Louise Troen joined the Bumble UK team when it was fairly small. The female-focused social networking app believes in empowerment not just through dating, but in business, too. Being the VP of International Marketing and Communications for the app that’s revolutionized the way a generation views dating is a busy and rewarding job, and if you thought your days were full, wait until you meet Louise. We sat down to find out what’s on Louise’s desk that helps her get things done.
I’m the VP of International Marketing and Communications at Bumble, based in our London offices. I oversee all the marketing efforts outside of the US – currently consisting of the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, and the Netherlands – while also spearheading further international expansion. Before Bumble, I was working in LA as a publicist for a few high profile musicians and then worked in brand marketing for tech companies (Google and Samsung).
My days at Bumble are never the same. If I’m not traveling, my day normally starts with 6 am catch up calls (and very strong coffee) with various country leads on different time zones. I try to fit in a yoga class in the morning or spend an extra 15 mins walking to work listening to podcasts or the BBC. We leave the office around 6:30/7pm and my evenings are usually spent at one of our many events or dinners with friends when I can fit them in. I try to be in bed by 11 pm.
When I get to my desk, I sort through the various documents left by my team for approval. I like to have them printed out so I can scribble my notes. I then check Slack channels from the previous evening to make sure I am up to date with everything happening in the US, Canada, and Australia. After that, I start my day of meetings and calls.
Last year the UK offices were located in a co-working space in Soho, we had one of the smallest rooms in the building. We outgrew it pretty quickly but I would sometimes work out of a deck chair! It was a proud and defining moment when we moved into our official office. I would love to say my desk is totally organized but it’s usually not the case. I like to drink at least 1 liter of water daily, but there may also be coffee, green juice and sparkling water in close quarters. I have a section for documents that my team will leave for me to approve and will always have room for fresh flowers which we get ordered weekly as always have visitors coming in. We work from laptops instead of desktops as we tend to move around and hot desk often.
I think it’s really important to have a happy and healthy work environment. Bumble is built around the values of kindness, respect, and equality and therefore it’s imperative for us to lead by example and adhere to these values through our work culture. On my desk, I always have my laptop and phone with an extra battery charger pack. Essential beverages: water and coffee. My reading glasses and lip balm. My framed inspiration quote “Stand up for what needs to be changed. Challenge it”. I also keep an array of shoes under my desk so if I need to go to a last-minute interview, panel talk or event I can upgrade my outfit quickly. I normally wear sneakers to the office to stay comfortable though!
@thebeehive
My favorite task is strategic campaign planning across markets. I firmly believe, as a brand rooted in human values, we have a duty to use our platform for the greater good. The campaigns we activate vary from, giving women in film access to opportunity, encouraging women to be more body confident and raising awareness for mental health. I’m inspired when I sit with my team and ideate on new ways to help more women make the first move whether that be in dating, friendship, and business.
Success to me is when you’re actively making a difference. Whether it’s for the masses – it’s our mission to shed light on the epidemic of harassment online and remove misogyny from society – or bringing a handful of people into the spotlight who have been overlooked by creating campaigns such as Female Film Force. We are granting five female directors, writers and/or producers £20,000 to make their own success in the form of their own short film. It could also just be for two people who met through the app and fall in love, become best friends or business partners. All these things are factors of success, changing lives, improving human connectivity and making a difference.
@thebeehive
I would recommend Emma Gannon’s new book, The Multi Hyphen Method, which is an excellent read for any modern women who need to balance multitasking. I also like to find inspiration from Guy Raz’s How I Built This podcast as he interviews and explores the journey of the founders of successful companies. It can be so motivating to hear the struggle, challenges, and successes they all went through. Most importantly though, Bumble has ultimately revolutionized the way I work.
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