A recent Harris Poll showed that 36% of employed Americans say they rely on financial assistance programs offered by their employer for financial guidance and advice. Thus, this is a real opportunity for the FinTech industry to spread the word about how they can help, hopefully helping the industry to rebound while supporting the American worker. Everyday Jeanniey Walden, the Chief Innovation & Marketing Officer at Dailypay supports American workers by giving them the power of choice and control over their pay.
An Interview conducted between Jeanniey Walden and Insights Success talks about how DailyPay plans on continuing to innovate its product offerings to meet the demands of the most technologically advanced generation.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Please brief our readers about your leadership position at DailyPay
As the Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer at DailyPay, I oversee and strategize marketing campaigns that elevate DailyPay’s brand value and image. I like to approach every project with a critical, analytical mindset to attract new prospects and to increase our partners’ engagement levels.
Working at DailyPay is challenging yet rewarding because I know that everyday I have an opportunity to drive an impact that makes the world a better place. DailyPay empowers employees to achieve financial wellness by equipping them with the most advanced technology that enables them to access their earned pay before payday. Marketing our products and representing DailyPay on national TV and radio channels to help individuals is simultaneously life-changing and enjoyable.
Apart from my position as a CIMO, I am dedicated to supporting young female professionals at DailyPay and am involved in DailyPay’s women employee resource group, DailyWomen.
What were the challenges and experiences you came across prior and after becoming Entrepreneurial Chief Marketing Officer, Author, and Mentor?
Nothing happens overnight. I started from the bottom and took on all sorts of positions. I got the opportunity to run my own start-upwhere I was forced to wear many hats. Learning how to do tasks that didn’t fall under the traditional marketing role was foreign to me. It was an arduous process, but I was able to gain a lot of knowledge in a short time span and it gave me a fresh approach to a problem, compared to other marketing professionals who only had a career in marketing. I am able to efficiently lead my team at DailyPay since I have a better grasp on my team’s capabilities and have been in their shoes. I was also able to turn my experiences into a book.
Looking back at my career, I am where I am today because I leveraged my past experience as a stepping stone for my next position. Even after becoming a C-suite executive member, author and, mentor, I am continually searching for ways to use these positions to expand my career.
What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it in your organization?
DailyPay and our employer Clients understand that positive work culture, good employee benefits, and a strong mission are absolutely critical to employees’ engagement level and job performance. DailyPay strives to create an inclusive, positive work culture in so many ways- we offer free workout classes, care packages, holiday activities, and unlimited PTO. Within the marketing team, we hold virtual happy hours and celebrations for our employees. I also encourage my team to take a mental health day every month to prevent burnout.
We also have company values that determine what we’re known for. We want our culture and values to be what sets us apart, both as an on-demand pay provider and as an employer. One of those values that are near and dear is that #WeWinWithDiversity. We’re proud to offer a number of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at DailyPay, which have budgets for initiatives/activities, service works, and of course, swag.
What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?
My youngest daughter, Kristina, greatly influenced my life. Kristina was born prematurely on a farm with no sunlight, survived off of goat milk, and was kept warm by a boiling pot of water before being taken to the hospital. She also had to learn an entirely new language after getting adopted by our family. But, she was able to overcome all these obstacles thrown her way and is now a healthy, young cadet. She continues to strive for greatness and lets nothing stop her in her tracks. She is a remarkable lady and I am always in awe of her resilience.
Another important figure in my life is my old boss at JCPenney. With no teaching jobs available after graduating from college, I took on a part-time job at JCPenney. My manager encouraged me to take on different roles and helped me step foot into JCPenney’s corporate office. Under their mentorship, I quickly gained new skills and had a completely new path ahead of me. Soon I was promoted to a marketing role where MY job was to find a way to impress and attract potential customers. I didn’t realize it then, but this opportunity was just the starting point of my marketing career
What is your vision for DailyPay for the next five years?
DailyPay partners with hundreds of forward-thing blue-chip companies and their millions of employees nationwide and is the leading on-demand pay platform among Fortune 100 companies.
There are 131 million working adults in America, all of whom could use some feature in our product set.
It’s still in the early days, with tremendous growth opportunities in a new industry. While COVID was difficult for many reasons, it enabled on-demand pay to move from important to essential. Americans finally saw the widespread need for flexible pay as hourly and essential workers were catapulted into headlines in a long-term, unprecedented emergency around the country.
In five years, we expect that at least 75% of U.S. businesses will offer a daily pay benefit — and, of course we hope that they work with us, the gold standard in the industry.
With Millennials and Gen Z making up most of the U.S. workforce, we plan on continuing to innovate our product offering to meet the demands of the most technologically advanced generation.