Hello there! My name is Joshua Marroquin and I’m super excited to be joining the YoPro fam. So, what’s this Josh guy all about? I’m a marketer, fundraiser, analyst and strategist with a main focus on advancing the digital efforts of Houston Public Media. As a part of the digital team, I help drive revenue during fundraising campaigns, market and promote content on social media, and help guide strategy by analyzing our stations digital trends on multiple platforms. I LOVE my career because the digital lane is always changing. As someone who greatly enjoys change and happily embraces it with wide open arms, it is a perfect fit for me.
BUT WAIT, before we learn more about your public media career, how did you even end up here?
Funny story actually. To much surprise, my career adventure began as a doctor…a financial doctor that is…working in the business industry helping people with their finances. One of the things I’ve always been passionate about and good at, is people. I enjoy talking to people, getting to know people, and more importantly: helping people. Did I tell you I’m a people person yet? 😉 One thing that has always remained constant in my career is being able to help others by analyzing numbers. And the sail steering that ship is my ever-growing love-hate relationship with data (more love than hate…IYKYK).
What is one challenge you experienced in your current role? How has the PBS Data Literacy Program helped you work through this, and what advice would you give those facing similar challenges?
The digital landscape is VAST and at times mirky, making it challenging to know where to prioritize efforts and time when analyzing data. There are so many different facets to look at within the digital sphere (website performance, social media, podcasts, streaming, etc.) and knowing which specific areas to zone in on in each of those spaces is a challenge within itself. With that in mind, this is why I was so excited to be accepted into the PBS Data Literacy Program. I absolutely LOVED the weeklong bootcamp back in August and was so bummed when it ended because I was learning so much! It was also great getting to converse and get to know more of my fellow PBS fam. It was comforting to know there were others who were facing the same challenges as me *shwooo, so you’re telling me it’s not just me??!*. I was beyond excited when the longer program was announced and could not hit that “apply” button fast enough! I am currently entering month 3 of the program and already feel more confident in understanding/communicating data. I’ve experienced a few professional development opportunities in my public media career, and this has by far been my favorite and most rewarding. 😊 Some words of wisdom I heard in an interview with PBS’s Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, Ira Rubenstein and Director of Digital Analytics, Joe Miscavige, is that it’s important to invest time and effort on actionable data.
With that being said, here’s are some of my own tips:
- BREATHE and ORGANIZE. Simple right? But sometimes data can look so intimidating and depending on what kind of data you are working with; it can feel so overwhelming you don’t know where to start.
- LESS IS MORE! Sounds so cliché, but less really is more. Many of the reports I compile are for executive leadership. One of the things I’ve learned and am still improving on is that it’s important to not oversaturate them with data.
- DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS!! Another obvious, but surprisingly difficult thing for some. If I don’t ask questions on what the need is, I don’t think I would ever be able to compile an effective report.
- To the other end of that, DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE ASKED QUESTIONS. I remember when I first had to present on our station’s digital insights…TERRIFYING…I know. I can manipulate and compile data reports all day and twice on Sunday, BUT my biggest fear when presenting it to a group of leaders is not the presenting part itself, but the possible questions I may get asked following the presentation. Yes, I know I look like I have all the answers, but that’s not always the case! However, I’ve learned that being asked questions I didn’t know the answers to actually help better shape my reports. The “why’s” and “what happened” lets me know my report is lacking context and isn’t meeting the needs of my constituents.
What is one thing you know now that you would go back to tell yourself at the beginning of your public media career?
If I could go back in time and tell my freshman public media-self anything, it would be don’t interpret data at a surface level. Explore, investigate, and dig! Learning comes from exploration. If I would’ve have done more of that at the beginning of my career, it would’ve helped me better understand the story data tells. And one more very important thing I’ve learned as an analyst, ACCURACY OVER PRECISION! When I first heard this statement in the data literacy bootcamp, it was like an ah-ha moment where the skies open up to let the sun peak out. I cannot tell you how much time and effort I’ve wasted in the past because I was too focused on precision in my data reporting. By focusing more on accuracy, you are still able to communicate the same pertinent information without sacrificing unnecessary time and effort.
So, what on earth do you do when you’re not hanging out with data?
When I’m not working, I love to explore the outdoors, listen to some chill tunes, and enjoy a good ole’ road trip. I love spontaneity, self-improvement, and fried pickles.
Looking to connect with Joshua Marroquin to learn more about his experience or obtain additional career advice? Email him today at: jmarroquin@houstonpublicmedia.org.
