Let's Build Profoundly with Madelyn Donovan

The Evolution of HubSpot Expertise: Madelyn Donovan on Building Sustainable Success

In our continuing series introducing the founding Profoundly Pros who are shaping the future of the HubSpot ecosystem, we connected with Madelyn Donovan to explore how HubSpot expertise naturally evolves through hands-on problem-solving and authentic value creation. Her journey from "accidental admin" to strategic enabler provides valuable insights for anyone looking to grow their impact in the HubSpot ecosystem.

As organizations increasingly rely on HubSpot as their central business platform, the role of HubSpot expertise continues to evolve. Madelyn's story illuminates how deep platform knowledge combines with business acumen to create transformative value, particularly in bridging traditional gaps between marketing and sales teams.

A Natural Evolution into HubSpot Expertise

Madelyn's journey with HubSpot began, as she puts it, by being "crowned the HubSpot admin, whether you like it or not." Starting with internships in college and continuing through various startup roles, she found herself naturally gravitating toward HubSpot as a solution for small, agile organizations needing user-friendly tools that "just work."

This organic path into HubSpot expertise highlights a common pattern in the ecosystem – expertise often develops through hands-on problem-solving rather than predetermined career paths. As Madelyn explains, "HubSpot is great for startups and small shops, people who need something user-friendly and that will do a little bit of everything."

Bridging the Marketing-Sales Divide

One of the most valuable insights from Madelyn's experience is her approach to solving the persistent challenge of marketing and sales alignment. "At the end of the day, we're all just people going to work and we all have our respective jobs," she notes. "We all have the same goal at the end of the day."

Her perspective on using HubSpot as a unifying platform is particularly relevant as organizations struggle with digital transformation:

"HubSpot is a great denominator and everybody's using the same tool. Let's take care of it. Let's leave it better than we found it. Garbage in, garbage out. Let's find processes and practices that help everyone make this easier as we go."

The Power of Process-First Thinking

A recurring theme in Madelyn's approach is the focus on people and processes before technical solutions. As she explains, "You can do anything in HubSpot. That's not the problem. You're going to have to ask this person if they're okay with that, or you're going to have to ask this person what the options are, or who's going to get this, or what team – are they in HubSpot already? It's all the people stuff. And then you can build whatever."

This insight is particularly valuable as organizations increasingly rely on HubSpot for complex business processes. The platform's technical capabilities are vast, but success ultimately depends on human adoption and collaboration.

Looking Forward: CTAs and Beyond

Madelyn's upcoming session at the March 6th Profoundly Kickoff Event will focus on CTAs in HubSpot – a seemingly simple tool that exemplifies her approach to creating practical value. She'll cover not just the technical aspects but the strategic application: "what they are, why you should use them, some specific examples and use cases, some features especially because of the legacy to new CTA tool, and then best practices for managing them."

Practical Takeaways

1. Embrace the natural evolution of expertise through hands-on problem-solving
2. Focus on people and processes before implementing technical solutions
3. Use HubSpot as a unifying platform to bridge departmental divides
4. Build sustainable practices that leave the platform better than you found it
5. Stay current with platform evolution while maintaining focus on business outcomes

Join us on March 6th to learn more from Madelyn and other experts who are transforming how HubSpot expertise creates value. 

Watch the Full Episode