How to prepare for tough convos with Rosie Hoggmascall
How to prepare for tough convos with Rosie Hoggmascall
The former Growth lead at Peanut and what3words explains why you don’t have to accept every piece of feedback you receive
Hey - it's Andrew
I just got back from a fun weekend on Cape Cod. We were rained out Saturday. But got in a nice (and chilly) family walk on Nauset Beach Sunday morning (pic below).
In this email, you'll find deets from my chat with Rosie Hoggmascall (fractional head of growth for early-stage apps) where she shares the crucial soft-skills for growth leaders and the challenging situations that helped her hone them.
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A rough start to a new job.
Rosie Hoggmascall was only two weeks into her new gig as Growth Manager, and felt like everything was already falling apart.
She was suffering from massive imposter syndrome — which was made worse by everyone around her using startup acronyms she didn’t fully understand — and her manager had presented some of her early work as their own. She confronted them and was told she’d better change her attitude if she wanted to keep her job.
Not a great start.
“My old job felt like family. I’d left that behind for what was turning out to be a toxic workplace. I felt insecure, psychologically unsafe, and like an idiot,” Rosie says.
Two weeks in... Brutal.
Rosie shared a masterclass in the soft-skills and coping mechanisms that are crucial for anyone taking on cross-functional roles at early-stage companies.
Here are a few of the other topics we covered:
The art of assessing feedback instead of blindly accepting all comments
How writing your thoughts can increase confidence before tough convos
Phrases that help her escape “freeze” mode and manage up better
How to effectively prepare for difficult (and intimidating) conversations
Keeping perspective instead of assuming you’re stuck in a job w/ no way out
👇 Watch it below, or catch the show on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube 📺
Things to listen for:
[11:35] Why you should always be applying for jobs
[12:51] Dealing with disrespectful managers
[15:51] Preparing for difficult conversations
[19:16] Breaking your self-deprecating internal monologue
[22:29] Speaking with your boss after a big mistake
[26:55] Phrases to use to avoid freezing
[30:15] Sifting through contrasting feedback
[32:46] Honing your soft skills
Resources
Connect with Rosie on LinkedIn, Medium, or Growth Mentor
Learn more about Navattic
Learn more about MadKudu