Missy Ward, Co-Founder of Affiliate Summit and Founder of Skrillgrrrl Corp.
Missy, as an incredible woman and co-founder of the legendary Affiliate Summit trade show, you are a true creator and connector, playing an important role in helping people scale their dream businesses! And that's why you've been chosen as a Female Power Player to represent extraordinary women thriving in business! What makes you passionate about inspiring women as a Female Power Player?
Thanks Debra for inviting me to participate! I’ve witnessed and personally experienced gender inequality, discrimination and a definite lack of representation in the fields I have worked in. Understanding the challenges and barriers women face along with recognizing their untapped potential definitely ignited my passion to inspire and empower women to promote gender equality and do what I can to help drive societal change. It’s my hope that the women I’ve helped will pay it forward by helping other women reach their full potential.
For those that don't know you, can you give some background into your career history? Were there any trade shows to go to at the time you created the Affiliate Summit performance marketing and affiliate marketing trade show? How did you find performance marketing at the very beginning of your legendary journey? Were you an affiliate yourself? What inspired your career moves?
Back in 1988, I was creating paste-ups (the way pages were laid out before Quark, PageMaker, InDesign, etc), and that’s how I got into marketing. Many companies and job positions later, I was a VP of Marketing for a start-up here in Florida. One day back in 1999, one of the owners came into my office so excited about this new thing he heard of where this company had these virtual, independent consultants that marketed the company’s product on their own, with no expense to the company. The best part was that the company would only have to pay those independent consultants a commission if they made a sale. (He was referring to Amazon, and it was their Associates Program.) He tasked me with duplicating what Amazon was doing for our company and I wanted to keep my job, and as such, I learned everything I could so that I could build a tracking solution, create an affiliate program, recruit affiliates and manage the program. Back then there weren’t really any blogs, or podcasts or any kind of guides at all so I pretty much had to teach myself everything about affiliate marketing, designing creatives and websites, etc. If you ask anyone that got started in affiliate marketing back then they’d probably tell you that we were all on the “Learn as You Earn” program 🙂 Since then, I’ve sported lots of hats in this industry including those worn by advertisers, affiliate managers (for both individual merchants and networks), and affiliates. I’ve been attending and speaking at online marketing related events since 2000 including Ad:tech, Electronic Retailing Association Conferences, Direct Marketing Association Conferences, ShareASale Thinktank, Commission Junction University, Rakuten LinkShare, Affiliate Force and many more. It was on the 2003 Affiliate Force cruise when Shawn Collins and I were venting our frustrations to each other regarding the vision of the Affiliate Force events and were spitballing ideas on how things should be done differently. We shared these ideas and thoughts with the Affiliate Force organizer and were rebuffed. About a month later Shawn and I chatted on the phone (probably just one of a dozen times we’ve ever used the phone outside of conference calls) and began brainstorming how we could create our own conference, despite the fact that we had no experience or money. Shortly after that call, we purchased affiliatesummit.com and scheduled our first conference in November, 2003 at Baruch College in Manhattan. We were so fortunate to have so many industry friends support us because they too wanted a more formalized event where they could network and learn from their peers so that we could all keep our jobs and/or build our businesses. We started small (200 at our first event) and subsequently grew it to a worldwide conference and tradeshow with thousands of attendees at each of our events. Over the years, we created other offshoots of Affiliate Summit to foster the growth of the affiliate marketing industry including FeedFront Magazine, GeekCast.fm and AffStat Industry Benchmark Reports and local meetups. In 2017, Clarion Events acquired Affiliate Summit Corporation. Shawn and I stayed on as Co-CEO’s through mid-2020 after producing our 50th and last event.
What have been some of the most memorable success stories or transformations that you've witnessed as a result of your trade show? Is there one particular story that stands out to you as particularly inspiring or impactful?
I have countless stories! The one that warms my heart the most is about a blogger that I met while teaching a session on “How to monetize your blog using affiliate marketing” at another blogging conference. After the session, a woman came up to me and told me that she recently spent a ton of money (that she couldn’t afford to spend at the time) on books and courses from “gurus” who promised she could make a fortune in affiliate marketing with little effort following their “proprietary methods”. Let’s just say that money was not well-spent. She confided in me that she could barely afford the conference we were at now and that if she didn't start making money from her blog, she was going to have to give it up and just get a second job. I sat down with her on the floor outside of the ladies room for an hour looking at her blog and assets to give her some tips on how she should integrate affiliate marketing to fully take advantage of what she has already built. Mind you, I’ve done this so many times (not the sitting on the floor outside a ladies room part… the tips on monetizing blogs…) but *MOST* people don’t actually take the time to do it because contrary to popular belief, affiliate marketing is not a get rich quick with little to no-effort proposition. It’s hard…and time-consuming…and filled with ups and downs…and takes a lot of stick-to-it-iveness. Fast forward 6 months later to an Affiliate Summit in New York where I ran into the woman I coached. She came flying over to me to give me the world’s biggest hug and show me photos on her phone of the checks that were finally coming in by implementing what I told her. She was so excited to learn more about affiliate marketing that she decided to attend her first Affiliate Summit at that point. Over the years, she’s attended many of our events and I’m always thrilled to see her.
Can you share any behind-the-scenes moments or funny anecdotes from organizing and hosting the trade show?
Shawn and I are goofballs at heart and total pranksters so every event and the pre-planning of them were filled with laughs, eye rolls, dares, and jokes. Luckily our amazing staff was built the same way so we definitely had a lot of fun over the 17 years we ran Affiliate Summit. One funny thing that comes to mind is when Shawn and I decided to go and get tattoos of the Affiliate Summit logo the day before Affiliate Summit West 2011. We took a quick trip to Club Tattoo at the Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas. Shawn got his on his calf and I got inked on the top of my foot. Neither of us really thought it through because for the next few days my foot was destroyed from having to wear shoes and be on my feet for 18-20 hours a day. (Not my brightest moment…) Over the course of the conference we ran into people that claimed they loved Affiliate Summit so much that they would get the logo tattooed. We laughed it off at first but then we decided to put out an offer of free passes in exchange for getting our logo on any part of the body. Would people really do it??? The answer is yes! Here are some photos of attendees and their final tattoos: https://www.pinterest.com/affiliatesummit/affiliate-summit-tattoos/ and here is a photo on the cover of FeedFront Magazine Issue 26 when a few of us got together in Las Vegas to sport our ink. https://issuu.com/affiliatesummit/docs/feedfront-26
What are you most proud of in your work?
There have been many highlights in my career, but I guess the one that I’m most proud of (besides Affiliate Summit) was starting Affiliate Marketers Give Back, an organization I founded back in 2007. AMGB raises money for organizations that support breast cancer research, treatment, awareness and community programs through combined efforts within the affiliate marketing industry. I’m delighted to say that, to date, we’ve raised over $625,000.
How did you always manage to foster a sense of community and collaboration among the attendees of your trade show, encouraging them to support each other's businesses and create lasting connections?
I really believe that one of the biggest advantages that Shawn and I had over other conferences was the fact that we were both affiliates and affiliate managers. We knew the industry inside and out because we lived it. Understanding the mindset of our attendees helped us create a positive and engaging environment for them. Pre-event communication encouraging interaction and collaboration before the conference via forums, social media, event apps, mentorship programs, and local meetups; on-site icebreaker activities, exhibit hall scavenger hunts, networking opportunities, collaborative workshops and brainstorming sessions; knowledge sharing opportunities through FeedFront Magazine and GeekCast.fm; recognition and rewards that acknowledge attendees who actively engage and collaborate with others were just some of the things we did to build a sense of community and foster relationships. But, I think one of the most important things we did happened after each conference when we reviewed every single response to our post-event survey. We relied heavily on our attendees’ feedback to help us shape Affiliate Summit into an event that provided the education, networking opportunities, and a chance to feel included in an industry filled with people who might sometimes feel isolated because they work from home or their friends and family don’t understand what they do for a living.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to turn their passion into a successful business venture?
Make sure that what you think is your passion is really your passion and not just a passing fancy. If you’re not obsessed with what you’re doing, you won’t have the motivation and resilience needed to overcome challenges and stay committed to your business. Some other pointers include validating your business idea by seeking feedback from potential customers and experts in the field; developing a solid business plan and stay focused on your objectives; acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge you need or hiring the right people to do what you can’t while you focus on your strengths; building a strong support network; embracing new technology; prioritizing customer experience and most importantly remembering to start small and iterate… don’t wait on things to be perfect!
Tell us something most people would be surprised to know about you.
I played ice hockey as a kiddo and was a goalie. I also love to crochet which I taught myself to do when Covid hit!
What is your favorite wine?
If someone else is paying it’s definitely Opus One ;-)
What are some fun or funny memories you have from the trade shows you have thrown?
From attendee bag surfing, to getting dressed up in costumes for theme parties, to late night piano sing-a-longs and karaoke, I’ve had some of the best times of my life during trade shows.
What are some of the challenges or obstacles you've seen women face within the business world? How would you recommend overcoming these challenges?
Gender bias and stereotypes, lack of representation in leadership positions, and unequal pay are ongoing hurdles. One particular obstacle that really pisses me off stems from societal expectations and traditional gender roles that often place a disproportionate burden on women. I’ve seen this so many times but I never expected to have shade thrown at me from another woman! During an affiliate marketing post-session Q&A at a blogging conference in which I was a panelist, a female attendee asked me how I could possibly leave my infant son alone to come to that conference. After I shook off the comment I snarkily responded that I thought he’d be fine because I left him a large bowl of water and food, a bottle of Jack Daniels and 2 packs of cigarettes which is more than he’s used to getting. I mean, come on… if women can’t support women how can we expect societal change? To overcome all of these challenges, companies need to offer flexible work arrangements, support systems for childcare, promote gender equality, create inclusive environments that value diversity and provide training to raise awareness about these biases, promote transparency in pay structures and conduct pay audits and provide supportive environments where women can share experiences and learn from each other. Women also need to believe in themselves more, stop doubting their abilities, value their worth and speak up when they feel they are being taken advantage of.
What do you do for fun when you're not working?
I love live music, wine tasting, boating, traveling, working out (I’m now a new raving fan of OrangeTheory), DIY projects and making the most of family and friend time.
How do you maintain a work-life balance while managing a demanding career? What strategies do you employ to prevent burnout and prioritize self-care?
I’ve never been good at creating a true balance but I’ve definitely gotten better through the years. It’s really an ongoing process that will likely require tweaks to find what works. Setting clear boundaries between work and personal life, learning how to delegate/outsource and knowing when to say no were crucial strategies I needed to learn and implement in my life. The last part of the previous sentence was so hard for me in the beginning because I’m the type of person that always wants to help everyone with everything :) Exercise, eating healthy, sleeping, and hobbies help me rejuvenate so that I’m able to take care of my family.
Can you share a specific example of a time when you had to overcome a difficult situation or make a tough decision in your role? How did you handle it, and what lessons did you learn from that experience?
In a previous role at a travel company I worked for prior to starting Affiliate Summit, I was faced with making tough decisions regarding cost-cutting measures and layoffs due to 9/11. I worked with the management team to implement some process improvements and sought out new partnerships and markets to try to make up some of that lost revenue. I worked with our HR department to communicate the plan to our employees and have them assist with offering resources for affected staff. What I learned from that experience was that sometimes you just have to make the tough decisions in order to ensure the survival of your company. It’s never easy but being transparent and empathetic with the staff helped to build trust and maintain morale with the employees that remained after the layoffs. It also helped us recruit back some of the staff we laid off when the travel industry started to pick back up again.
What are some emerging trends or changes you see in the trade show and performance marketing industry? How do you adapt to these changes and stay ahead of the curve?
In both industries I see more and more companies embracing AI-driven solutions to automate routine tasks, streamline processes and analyze large datasets to enhance targeting capabilities and provide a deeper look into the entire business to help with decision making and projections.
Which Affiliate Ball was your favorite? Which legend performed that night?
Definitely the Affiliate Ball during Affiliate Summit West 2017. It was my 50th birthday the week before but I celebrated it in Las Vegas because everything was so crazy with last minute “stuffs” to do before the conference. I got to go backstage and meet Snoop Dog who knew it was my birthday and he made a quick custom 50th birthday rap for me! Man, I wish I recorded that!
What always puts a smile on your face?
Puppy videos…. All the puppy videos :)
If you could trade places with any fictional character for a day, who would it be and why?
I would like to be Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. She starts as an exiled princess but evolves into a powerful queen, displaying strength and determination. It would be cool to get into her head to explore her decisions. I’d also like to know what it feels like to rule over kingdoms…. and dragons :)
