Whether she’s mapping out project deadlines or organizing monthly hiking adventures for our employees, Marian is always looking at the big picture and finding more efficient ways to connect the dots. “I’m a very organized person,” she explains. “If there’s a problem, I like to put together a plan to solve it.”
Before Marian joined us, she’d managed projects with large and small CPG companies, from Boulder Brands to Kraft Heinz, and she appreciates what CPG structure can bring to the cannabinoid ingredients space. “We take a food company approach, and we’re very put together. The way our systems and teams are set up really reflects that,” she says.
We take a food company approach…the way our systems and teams are set up reflects that.”
In this interview, Marian explains how this “systemizing” approach (as well as a few lessons learned from Girl Scouting) is helping make the customer experience smoother—from the start, and especially, to the finish.
What is it like to be a project manager at Caliper?
Most of the time, I’m helping out with new product development: Any time a customer comes to us with a request for something different than what we currently do, I get to work organizing how to make it happen. That means making sure we are clear on what the customer wants and ensuring from the start that we’re able to deliver it on time, in full, and on budget. We help set customers up for success when they’re launching, so that they can be fully confident that our ingredients will work well in their products.
We help set customers up for success when they’re launching, so they can be fully confident our ingredients will work well in their products. ”
I also help connect teams working on different projects, so that we’re all aligned on project goals. If something changes along the way, as it usually does, I make sure that everyone’s all on the same page.
So your goal is to make a project really boring?
Exactly! Well, at the end it can be exciting, when you have a great product and excellent results—but along the way, there should be as few surprises as possible.
Can you give an example of how this might work for a customer?
Recently we did some shelf-life testing for a client—testing their product against some of their competitors. We gave them clear expectations at the beginning: how much time we were going to need, when we’d be providing them with updates, when they could expect the results. And we kept close communications with them all along the way, always making sure the team was aligned so that we delivered information in one voice to the customer.
In the end, we made all our milestones and were able to give the client a lot of good information; now, they have a good understanding of the process of incorporating our ingredients into their products. What we aim for is completing projects in a disciplined way: meeting expectations, building trust, doing what we say we’re going to do. That has really helped us form strong relationships with our customers. I think it’s allowed them to have a little more trust and confidence in us—knowing that we have systems in place, that we’re going to deliver something that meets or exceeds their expectations—and that we can do it again and again, and at scale.
Our customers have a little more trust and confidence in us—knowing that we have systems in place, that we’re going to deliver something that meets or exceeds their expectations—and that we can do it again and again, and at scale.”
Not long after you joined us, you gave a company-wide presentation on how to close a project. Why is the ending so important to the success of a project?
As you’re finishing up a project, it’s so easy to lose focus! As things get done, you’re more excited about the next thing you’re working on. But if you don’t finish up, you end up with incomplete tasks. Closing also gives you time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t, so you’re better set up for success in the next project. I want to make sure we’re always learning from the past and improving on our systems for the future.
I want to make sure we’re always learning from the past and improving on our systems for the future. ”
Challenging yourself in the great outdoors is a big part of your life; you’ve hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail, the Long Trail, and in Patagonia (just to name a few). What do you love most about being outside?
I love the beauty of nature; that’s why I live in Colorado! And I really like having the personal challenge of something like a difficult climb, or a hike, or a big trip. You really learn a lot about yourself when you experience a challenge in nature, when you’re away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life.
You were a Girl Scout leader and camp counselor. Do you bring that scouting energy to your project management work?
Definitely! I try to live Girl Scout values in my everyday life; it’s just a part of who I am. And the core scouting values absolutely overlap with project management! Things like always being prepared, respecting yourself and others, making sure to use resources wisely, and not wasting anything.
Do those project management skills come in handy in your personal life too?
My friends make fun of me for that all the time! There’s a group of us that like to travel together, and recently, when we couldn’t decide on where to go next, I did the logical thing, and created a nice spreadsheet! It had all the different variables: the dates each of us was available, the activities we liked to do, what the weather would be like in different places. Then I assigned people to research places to go, then set a date for us to pick our top five choices, then a final vote a week later.
What was the winning destination?
Temecula, in southern California wine country. Figuring it out was a bit like herding cats, but in the end it was worth it. Everyone was happy!
