Why I Joined BioBox as The Director of Marketing (3/3)
By: Zoe Chung
Tags: Genomics, Biotechnology, Startup Life, Startup Marketing, Saas Marketing

In The Beginning

At university I majored in Biomedical Sciences and minored in International Development. When I graduated, I aimed for a career in Global Health and somehow landed in the world of Advertising, loved it and stayed there for 3 years. There was always a small thought in the back of my head that said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could merge my love for science and marketing?”

A quick look at a job board could tell you that these opportunities were few and far between and I often told myself, “Maybe someday, but not now.”

In The Middle

The now came sooner than I thought and it started with these 7 words:

“I think I need to hire you.”

I spit out my coffee that day. My glorious productivity juice, completely gone to waste across my entire white desk.

These 7 words set off a series of events that resulted in 1 emotional rollercoaster, decision trees, pro/con charts, negotiations and an endless consumption of coffee to encourage my already high anxiety.

I was sitting on the fence for a long time.

Then our CEO said to me,

If there’s anything I can promise you, it’s that you’ll gain an arsenal of valuable skills that can take you anywhere you want to go.

I knew in that moment that the BioBox team was serious about helping me develop the skills I wanted to have and moulding me into the marketer I wanted to become.

So I took a chance, and now here I am.

Beyond what the role could offer me in terms of experience, I made the jump because it was so evidently clear why everyone else was there. If you’ve had the chance to read my colleagues’ posts, you’ll find that their personal experiences and purpose are so deeply ingrained in the company’s DNA. And for me, there’s no greater case for being employed here, than to be working with people who know what they’re doing and WHY they’re doing it.

From a marketing standpoint, it has been a privilege to market a product that solves the pain points expressed by our industry. It’s one thing to market something I believe in, and another when the industry is actively asking for a solution we’re already building. The more the scientific community vocalizes their concerns, the more convinced I am that BioBox is a solution that needs to be created. I feel a sense of responsibility in magnifying the work of my peers and it’s my job to ensure that their work is seen, heard and understood.

During the time I have been working at BioBox, I can confidently say that the team has given me ample support to run with my own ideas and initiatives. In 4 short months I have had to opportunity to:

Develop the entire website from scratch (twice) — prior to BioBox I did not know how to code.

Build and monitor all digital acquisition channels

Manage all social media platforms & content creation

Lead sponsorships & partnerships

My ability to do these things are made possible by a team who consistently pushes me to produce good work, seek opportunities and take risks.

In The End (which is really a new beginning)

So at this point in the post, you have watched a pretty epic dance video(IMHO) and learned about my brief history in 5 minutes or less. And now you’re probably wondering what the two have in common.

Whenever new opportunities come along, I never know where they will lead. When I auditioned for a dance team 7 years ago, I didn’t know that it would play a part in defining my life. The same way that the opportunity to join BioBox came out of left field and is reminiscent of my early dance days.

Both events are representative of a new start, with a sprinkle of mystery.

As for the outcome of this event? Well I don’t know, you’ll have to follow along and find out.