• by Lisa Singer , Staff Writer, October 20, 2023

Behind the Scenes with Julie Wade

Taziki's Julie Wade talks about making the difficult decision, staying open to opportunities, and human connections.

I've had the opportunity to connect with and learn from executives of major brands at MediaPost's Insider Summits. In the process I've discovered some truly impressive women -- not only for the work they do, but their stories behind the scenes. With Brand Insider: BTS, I get to pull back the curtain on some of the most influential women marketers as they talk about their path to success: the twists and turns, obstacles, inspirations and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

"I was like, well, I have kids and I eat food. So if that makes me qualified, then, okay, I'm game.” However, that wasn’t Julie Wade’s initial response. When the now senior director of marketing at Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe was offered a position in the food service industry, an area she had limited experience in, her first instinct, like many women, was to say no, I’m not qualified. But after some urging from her former boss, she ultimately said yes. In this episode of Brand Insider: BTS, Julie tells me how after taking the chance, she immediately started learning everything she could. And it's that leap of faith that brought her to where she is today. She also talks about always wanting to learn, the value of connections and her favorite summer food…chicken and pasta salads. You can watch the entire conversation here: