out of bed for? What, where do you find your motivation? (00:24:49)

17. Question 17: This ain't happening. What's the most unexpected or unusual situation you've found yourself in? Thanks to work. (00:26:11)

18. Question 18: Home alone. Kat Yon, what was the pandemic and lockdown experience like for you? And how has that changed how you approach work now? (00:28:55)

19. Question 19: All of me. So lots of businesses say they want their staff to bring their whole self to work. Is that true for you and maybe you probably reflect on when you were working in a business and may have driven your decision to be your own business (00:30:20)

20. Question 20: Secret weapons. Kat Yon, do you have a secret weapon? And if you do, will you tell me what it is? (00:31:51)