Inside Smarty® - Caroline Roweton
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it a zillion more times—nobody puts the “care” in Caroline as Ms. Roweton does! Often referred to as the chill vibes chick around the office, Caroline has a calming presence (unless she’s pulling some seriously rad pranks like stealing Randy Buttons in the dark of night and holding him hostage for days).
As an Associate Product Manager, Caroline is responsible for researching and defining Smarty’s international products. She also performs competitive research, communicates with customers, gathers and prioritizes feature requests from them, supports sales through custom deals and pricing, and is pretty much just a superhero.
If we were to list all of her duties and responsibilities, we might have to write a novel.
Background
So, how did this sugar-sweet powerhouse rise to who she is now? Caroline started out wanting to be a high school principal at one point but deviated completely as she fell in love with working in product management. Her career opportunities blossomed as she took on the Service and Engagement Manager role for Target.
When asked how she’s developed her job-related skills, Caroline responded that in college, she majored in Experience Design and Management at BYU. She stated that this was where she learned about user journeys and touchpoints in a business process scope.
“I use these skills every day when it comes to thinking critically about how customers are actually using our product from start to finish. I thrive on finding the pain points and addressing them. As someone who works with every department all day, my natural skill of being able to talk to anyone has definitely come in handy.”
What resources do you use to stay current in your job skills?
“I spend lots of time lurking on Linkedin, learning from others who have been in the industry much longer than I have! I got certified as a product manager through The Pragmatic Institute, which I loved, and I, of course, have so many mentors here at Smarty that have taught me almost everything I know.”
What are some common challenges you face at work?
“Having my hands in so many different little tasks - it's hard to keep track of or feel like I ever truly "finish" a project.”
What part of your job do you completely “nerd out” over while doing it?
“I really enjoy talking to customers. It's fun to hear firsthand what problems they face so that I can take that information, dig deeper into potential solutions, and then turn this data into real products that address real needs. I also love that I get to work with every single department in the company. I've learned a lot about processes within each department and have so much respect for my peers.”
What has been your most joyful discovery?
“When I graduated from college, I realized that my free time no longer had to be filled with classes. It was completely mine, and that was a perfect discovery!”
She elaborated by saying:
“Honestly, discovering product management as a career path that suited my skills was the coolest discovery ever. I didn't even know what a product manager was when I first started at Smarty, and now I have gotten to work in this department, which feels like it was made just for me and my skill set. I love what I do!”
Where do you experience your most energizing moments?
“Spending time with my family and friends is a necessary part of every day for me! Even if we aren't doing anything exciting, I feel like I've had a successful day if I've spent time with people I love.”
Caroline’s response couldn’t have been more on track—she’s an extroverted people person through and through.
Being involved with so many different departments and people has taught her a lot, and she was kind enough to share that information with us, too, saying, “I learned very quickly in this role that I have to be far more organized than ever before. Documentation, task tracking, and note-taking are really helpful because I feel more in control of my tasks when there are 30 things on my mind.”
After being so inspired by her answers and the way she conducts herself in the workplace, we just had to ask one final question.
What or who inspires you, and why?
“I'm inspired by the type of people who can look at a problem and spin it on its head to find a new solution because I strive to be someone like that!”
Congratulations, Caroline! You’re already there. We think you’re an excellent, valuable, and fun part of our team. We love the way your brain works, and we’re grateful to be able to continue learning from you—even if it means we have to succumb to your pranks a few hundred times in the process. 😘
