Hitting your KPIs doesn’t mean the way you got there was actually good. Mercy Abel, founder of Who You Know, joins us to break a career rule most marketers follow without even realising it.
About Mercy Abel
Mercy Abel is a multi-award-winning marketer and the founder of Who You Know (WYK), a future workforce consultancy shaping the talent of tomorrow through learning, mentorship and strategic insight.
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Success Doesn’t Mean The Process Was Good
Hitting the numbers you wanted feels great, but if the process to get there was genuinely hellish, repeating it just because it “worked” is a fast track to burnout.
“Just because the outcome of something that you have worked on is successful doesn’t mean the process has to remain the same.”
Mercy Abel
- After your next successful project, write down what actually worked and what genuinely felt like a struggle, not just the result
- Don’t assume a painful process is the price of success. Look for what you could change before running it again
- Notice if you’re too tired to actually enjoy a win. That’s a signal the process needs revisiting, not just the outcome
Run A Postmortem Even If No One Asks For One
Reflection after a project shouldn’t only happen when results disappoint. If your team or seniors aren’t already doing this, you can start it yourself.
- Suggest a short wrap-up call or written recap after your next project, win or not
- If it doesn’t get picked up by leadership, do it for yourself anyway and keep notes for next time
- Bring what you learned into the next project’s kickoff, even informally
Present Solutions, Not Just Problems
When something didn’t go smoothly, naming the fix alongside the issue makes you look like someone who can be trusted with bigger decisions.
- When you flag a sticky point to a client or senior colleague, come with at least one alternative already in mind
- Frame feedback as “here’s what I’d try differently” rather than just listing what went wrong
- This is exactly the muscle senior marketers say they want more of in junior team members
Success that leaves you exhausted isn’t sustainable. Review the process, not just the result, and give yourself permission to actually enjoy the win next time.
Catch Mercy live at the Business of Marketing on 13 November.