From Moonlighting to MarTech Consulting with Alden Dale

What is the best way to move from an in-house Marketing Operations role into consulting without immediately giving up the stability of your full-time job?

In this episode of the Society of Marketing Technology Consulting Podcast, Courtney Makara and Grant Gregorian sit down with Alden Dale of Inverta to explore his journey from in-house Marketing Operations to moonlighting as a consultant, running his own independent practice, and eventually joining a larger agency.

Alden shares how his interest in marketing technology began when he built his own automated email tool before discovering Eloqua, and how growing his Marketo expertise eventually created opportunities to take on consulting projects during nights and weekends.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Alden discovered Marketing Operations through Eloqua and marketing automation
• Starting a consulting side business while maintaining a full-time job
• Why getting your employer’s permission before moonlighting can be important
• How Alden incorporated his ability to consult on the side into negotiations for his next role
• Managing client expectations when you are only available during evenings and weekends
• The tradeoff between limited availability and more competitive freelance pricing
• How Marketo user groups, industry events, and professional relationships generated consulting opportunities

For MarTech and Marketing Operations professionals considering freelancing, moonlighting, independent consulting, or agency life, this episode offers a practical look at the different paths available and the tradeoffs that come with each.

If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe and rate the SMTC Podcast, and join the Society of Marketing Technology Consulting community through MarketingOps.com.