Julia Cook knows what explosive growth looks like.
Since Cook joined the team 11 years ago, Scorpion’s headcount has skyrocketed from 10 employees to over 800. The company, whose digital marketing and technology solutions help small businesses grow their online presence and boost their revenue, now counts over 10,000 clients.
As Scorpion’s business has grown, so too has Cook’s career. Cook started as a project and content manager and is now the company’s chief client success officer.
“I usually tell people that they’ll grow more in one year at Scorpion than they would in three years anywhere else because we really focus on growing our people,” said Cook. “We know they’re our most important asset.”
We recently sat down with Cook to learn more about how the company maintains its “accessible” culture despite its rapid expansion, as well as what makes Scorpion such a compelling place to grow a career.
Can you tell us about your career journey at Scorpion, as well as what your current role entails?
When I started at Scorpion, we were so small that each of us wore many hats. I wrote all the content for the websites the salesperson I worked with sold, and I’d also help manage those projects both before and after the website’s launch. As we grew, we saw the need for functions to break out. I’ve been a part of both our marketing and various client support departments since they were established.
In my role as chief client success officer, I focus on ensuring our clients get the best possible results and service. It’s as simple as that. I have a passion for providing the best product on the market to our clients, because I believe in helping businesses achieve their goals.
What’s the culture at Scorpion like, and how does it trickle down and impact the mission and vision of your team?
The culture is one of excellence, innovation, support, and smart, hard work. We laugh all the time and have so much fun, but we also get more done than I’ve seen in any other organization. I tell people who want to work at Scorpion that you’ll fit right in if you’re the kind of person who loves the push: pushing the envelope, pushing yourself, pushing your peers and pushing for the next best thing.
Because we in leadership are so open and accessible, it’s a lot easier for culture to trickle down than you might think. I talk to people in client-facing roles every day, as well as their managers. It’s because of our accessibility that we’re able to ensure everyone knows what we’re all about.
There’s nothing more important in a manager than the ability to communicate, except maybe the ability to listen.”
Can you describe your management style and what’s shaped it?
I manage people the way I like to be managed. I give them space to grow and make their own decisions, but I also keep them on track when need be. There’s nothing more important in a manager than the ability to communicate, except maybe the ability to listen. I believe that it’s a manager’s duty, honor and privilege to help bring the best out in every single one of their employees.
My purpose at Scorpion is to help those in my departments do their best every day. I’m there to remove obstacles, smooth out roadblocks and guide people to the best of my ability. It’s truly the best job in the world because I love everyone who works for me and we have so much fun together.
How do you balance your own personal and professional growth with the growth of your team?
We all push each other to constantly learn and become better versions of ourselves. Because our culture is so focused on innovation and effective results, it comes naturally. Scorpion offers a lot of personal and professional growth opportunities, like “Scorpion University” courses, online training, in-person seminars and coaching — really anything you can think of. I usually tell people that they’ll grow more in one year at Scorpion than they would in three years anywhere else because we really focus on growing our people. We know they’re our most important asset.
As your team grows, what is the most important trait or skill you look for when hiring?
I get this question a lot, because I do a lot of our interviews myself. There are so many different things I could say about necessary skills and traits, but I’ve boiled it down to a single word: willingness. You need a willingness to learn, grow, change, adapt and push yourself. You also need a willingness to do anything to ensure a client succeeds, and the willingness to be the best version of yourself, every single day. It’s a simple word, but it represents the mindset that we have here.
