Glanris' Anastasia Eagle on Marketing Our Industry, Our Organizations, and Ourselves - How Gender Identity and Body Type Changes Treatment of Women Water Professionals

Like many Women working in Marketing and Communications in the Water Industry, Anastasia was introduced to the Water World through her father, with whom she co-founded a fast growing water tech startup (Glanris). Often working in the Exposition Halls at water conferences, Anastasia and Dr. Cat discuss the treatment of women in these spaces - giant halls filled with water equipment and sales engineers - which is quite a different experience from the "technical sessions and general assembly" portions of water conferences.

Anastasia shares how she co-founded Glanris with her father, combining her marketing and design background with his technical expertise to create a company that operates at the intersection of climate and water. She mentions that the fields of climate and water are often insular, and people outside these industries often do not understand their work. She notes that this insularity can contribute to issues in outreach and communication. The speaker's company offers a virtual water leader lab that teaches basic marketing skills to water professionals. As a CMO of a startup, she recognizes the importance of effective communication and marketing..

Anastasia shares her experience as a head of marketing in the water industry, highlighting the need to tailor messaging and target customers. She emphasizes the importance of understanding market psychology, developing customer-focused materials, and ensuring sales team effectiveness. The speaker also discusses the impact of appearance on interactions with potential customers at trade shows. She stresses the importance of building relationships with both technical and sales teams for marketing success.

We talk about some of the challenges and opportunities of marketing B2G or B2B to utilities and companies in the water treatment industry, noting that social media is not just about direct sales but also about building relationships and educating customers. Using social media as an educational platform is key for startups and new companies, as it allows them to showcase their unique products and differentiate themselves from competitors. The speaker emphasizes the importance of educational content, which can be used to build awareness and interest in the company's products and services.

Wealso talk about the Expo Halls at Water Conferences. While most of the Water Sector seems to have moved beyond the days of the "booth babes" (pretty women brought in by companies to attract potential clients to their exhibits), there are still instances when women may be harassed, especially when the receptions begin and the alcohol flows.

As a queer woman who was "plus sized" until a recent weight loss of more than 70 pounds, Anastasia talks about how her experience in the expos has changed as she became more "femme" in her new, slimmer body. She also talks about how clients and prospects often look past her to talk to the male sales engineers, even though she is Chief Marketing Officer for the company.

The conversation addresses the internal biases that women have and how it affects their decision-making process in professional settings. The speaker discusses how women are conditioned to dress a certain way to be taken seriously and how it affects their perception in the workplace. The conversation also touches on the gender disparity in the workforce and how the problem is not just limited to men but also exists among women. The speaker highlights the importance of recognizing and respecting people based on their knowledge, experience, and capabilities, rather than their body types or looks. We also discusses how ageism affects women in the workplace and how society's perceptions about aging impact women's professional lives.

Anastasia highlights the importance of focusing on positive innovations in the field of water and bridging the gap between scientific understanding and effective communication. Marketing plays a key role in this, but there are unique challenges in the public sector-driven market of water. Collaboration between marketing and sales teams is crucial in small firms.

We talk about the importance of marketing in the water industry - especially for startups - and how we, as women, "market" ourselves with our appearances and biases around body types. Anastasia talks about how her change in appearance has affected her experience in the water industry. She acknowledges the privileges she has had and the challenges faced by women's health issues in the industry. Dr. Cat and Anastasia hope to be part of the solution to bring positive changes in the industry.