30Under30 Nominee: Rachel Go

Great to hear from 30 Under 30 Nominee Rachel Go who oversees the project delivery team at Emporia, specialising in optimising revenue operations and supplier partnerships.

How did you get into the industry and reach this point?

Like many in market research, I entered the industry somewhat by accident. After graduating from college with a science degree, I found my way to a role in client services at an expert network firm, focused on connecting financial clients with industry experts for B2B qualitative research.

Now, nearly two years into my journey with Emporia Research, I’m proud to be one of the early hires who has helped to shape how we grow and scale. My research experience zoomed out from the tiny slice that is expert recruitment to the broader world of online B2B quantitative research. Currently, I oversee delivery to our top strategic accounts, specialising in optimising revenue operations and supplier partnerships.

Why should someone consider a career in market research, data and insights?

The insight space is a great place to start your career as a young professional. Whether on the client side or the agency side, research is inherently cross-functional. You get a close up view into every corner of a business, from operations to production to marketing to customer success. I am also a big believer in the opportunity to build a successful career in market research with a background in any prior discipline (for example, my previous training was in psychobiology and food science). 

Beyond that, it’s a very people-centric industry that’s ripe for innovation. Right now, there is a huge opportunity to rethink how we gather insights, engage B2B participants and apply artificial intelligence and other types of technology to streamline and enhance research processes in support of our clients. I’m excited to be a part of this change!

Career paths are rarely without challenges. Can you share a moment from your career when things didn’t go to plan, but the lessons learned remain with you to this day?

One of the biggest challenges in my career was pivoting into a fully remote early-stage startup after working in a highly structured, in-person role. The learning curve was steep, but joining an agile team taught me how to make quick decisions in the face of uncertainty, stay adaptable and collaborate with company leadership. 

Another challenge I’ve faced in the last year has been learning to manage people effectively. Stepping into this kind of supervisory role required me to shift away from the urgency and delivery-oriented mindset that served me well as an individual contributor. Instead, I had to quickly get comfortable with developing others through giving constructive feedback, adapting to different communication and work styles, understanding what motivates individual staff and creatively recognising their achievements. 

While these challenges have stretched me, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to keep upskilling myself and growing alongside the team as we scale at Emporia Research. 

What two things should junior researchers focus on as they progress in their careers?

Stay curious. Just because something has been done a certain way for decades, doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it. Bring your creativity and innovative ideas to try to improve your work, no matter how large or small the project is. And keep asking questions, even 2 years into the company!

Character matters. Character goes well beyond just being a hard worker. Your integrity and authenticity will have a big impact on your team and business, through the ability to connect with people on different levels.

Do you have any advice for our sector?

If I had one piece of advice, it’s to challenge industry tradition. There is still a remarkable amount of inertia in how research studies are run. We often see the same providers and processes recycled year after year. But it seems that the new reality is that the way we reach and engage B2B audiences is quickly evolving! I am excited by the significant potential that exists in leveraging technology to tackle operational inefficiencies, improve participant experience and pilot new ways to collect insights. 

Is there anyone who has helped or supported you in your career who you’d like to acknowledge or thank? 

Many people have helped me get to where I am today, but I wanted to take the time to acknowledge one of my formal mentors from college, Rania Missoumi, an investor/operator in healthcare. We met through the UCLA alumni mentor programme. Serendipitously, she was seeking an intern to support the acquisition of a B2B healthcare firm. Rania taught me so much about commercial awareness, leadership and resilience, skills essential to entrepreneurship and the search process!

In addition, I want to thank the key leaders at Emporia Research, Michael Hess, Jake Roeland and Mark Hannan, for believing in me early on and creating a culture for constructive ambition and ownership to thrive.

I also appreciate Jon Blanton who always sets the bar high when it comes to delivery for our clients. Working with him has made me sharper and more intentional in my output.

And lastly, thank you to all my brilliant teammates for supporting me and giving me the space to build professional confidence!