Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Welcome to the 76th episode of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering™. I was delighted to welcome back to the podcast a dear friend Dux Raymond Sy, the Chief Brand Officer at AvePoint.
I met Dux years ago and he was a guest, Episode 15 of the podcast. He’s an expert at branding, social media, marketing, and much more.
I was excited to feature him again to share his insights and pearls of wisdom on these topics. Additionally, we discussed the impact of the pace of change and digital transformation since the pandemic and his company AvePoint’s efforts toward addressing diversity and inclusion.
The world has changed quite a bit since we last spoke. Dux and I dove into the changes we are both seeing during this highly transformative time.
AvePoint boasts the only full suite of SaaS solutions designed to migrate, manage, and protect data in Office 365. Their governance and protection of Microsoft Teams, has exploded in popularity since the beginning of the Pandemic.
BRANDING & SOCIAL MEDIA
With over 15,000 followers on Twitter and thousands on LinkedIn, Dux has mastered the art of social media. We discuss the importance of branding and a social media presence. Here are his top three considerations:
- Get your brand out there, get to know more people. It might potentially lead to a better future.
- Always be altruistic. Offer knowledge, answer questions and provide information for your followers.
- Represent your organization, cause, purpose.
PARTNERSHIPS & MICROSOFT
Dux has also done a masterful job branding himself and his company in partnership with Microsoft. He equates partnership to marriage, where a solid commitment on both sides is critical, in it for the long haul and attuned to your partner’s needs. For Dux, it comes down to three partnership pillars:
- Technical aspect: It’s essential to stay close as your partner pivots to understand how their technology is evolving and where you can maximize your value.
- Go-to-market aspect: You need to have a deep understanding of each region’s operating model, business goals, and how each team aligns and measures against priorities and goals.
- Relationships: building these wide and deep, instead of only relying on the people assigned as your partner development managers for success.
TECH, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Dux was an immigrant to the United States from the Philippines, and his optimism for opportunity and penchant for giving back to others shines through loud and clear.
AvePoint’s a culturally diverse organization with offices all over the world. With diversity and inclusion top of mind, AvePoint has a formal program called IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Allyship). Here are it’s five key tenants:
- AvePoint involves and includes everyone in the organization to participate and promote unity.
- AvePoint’s committed to a diverse workforce, including people from different backgrounds, races, cultures, and countries.
- They take time to listen, reflect, learn, and unlearn from one another to understand different viewpoints, challenges, and stereotypes.
- Empower colleagues to lead and act and see the fruits of how they help others.
- They encourage everyone to give back to the community through volunteer work.
If you are a business leader, partner leader, brand, marketing leader, or anyone who cares about Diversity and Inclusion in your organization, I encourage you to listen to this valuable discussion.
LINKS & RESOURCES
- About AvePoint: https://www.avepoint.com/about
- Connect with Dux http://linktr.ee/meetdux
- Link to Episode 15 with Dux.
- Shifthappens Podcast: https://www.avepoint.com/blog/shifthappens/
- IDEA: https://www.avepoint.com/blog/office-365/diversity-unity-workplace/
- Work life integration: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/humans-of-it-blog/guest-blog-work-life-integration-how-to-achieve-a-healthy/ba-p/659075
- How to give back during Covid: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/humans-of-it-blog/guest-blog-8-ways-to-spread-kindness-extend-grace-and-give-back/ba-p/1424520
- Jumpstart D+I: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/us-partner-blog/2020/01/08/avepoints-dux-raymond-sy-on-four-ways-to-jumpstart-diversity-and-inclusion-within-your-company/
As with each of my episodes, I appreciate your support. Please tell your friends about Ultimate Guide to Partnering™ and where they can find us. I’d love your feedback. Please like the podcast and provide comments or reach out to me at @vincemenzione on Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also like and follow Ultimate Guide to Partnering Facebook page or drop me a line at vincem@cloudwavepartners.com.
Ultimate Guide to Partnering™ is a rich compendium of what makes successful partnerships and is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play, Player FM, almost anywhere you get your podcasts!
This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Ultimate Partnerships. Ultimate Partnerships helps you get the most results from your partnerships. Get Partnerships Right – Optimize for Success – Deliver Results – Ultimate Partnerships.