30Under30 Honouree: Joseph Wylie

Great to hear from Significant Insights Global 30 under 30 honouree Joseph Wylie who manages global supply and marketing efforts at Precision Sample, sits on the board of Michigan State University’s MSMRA Program, and leads Insights Association- South Central Chapter.

So, how did you get into the industry, and take us through how you got to this point?

I began my journey in marketing and insights as a student of the Master of Science in Marketing Research Program at Michigan State University. During my time in the program, I learned how to analyze and interpret the objective data that drives all other marketing segments. I was right at the intersection of psychology and business, and I’ve been enjoying my time here ever since!  I started as an intern with Precision Sample in 2018 after graduating, and since then, went from working directly with our clients as an Account Executive, to my current role as Director of Global Supply and Marketing. When I’m not optimizing our API partner integrations and helping design sample quality enhancements, I’m planning our company email campaigns, social media activity, SEO, and spearheading other marketing efforts.

Why should anyone consider a career in market research, data and insights?

There is so much to love about our industry.  Being involved with the process that guides companies to make their business decisions is fascinating and rewarding.  Whether you are working for an end-client as a researcher, a market research firm, or a supplier like me, every single day provides you with the opportunity to problem solve and expand your mindset.  The longer I’ve been in the industry, the more I’m realizing how small and tight knit our market research community is.  It’s incredible to be surrounded by individuals that look out for one another and share the same goals.

Career paths are rarely without challenges. Can you share an honest moment from your career when things didn’t go quite according to plan, but the lessons remain with you to this day?

 At the start of this year, I had the honor of taking on the role of President at Insights Association- South Central Chapter.  As President, it was my responsibility to lead efforts in organizing our annual two-day Las Vegas Insights Conference.  Historically, this event has always taken place in early Spring, but due to COVID restrictions, it was pushed back to late September in 2021.  Since fall is often very saturated with industry events, we began the process of moving it back to the Spring during my term as President and held our Annual Conference this year in early May, only about 7 months after the previous conference.  Going into this year’s conference, I knew, from a registration and sponsorship perspective, that the odds would be against us due to the quick turnaround time.  After countless reach-outs, building up an incredible speaker line-up, and garnering as many sponsors as we could, we still only managed to gather around 60 registrants. 

While this seemed like a major loss going into the event, I quickly learned that there were benefits to a smaller group of attendees.  During the event, I noticed the most audience engagement I had ever seen at an industry conference. 

There were so many amazing moments of collaboration between speakers and audience members during presentations that resulted in more empathetic ways of conducting research. 

So, the lesson I learned is to make the most of what you have in any given situation.  In this industry, you won’t always get the results you’re expecting, so it’s important to be adaptable in any environment!

What two things should junior researchers focus on as they progress in their careers?

First, they should focus on networking.  It’s totally free to join and get involved with organizations like Insights Association as a student and while job seeking.  It’s also a great way to learn from veterans of the industry and meet potential mentors. 

Next, they will want to focus on building up their resume with skills and relevant certifications.  There are a lot of free or inexpensive courses that you can take online to get certified in skills that may not have been covered in your previous studies.  Our industry is so dynamic, so there are always new things to learn about!

Do you have any advice for our sector?

With the rise of AI and advancements in technology, we need to be more adaptable than ever. To be adaptable will mean listening to those with different perspectives and with viewpoints that may differ from yours. 

Practicing empathy with those from different generational cohorts, different cultures, and with different experiential backgrounds will be essential in uncovering how we can harness AI as an opportunity rather than a threat.

And do you have anyone who has helped your career so far that you’d like to acknowledge and say thanks or give a shout out to?

I’ve been lucky to have some amazing mentors guiding me and supporting me throughout my career.  Huge shout-out to Merrill Dubrow, Jacci Weber, Lisa Hazen, Kelly Kitchens, and Don Golden.