• by Lisa Singer , Staff Writer, November 3, 2023

Behind the Scenes with Mary Ann Donaghy

ZIPS Cleaners' Mary Ann Donaghy talks about earning credibility, and why travel and curiosity is a marketing must.

I've had the opportunity to connect with and learn from executives of major brands at MediaPost's Insider Summits. In the process I've discovered some truly impressive women -- not only for the work they do, but their stories behind the scenes. With Brand Insider: BTS, I get to pull back the curtain on some of the most influential women marketers as they talk about their path to success: the twists and turns, obstacles, inspirations and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

“I think as women we have a tendency to be pleasers. We don't want to rock the boat, and we don't want to come across as too aggressive. You know, it's not what we're taught to be growing up.” Mary Ann Donaghy believes it's been a challenge striking a balance between what women have been taught by society and fulfilling the results they were hired to achieve. The chief marketing and customer experience officer at ZIPS Cleaners admits that early in her career she was more deferential and didn’t have the confidence to speak up until she had attained a certain amount of success. In this episode of Brand Insider: BTS, Mary Ann opens up about finally realizing in order to do her job, it’s okay to push back and not always please everyone. She also talks about the importance of maintaining an active professional network, staying relevant, and having her work reflect what she wants her life to be. You can watch the entire conversation here: