{"id":21086,"date":"2020-12-03T14:20:35","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T03:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-328533-4778250.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=21086"},"modified":"2020-12-03T14:20:36","modified_gmt":"2020-12-03T03:20:36","slug":"belinda-pervan-vice-president-apj-marketing-at-veeam-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/balancethegrind.co\/interviews\/belinda-pervan-vice-president-apj-marketing-at-veeam-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Balancing the Grind with Belinda Pervan, Vice President, APJ Marketing at Veeam Software"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Belinda Pervan is Vice President, APJ Marketing at Veeam Software and has years of marketing experience under her belt from leading technology companies like Salesforce, RSA Security, HP and EMC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Join our work-life balance community to get access to new daily routines and exclusive content.\u00a0Sign me up<\/a>!<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tech has been a part of my professional life ever since I started coordinating events for the likes of Microsoft and Intel while completing my Communications degree \u2013 a long time ago! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech is an area of consistent fascination for me and seeing how the industry grows and innovates year-on-year plus the evolution of marketing keeps me motivated to do more and learn from those around me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am fortunate to have worked with leading technology companies like Salesforce, RSA Security, HP, EMC, and now Veeam Software. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my current role at Veeam I lead teams to work together cross functionally and in collaboration with sales to develop the pipeline and elevate the Veeam brand. But underneath all of that, my main priority is to enable my team to be the best marketers and human beings possible. I define my success through their achievement and growth, as well as our business targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

6:00am: Up and out of the house for some morning exercise to wake me up and get me ready for the day ahead. It isn\u2019t something I plan for every morning, but I definitely try to fit it in as much as I can!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8.00am Once my son & husband are out the door, I start work addressing anything urgent that\u2019s come up overnight. I have a few hours before my American colleagues log off for their day, so I try to get back to them where possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8.30am \u2013 12.00pm With a lot of my team across Asia, I find my mornings less meeting intense, so if none with the Aussies I try to put my head down and work on big-ticket items that need my full attention. I also block daily \u201cwork time\u201d chunks in my calendar 2 weeks in advance \u2013 else I think I\u2019d sit in calls all day every day! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

12:00pm \u2013 12:30pm: Lunch. I do my best to step away from my laptop for 30 minutes a day \u2013I know it should<\/em> be a must and some weeks are better than others. Worst case, I try to switch one sit down call for a walk-around-the-block meeting. It helps me break up the day and get some much-needed vitamin D!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12.30pm \u2013 5:30pm: Time to connect with my team! Because my team is across APJ, a lot of my calls fall in the afternoon and evening. These meetings can focus on anything from business or project updates to coaching calls. I try to balance being in<\/em> and on<\/em> the business \u2013 but a lot of these hours I\u2019m going where my team needs me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5:30-7:30pm: This is my most precious time slot of the day, blocked in my calendar for \u201cMum time\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7.30pm \u2013 TBD:  I log back on most nights once my son is in bed \u2013 sometimes just for an hour in front of the TV, other nights for a series of calls or work. These on-off weeks come in waves depending on the time of the quarter, so I just ride the wave!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Veeam has always offered very flexible working arrangements, even before the pandemic. Most of my team are scattered across APJ so it always made sense for me to work from home a couple of days a week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we\u2019re in the \u2018new normal\u2019 (a phrase that\u2019s becoming as overused as \u201cPivot!\u201d and \u201cunprecedented times\u201d), the global business is working from home five days a week, but I\u2019ve really enjoyed getting that time back from commuting \u2013 every extra bit of family time is a huge bonus to me!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really do miss those water cooler chats with colleagues, so will probably end up back in the office one to two days a week next year. I\u2019m grateful to have been able to really tailor my personal and professional life from week to week because the two are ever changing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I try not to use the term \u201cwork-life balance\u201d because I think it makes people feel like they have to be in a nirvana state of equilibrium, which isn\u2019t realistic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My life is more of a HIIT session than a yoga class! Some weeks I definitely work too many hours and others I feel like I get it \u201cright\u201d. I\u2019m learning that right for me isn\u2019t the same as right for others, so to make sure I\u2019m doing right by myself, I have a few check boxes to tick:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. \u00a0Have I spent enough time with my family?\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>
  2. Have I done enough exercise to not feel like a blob?\u00a0<\/li>
  3. What\u2019s my general state of wellbeing \/ tiredness?\u00a0<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    So many factors impact how I answer these. An exciting project at work or a sick child up in the middle of the night can dramatically sway how I feel, so I try to be good to myself when I feel out of balance, give myself a bit of a talking to, and refocus for the next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Order our Daily Routines ebook today! Featuring first-hand interviews, insights and revelations compiled from 50 of the world\u2019s most successful people.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This year, I have initiated a \u201cMum Time \u2013 please do not block over without asking me\u201d recurring meeting in my calendar from 5.30 \u2013 7.30pm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is strictly reserved for spending time with my son before I put him to bed. This is a sacred time to me.\u00a0 The way I view it, there are not many things that are so urgent that they can\u2019t wait until 7.30pm, but if so it\u2019s the exception not the rule<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since the start of the pandemic, I\u2019ve also stopped working weekends (even the Sunday night email clean-up I was routinely doing prior). I made the decision very early on that if I was going to be working from home indefinitely, and now in my new role with more late night calls, I\u2019d need to be more strict on creating boundaries between my personal and professional life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m still taking books over podcasts\u2013 especially biographies, autobiographies & memoirs. Here\u2019s a few of my favourites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n