Irina Novoselsky’s Post

This client story gives me goosebumps every time. Here's why: 👇 Our partner Watermark Retirement Communities owns and operates over 70 award-winning senior living communities. Want to know what really makes them great? Just look at their social media presence. (link in comments) It shows the story of their mission: That everyone deserves a life filled with purpose, possibility, and joy. Their challenges before coming to Hootsuite: - How to share that beautiful story with MORE people? - How can they leverage social media to deepen relationships with families and future residents? - How can 1 social media manager, Diana Demers, do all this at scale? Hootsuite helped empower Watermark’s 70+ locations with the platform (and social media training) needed to succeed: 👉 17 million social media impressions 👉 95% boost in engagement rate 👉 Real impact for their business Most importantly: Their story reached more people than before. Diana said, “I saw a comment on a [Watermark] Facebook page that said: ‘I love seeing all these posts. I came for a tour with my father and I'm so excited to have him be a part of the community.’” This story tells me Hootsuite is doing it right. That, if you’re struggling to get your story out and build valuable relationships on social, we’re the platform to help you do it. Kudos to the entire Watermark team! Grateful for this partnership! – ✋ Hey, I’m Irina, CEO / Chief Owl at Hootsuite 🤝 I write about using social media to drive business impact through social relationships (with some feather-ruffling takes along the way!)  🛎️ Follow me → Irina Novoselsky ← for more posts on making social media work smarter for your business.

I started life in America as a refugee (it actually says "stateless" on your entrance card) ... I have immense gratitude for the US and the freedoms and opportunities it’s afforded me. As July 4th approaches, I reflect on what a group of people coming together to change their world can achieve and the sacrifice it takes. I recently read “The Boys On The Boat.” It highlights the extreme teamwork mentality needed for this group of young men to make it to the Olympics (spoiler alert) and win for the USA. Whether it’s a company or a nation, it’s all built on teamwork, relationships and a united set of values that for a nation may drive you to give the ultimate sacrifice. I don't ever take that for granted, or take it lightly. Ever. I'm forever grateful to be on Team USA. For someone who was once stateless, I'm proud to call America home. For those celebrating next week, remember that America is a nation of immigrants, that freedom isn't free, and that together we can overcome all odds. If this resonated with you, share your story in the comments! 👇 -- ✋ Hey, I’m Irina, CEO / Chief Owl at Hootsuite 🤝 I write about using social media to drive business impact through social relationships (with some feather-ruffling takes along the way!)  🛎️ Follow me → Irina Novoselsky ← for more posts on making social media work smarter for your business.

Who else has been singing “I’m working late, cuz I’m a singer” to themselves nonstop? 🙋♀️ (I promise there's a point to this...👇) I love that song. We played it during our weekly stand-up meeting yesterday. Yeah, a proper business meeting where we talked about ARR and product updates (more on those soon 👀, buckle up). The point is -- it's hard to separate your work self from your personal self. Scratch that: It's impossible. You're a whole human, who deserves to bring their whole self to work. Yes, random dance breaks and all (if you've read my previous posts 😆) I talked to David Novak about this and more on his podcast (link in comments!) p.s. How do you bring your full self to work? Let me know in the comments! Share your whole self with us -- ✋ Hey, I’m Irina, CEO / Chief Owl at Hootsuite 🤝 I write about using social media to drive business impact through social relationships (with some feather-ruffling takes along the way!) 🛎️ Follow me → Irina Novoselsky ← for more posts on making social media work smarter for your business.

I believe there are 2 kinds of leaders (which are you?) 👇 1. The leader who says ‘That’s how we’ve always done it’. 2. The leader who challenges the typical way of doing things. If you’re like me, you’re the second one. I had the pleasure of reconnecting with David Novak on the How Leaders Lead Podcast to share what I’ve learned about leadership as a CEO. My top 3 takeaways: 1. Take the risk and hire people with the skills, over experience. Give them the job,  give them the chance, even if they've never done it. You’ll be surprised at the magic that happens when that person is given ownership to try something new and fix the problem. -- 2. Stand near closed doors and knock. I don’t believe in No. No matter what position you sit in, the ‘no’s’ mean you're either asking the wrong question or the wrong person. And that’s okay. If there's a door, go knock. Someone will open an opportunity at some point. If you do nothing, you 100% will get nothing. -- 3. Making tough decisions and being kind are not mutually exclusive. You can be kind and relationship focused, but  still make the tough calls needed for your business. Too many leaders think making tough calls is a free pass to be a jerk. No, no, no! -- We cover a lot more in the podcast so take a listen. Let me know in the comments: 👉 Which 1 takeaway resonated most for you? P.S. Taco Bell was my luxury visit when I was younger so this is full circle for me, since David served as CEO of Yum! Brands / Taco Bell. — ✋ Hey, I’m Irina, CEO / Chief Owl at Hootsuite 🤝 I write about using social media to drive business impact through social relationships (with some feather-ruffling takes along the way!)  🛎️ Follow me → Irina Novoselsky ← for more posts on making social media work smarter for your business. .

When there's a lot going on, I grab a dance snack. “Wait, Irina, what the hell’s a dance snack?” 👇 I blast a song and dance my heart out for 30 seconds. It’s impossible to feel stressed after that! It’s Mental Health Awareness Month. And a good reminder: We all need to prioritize our mental health every day. To give the energy you give, you need to fuel your tank. Here’s what that looks like for me: • Sleep: My #1 priority. I get 8 hours of sleep (in bed by 9ish, up by 5am). Nothing gets in the way of this. • Move: I’m a big step-counter. I try to do 6,000 daily and take calls while walking. • Food: No gluten, no sugar, no coffee, no alcohol. It’s a big Yes to feeling my best. • Breaks: I'm a sprinter, not a marathon runner. Every 8-12 weeks, I take a 3-4 day vacation. If I have too many weeks where my schedule is managing me, then I know to take a break. • Anxiety: I ask myself, “Is this in my control, or not?” If it is, I hatch a plan. If not, I write down the worst possible outcome and think about how I'd handle it. • I’m a big vocalizer: I get my worries out of my brain and write them out. Just doing that gives me a chuckle — our anxieties sound ridiculous when you call them out. So, how do you manage your mental health? Let's share, laugh, dance, and shake it off, shake it off 🙂 We're all in it together! 💪 -- ✋ Hey, I’m Irina, CEO / Chief Owl at Hootsuite 🤝 I write about using social media to drive business impact through social relationships (with some feather-ruffling takes along the way!) 🛎️ Follow me → Irina Novoselsky ← for more posts on making social media work smarter for your business.

The word “authenticity” gets thrown around a lot. Here’s what it really means (plus some big updates 👀) Authenticity is about: • Doing what you say you’ll do. • Bringing your whole self to work. • Walking the walk. When you do that, great things happen. Hootsuite is built on relationships and on bringing our authentic self everywhere we go: Whether it’s Owls to Owls, helping our customers build relationships on social, or being an active part of our community. Social impact is a key part of that. We just released our 2023 Annual Impact Report. Here’s what happened when our Nest lived their authentic values: • Hootsuite was named a Built In “Best Place To Work” • Our team contributed 650 service hours to 22 nonprofits • We planted 1500 trees as part of environmental programs And so much more (get the report, link in comments) I’m proud of our entire Nest for showing up. Whether it was: • Volunteering to protect our environment • Participating in 1000 hours of career development programs • Empowering 3500 non-profits to drive more impact for their organization by using Hootsuite It’s all because of you being you, and we’re all better for it! The takeaway: Nurture a culture of authenticity, and watch what happens. -- ✋ Hey, I’m Irina, CEO / Chief Owl at Hootsuite 🤝 I write about using social media to drive business impact through social relationships (with some feather-ruffling takes along the way!) 🛎️ Follow me → Irina Novoselsky ← for more posts on making social media work smarter for your business.

Back in my Wall Street days, I was living two lives: Finance Irina... • Wore muted colors to fit the corporate uniform • Hesitated asking questions that might seem obvious • Competed in a winner-take-all environment Real Irina... • Loves bright "Hootsuite red" clothes (I’m European after all) • Feels comfortable asking the dumb questions • Believes in growing the pie as a team Ever tried to separate who you are at home from who you are at work? It's nearly impossible. Here's why: • Personal experiences shape our professional interactions • Our values and beliefs influence our work decisions • Emotional well-being at home impacts our productivity At Hootsuite, we embrace the whole person. I want our Owls to bring their entire selves to work. In fact, we celebrate it. We’ve kicked off some recent all-hands meetings with Owls playing their piano and singing songs they wrote! (I knew our team was talented, but this was a new level!) Why does this matter? Because when people feel valued for who they are... they perform better and contribute more meaningfully. Embrace the holistic nature of your team. Recognize that who they are at home influences who they are at work. I’m grateful to say 1 thing now: I’m not split between Real Irina, Finance Irina, or any other kind of Irina. I’m just me: Irina. 👋 How do you support your team in bringing their whole selves to work? -- ✋ Hey, I’m Irina, CEO / Chief Owl at Hootsuite 🤝 I write about using social media to drive business impact through social relationships (with some feather-ruffling takes along the way!) 🛎️ Follow me → Irina Novoselsky ← for more posts on making social media work smarter for your business.

❌ Myth: It’s mean to say No. ✅ Fact: I'd rather get a fast No than lose time with Maybe’s.   Give me the no, I’ll figure out how to get my Yes! I’m not saying I like the No or it’ll stop me from my mission. But I would appreciate knowing where I stand, fast. The alternative is way worse. Take this example: Maybe you don’t like saying No to a sales outreach. So you punt it to your team… Here’s what happens: 1. You send a confusing message to your team by wasting their time instead of you killing it at the head 2. You tell them to protect their time and prioritize things that help your customers and grow your business. But this doesn’t. 3. The punted salesperson is getting false hope – when they otherwise could get a fast No and move on to building real pipe. Lose-lose-lose situation. It’s not mean to say No. It’s respect! Again, for those getting told the No… It doesn’t mean to stop trying or give up. You’re just asking the wrong person or the wrong question! – ✋ Hey, I’m Irina, CEO / Chief Owl at Hootsuite 🤝 I write about using social media to drive business impact through social relationships (with some feather-ruffling takes along the way!)  🛎️ Follow me Irina Novoselsky for more posts on making social media work smarter for your business.