If you’re a loyal Newsette reader, you know we love our segments (“Morning Routine,” “What She Does,” etc.) and we’re here with an exciting new weekly November series called #WomenWhoTweet, in collaboration with Twitter. Social media can be an incredibly powerful tool to market your personal brand, forge connections, and interact with powerful women from anywhere in the world. To celebrate this female-empowering connectivity, we’re teaming up with Twitter on month-long programming, which includes a 4-part segment where we interview inspiring women growing their careers via the platform, an A-list panel hosted at Twitter’s NYC HQ, and (much!) more that we’ll be revealing soon. Today, as part of our #WomenWhoTweet series with Twitter, we’re spotlighting the company’s very own Chief Marketing Officer & Head of People Leslie Berland (@leslieberland), who, along with leading thousands of team members to success, also serves as a board member for Make-A-Wish America. #CareerGoals. Below, she tells us about her advice for women building a brand on Twitter, her journey to her coveted position and her favorite hashtags. 

Can you walk us through your journey to Twitter? What was one thing that pleasantly surprised you when you joined the team?

My career started in comms and PR. I was fascinated by the media, and totally energized by the power of words. I worked at PR agencies early on with a focus on health and disease awareness. I later joined American Express, which I loved, and was there for 10 years. I started in comms, which later evolved into social media work, then digital partnerships, and then marketing. Fun fact: I was the first-ever Tweeter for American Express, a sign! I joined Twitter as CMO in early 2016–there hadn’t been a CMO before so there was an incredible amount of white space and the opportunity to build, which was incredible. I knew how amazing the people at Twitter were through my work with them over the years, but I was immediately struck by how truly special everyone is–the culture, the community, the heart and passion. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

Twitter is focused on sharing the user’s point of view through a limited number of words. What are a few ways our readers can use Twitter if they’re looking to grow their personal brands?

The brevity and speed of Twitter is what makes it so unique. What’s amazing about Twitter too is that you can connect and talk to people you know but also people you don’t know, and want to know! We hear from people all the time that they found a job, a partner, new friends, or a community through Twitter.

On Twitter and off, your personal brand should just be who you are. Jump in and find people you want to follow and learn from, engage in conversation, ask questions. Twitter is a way to communicate with people in such a raw and open way, and it’s not behind a closed wall–it’s there for everyone to join, to grow from, to enjoy.

Celebrities, authors, influencers, entrepreneurs, and investors use Twitter to interact with their followers and sometimes even find rising talent. Can you name a few women who you think are really killing it on Twitter?

  1. @chrissyteigen 
  2. @GodisRivera
  3. @sza
  4. @iamcardib
  5. @kathiepham
  6. @freialobo
  7. @sarahrosen
  8. @marciadorsey

What’s one common misconception people have about Twitter?

Sometimes people are intimidated by the idea of tweeting, they think it’s only for people with really important things to say. In reality, Twitter is the place where conversations about all topics are happening all the time, they’re fun and open and light. Some of the best conversations we see are those that start with people tweeting open questions.

Who is one person you follow that you’d love to power brunch with and why?

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) – She just joined the Twitter Board of Directors and I’m in awe. She has such depth and insight, a powerful perspective. She’s had such a fascinating journey. An inspiration. I’m going to ask her!

What’s your favorite hashtag?

I can’t pick one favorite hashtag because following what’s trending every day is key to my Twitter experience, and why I find it so valuable. Simple, powerful hashtags have started movements like #MarchForOurLives and #MeToo, daily conversations around sports (#NBATwitter!) and news are an incredible way to get so many perspectives, and of course the fun, light hashtags, like #Halloween this week, that make Twitter everything that it is.