Sherrill Kaplan, VP, Head of Marketing & Sales – Zipcar
You know one of those women you admire for both her smarts & spunk? That’s Sherrill Kaplan. I first met Sherrill while we both bled pink and orange – running digital marketing & innovation for Dunkin’ – and was always impressed by her work ethic, relatability and intrapreneurial nature. Now, as Head of Marketing & Sales for Zipcar, Sherrill brings her passion for all things digital into the sharing economy. As someone who’s wired to be connected, we spoke about how she manages to turn off.
This interview was conducted in Boston & was condensed and edited for clarity.
Catching Up
Something’s missing; we didn’t SoulCycle before this interview! I heard you recently completed your 500th ride.
I know, it’s now our thing. My first class was about 5 years ago (don’t add up the bill) and I cried through the whole thing.
*For anyone who’s confused by crying @ the gym, make sense of it here.
Same here. Is SoulCycle your ‘Sherrill space?’
Yes, it’s one of the only times I can truly think – from the moment my eyes open each morning, I have anywhere from 1-4 other people in bed with me and I feel I’m always running on a hamster wheel. When I need a reset, to think through something at work, or step outside my body, it’s those 45 minutes.
It’s ironic – SoulCycle instructors tell you not to think about work during class but inevitably, you do.
It’s typically that song after arms [laughs], where they’re saying inspirational things, that your mind wanders. Each instructor finds a way to connect to every single person in that room – all they’re doing is realizing we’re all human and in this together. Whether it’s not appreciating yourself enough or needing a push to realize your potential, those are universal truths they’ve latched onto. I swear this is not a SoulCycle commercial!
A Look Back
The energy you bring to SoulCycle you also bring to work. Take us through your professional journey thus far.
Did you know my undergrad degree is in special education? Senior year, one of my advisors told me: “This career is really hard. Try something else first. You can always come back.” So I listened, grateful someone told me what to do.
I had taken a business class and enjoyed it, so that was enough for me! I went off to business school thinking I’d be a school administrator. I tend to “gut” and not over-research.
It’s good to know that about yourself. After business school, Citi came calling – connect those dots for us.
I was recruited into Citi’s rotational, management associate program, which worked well as I was one of the only MBAs without years of business experience. I started out in NYC in back office credit card operations. We worked with huge pieces of equipment that received checks & sent statements. I was enabling the business on the back-end but became interested in a front-end marketing rotation. After a few years on the Citi marketing team, I moved into card acquisition at Amex and later, membership & loyalty where I managed the Membership Rewards gift card program.
Do you consider Amex where you began your leadership track?
Yes, Amex is where I got my first director role and I suddenly found myself regarded differently in the marketplace. I loved my time at Amex but Adam, my husband, had just landed a job in Boston and we were pregnant. He moved to Boston and I stayed – trying to figure out how I could stay with Amex and work remotely. This was 2008, and the workplace hadn’t made the shift to the remote culture we enjoy today.
Eventually Dunkin’ came calling and good thing they did.
Yes, it was a good run. When I started, I led the gift card and loyalty programs – in 2011, we were sending Dunkin’ cardholders paper coupons in the mail! By the time I left 7 years later, I was leading digital marketing & innovation, which meant I oversaw mobile, loyalty, CRM, mobile ordering, payments and more. Looking back, technology was part of everything I did, but I never really looked at it that way.
I was recently speaking with someone in the industry who boiled it down to the fact that digital is just a channel for good marketing & storytelling. I’d never looked at it that way, and like that take. Was it an uphill battle to digitize the business?
Incredibly challenging. In the beginning, franchisees weren’t happy with the loyalty program and told me to come back to them when we had something better. It became a turning point. We had the blessing of a blank page. We hired Digitas as an agency partner and together, we built the loyalty program that exists today, DD Perks.
At Work & At Home
Quite a ride at Dunkin’. Now you’re overseeing marketing & sales for Zipcar. Where do you focus your time & how has the business been impacted by the recently IPO-ed Uber & Lyft?
Zipcar is a performance marketing engine, but in this role I’ve expanded my remit to include areas I hadn’t yet managed directly like media and brand. We’re doing a lot of insights work right now to fully understand consumer mindsets and behaviors, which will translate to a refreshed brand expression. It’s been fascinating.
The popularity of ride sharing has impacted the short-distance use case for Zipcar, however our members use Zipcar for a variety of reasons. Our primary competition is not Uber or Lyft, it’s personal car ownership. So, the more mobility options people have (e.g. – ride sharing, bikes, public transport, car sharing etc.), the more likely they are to shed a personally owned car or never buy one in the first place!
Switching gears, you’re in an always-on role in a fast-paced industry. With three young girls at home, how do you set an example for them when it comes to technology?
It’s so, so hard. I had the gift of some time to reflect before starting at Zipcar. First, I realized the aforementioned hamster wheel doesn’t stop, so moving forward, it was on me to create my own boundaries. I also realized there’s so much happening in my kid’s lives during the day – their lives are lived while I’m at work.
Something amazing may happen at school at 9am and by the time I’m home at 6pm, it’s long gone from their memory. I reflected on that and remembered that often…I’d come home, rush to put them to bed, just so I could work some more. How ridiculous is that? I realized I was missing being present in their lives living like this. Part of it was self-inflicted, but I concluded no one at work is going to tell me to spend more time with my children – it was on me.
So in that time off, you vowed to be better about it.
Yes, I was very open with my new team at Zipcar about the importance of my other job – being a present mom to 3 amazing kids. They know if I’m not answering emails, it’s because I’m with my family… and I encourage them to do the same.
You have a nanny – do you receive judgment from other working moms?
I’m sure I do. But here’s another thing I’m working on… I’m trying not to care as much about people’s judgements of me. I am learning I can’t please everybody so I just try to do the best I can. On the personal front, I truly believe my kids are better kids because they’ve had 3 parents. Our nanny, Maria, is part of our family, and my kids benefit from all the things that she is that I am not. She also recently moved in as Adam took on a new role that requires more travel. It’s a huge help but still, my life is like a game of whack-a-mole, juggling everything and putting fires out one at a time.
You’re harder on yourself than you realize. I still remember a meeting where we were trying to schedule a Friday follow-up; you were willing to make any time work, except a few hours of scheduled 1:1 time with your daughter. That stuck with me because I never heard anyone else state a boundary like that.
That makes me really happy to hear.
Speaking of scheduling 1:1 time, how do you try and teach your kids to have a healthy relationship with technology?
I probably overcompensate. They’re not allowed to watch TV or use the computer during the week. Weekends are different but I’m okay with that because there’s benefit in downtime. I could be creating a monster here in that they feel deprived, but it works for us right now. It’s funny though, they’re starting to notice how much we’re on our phones and mention it to us. So I now leave my phone behind when I help them get ready for bed so there’s not that distraction.
What I’m sensing is your identity was tied to work for a long time & now, you’re consciously trying to change that.
That’s 100% right. I didn’t realize I had fallen into that trap until I had some space, and it’s been a blessing. I’m now a better leader, wife, mother, daughter and friend because of it.
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