Get To Know Miles

Mar 15, 2022

Tanya Gupta

This week on our Get to Know LiveLike series, we spoke with our very own VP of Business Development, Miles McDonald. Miles brings with him a great deal of sales and managerial experience, and has a true passion for identifying, developing and implementing growth opportunities. We’re proud to have someone like Miles on our team, and excited to get to share a bit about him!

Tell us a little bit about your career path. How did you get into business development?

I graduated with a degree in Sport Marketing and Management but like many recent college graduates I took the first paying job I could find, at Dunkin’ Brands, and I’m happy I did. I helped launch their first ever loyalty program called DD Perks and fell in love with the idea of building a strategy around growing and retaining customers. After working on the brand side, I wanted to move over to the publisher side and worked in both Account Management and Digital Advertising Sales. I loved the idea of owning and managing a variety of different clients and helping reach their unique goals.

Can you describe what a VP of Business Development does and what your typical workday looks like?

Where do I start?! One of the many benefits of working at a startup like LiveLike is that you’re always working on a variety of different things. For the most part I’m focused on identifying and approaching opportunities in new industries, nurturing and creating new partnerships, and driving our internal go-to-market strategy.

Did you always want to work in a business development role?

I actually did not know I wanted to work in business development until very recently. Prior to LiveLike I was in a strictly sales role, and while I liked certain aspects of the role, I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do long term. As I decided what I wanted to do next I thought of all the key skills I possessed and the job functions I liked doing best—account management, sales, high level strategy, partnerships, etc. I realized that business development encompasses all of those things and naturally led me to pursuing that type of role.

What have you learned about LiveLike (as both a business and a team) since you joined?

First and foremost, the power of the engagement toolkit LiveLike has built. From a business perspective it’s extremely rare to find a product that has so many use cases and is applicable to so many different industries. It makes it very easy to sell! From a team perspective, the ability to collaborate and continuously innovate. Our teams do a great job of understanding new market needs and tailoring our offers to always stay ahead of the current trends.

Is there anything else you’d want to share with those aspiring to work in business development?

Similar to my previous answer; focus less on the actual title and more on what skills the position requires. When pivoting away from sales I was worried I didn’t have the title “Business Development Manager” on my resume. But when I thought through all the skills required to be in business development I realized I had all of them and was passionate about them. At the end of the day, be confident in your skillset and what you bring to the table, and you’ll be an attractive candidate!

Thank you, Miles!

Written By

Megan Glover

Content Manager

Written By

Megan Glover

Content Manager