Breaking into male-dominated boardrooms and navigating the corporate world requires more than just skill – it demands unwavering confidence and a willingness to challenge the status quo. For nearly three decades, one marketing executive has turned career pivots and calculated risks into stepping stones for success. Now, as the founder of an innovative media marketplace, she’s tackling her biggest challenge yet: transforming how marketers and publishers buy and sell offline advertising space.
Beth Mach brings the same tenacity that defined her corporate career to Spacely, where she’s proving sometimes the best opportunities come from tackling problems others claim can’t be solved.
Embracing Curiosity for Career Growth
Growing up in Detroit shaped Beth’s straightforward approach to career growth. “If you don’t ask, you don’t know,” she says, reflecting on her early professional years. This mindset came from watching her parents forge unconventional paths. Her father built a career through a variety of roles as a stockbroker, wine reseller, commercial property manager, and public speaker, while her mother broke barriers as one of the first few women drafters at Ford Motor Company.
Entrepreneurship runs deep in her family. Her husband’s parents built and ran a manufacturing company for over 40 years, showing Beth firsthand what it takes to build something from scratch. These influences helped her develop a healthy relationship with risk-taking, change, and adaptation.
Thriving in Corporate Environments
Standing five feet tall, Beth learned early on that presence isn’t just about physical stature. “Being a five-foot tall blonde woman doesn’t always come with authority,” she notes with characteristic candor. Her solution? A combination of five-inch heels and an outsized personality. “When I would wear flats, people would say ‘Oh my gosh, I never knew you were so short because your presence doesn’t match.'”
Throughout her career, Beth deliberately chose positions that pushed her beyond her comfort zone. “I never took the same job or level twice,” she explains. “There’s an element of risk, an element of unknown and uncertainty that I’m very comfortable with – almost addicted to, I would say.”
Celebrating Key Professional Achievements
While there were many proud moments, one that stands out as a defining achievement came from leading a pitch for a major consumer packaged goods company. “It was a search advertising pitch covering 60 international markets, with just four people on the team,” she recalls. After six intense weeks of working around the clock in Europe, they secured the win. “When they announced the winners, we were like, ‘Wait, what? Us? Are you sure?'” The victory not only elevated their standing within the company but proved what a small, determined team could accomplish.
She brings this same determination to Spacely. “When people say it won’t work, we use that as energy to prove them wrong,” Beth states. Their early adopters often ask why no one has built this solution before. Her answer is refreshingly honest: “I’ll tell you why – it’s really hard.”
Building Confidence in Leadership
Through mentoring mid-career professionals, particularly women with 5-10 years of experience, Beth emphasizes authenticity over conformity. “Sometimes we want people to like us before being the boss,” she reflects. This insight came from her own journey of learning to balance relationship-building with decisive leadership. Her approach to handling workplace challenges combines tenacity with self-belief. “Even when I couldn’t say I fully believed in myself, I still did it,” she shares. “You have to believe in the words that you say.” This mindset proves especially crucial for women navigating male-dominated industries. “There are a lot of labels out there. It is up to you to make a choice, your choice to live to them or change them.”
For aspiring leaders feeling hesitant about their next move, Beth offers practical wisdom: “Find your own way to not quit. The hardship is already half over when you believe in yourself.” This philosophy has guided her through multiple career transitions and now drives her mission at Spacely, where she’s working to transform how companies buy and sell offline media.
Her current role brings together everything she’s learned about taking calculated risks and driving change. As she puts it, “Every day is different. While the name might stay the same, it isn’t the same every day. Even this morning, I’ve already had some interesting moment-by-moment changes that just make me go, ‘Yep, I’m right where I need to be right now.'”
To learn more about Beth’s work in revolutionizing offline media buying, check out her LinkedIn profile.
