intent.ly Live! 2025: Building a career that transcends affiliate marketing

Our third edition of intent.ly Live! included an insightful panel session packed full of practical advice on how to build a career beyond affiliate marketing. intent.ly’s Client Success Director Katy Scott was joined by two seasoned ecommerce pros who started out in affiliate marketing – Nicholas Caulfield, Senior Director of Growth & Operations at Expedia and Michelle Corp, Ecommerce Director at Lily’s Kitchen. Here’s a round-up of some of their top tips.

1. Start Where You Are and Stay Curious

While it often seems that few people start their careers with affiliate marketing in mind, those who find themselves in the industry discover a space full of opportunity and creativity. For many, it can become a launchpad for broader growth and lasting success.

Whether you come from journalism, advertising, or data, affiliate marketing gives you a crash course in how digital ecosystems work. What matters most is curiosity – seeing affiliate not just as a job, but as a training ground for commercial thinking, partnership building, and problem-solving.

2. Transferable Skills That Transcend Affiliate

Affiliate marketing is a microcosm of modern marketing: fast-paced, data-driven, and relentlessly collaborative. The panelists highlighted key skills that continue to serve them well in their senior ecommerce roles today:

Adaptability and resilience: Every quarter brings new tools, rules, and partners. Learning to stay calm under change builds long-term career stamina.
Relationship management and influence: Negotiating with partners teaches empathy, communication, and persuasion – critical in any senior leadership or cross-functional role.
Commercial thinking: Understanding how revenue flows, what drives ROI, and how incentives align gives affiliate professionals a rare strategic edge.
Data storytelling: Turning metrics into meaning is a skill honed in client presentations – and essential when talking to executives.
Preparation and research: Whether writing a partner brief or pitching internally, those who do their homework build trust and credibility.

“Account Managers have the pressure of maintaining relationships. As you develop, you learn how to influence people and your relationships.” – Nicholas

3. Future-Proofing Your Skillset

The digital landscape shifts fast, but so can you. The panelists shared practical ways to stay sharp:

Stay connected to industry news: Follow key publications like Hello Partner, The Drum, Econsultancy and eMarketer, as well as category-specific outlets like Skift, for the travel sector.
Learn from others’ work: Save great slide decks or campaign ideas you see and revisit them for inspiration.
Audit your own learning gaps: Build skills in data analysis, AI, or strategic storytelling – areas that bridge creativity and technology.
Keep asking “so what?” Data alone doesn’t impress a CMO – insight does. Always link your work to impact. Nicholas suggests always asking yourself, “How do I show insights that they are not already aware of?”
Utilise useful toolbar add-ons: Enhance your output and insights with tools such as BuiltWith, Datalayer, Hunter, Meta and Similarweb.

4. Taking the Leap: Pivoting Beyond Affiliate

If you’re ready to take on a new challenge in strategy, trading, brand marketing, or other leadership roles, the same principles apply:

Prepare – and pitch your value: Michelle moved into strategy by spotting a gap and building a business case for her new role.
Expect resistance: People may question your move – use that as fuel, not discouragement.
Be ready to fail and learn fast: You won’t know everything in a new discipline, and that’s okay. Growth comes from discomfort.
Communicate expectations: When you do land that new role, set out a 90-day plan for how you’ll add value and make it visible to your peers and leaders.

5. Re-define Success Beyond Titles

Career growth isn’t just about salary or job titles. The panelists underlined the importance of aligning work with personal values – integrity, kindness, teamwork, and continuous learning.

“I have my personal goals which are layered on top of my core values. These are the main concepts that drive how I feel about myself and other people.” For Michelle, these guiding values serve as key markers that help her define what success truly means, where she wants to go in her career, and what she hopes to achieve.

Similarly, Nicholas urged us to reflect on our personal ‘lifelines’. “What are the three to five things that have shaped your career? I think people go through different measures of success as you progress through your career and as you progress through life.” He emphasised how our motivations are never static: “You go through ‘S’ curves – you complete one, adapt, and then begin another.”

Finally, Michelle noted, “Good things don’t come from your comfort zone.” Measure progress not just by promotions, but by mastery, autonomy, and purpose – and allow those priorities to evolve over time.

6. Mentorship and Continuous Learning

Mentorship doesn’t have to be formal. Seek out people who challenge you, inspire you, or have the job you aspire to next. The panel offered these tips for finding and making the most of mentors:

Look beyond your line manager – choose someone two steps ahead of you if you can.
Be specific about what you want to learn and how often you’d like to meet.
Treat every interaction – from interviews to networking chats – as a learning opportunity.
Remember feedback is a gift: Ask for it, apply it, and grow from it.

7. Final Advice: Take Risks, Prepare, and Stay Human

When asked for their final words on building a successful career in affiliate marketing and beyond, Nicholas and Michelle agreed on these key actions:

Take smart risks: The best career moves often look risky from the outside.
Do the prep: Know your audience, do your research, and show your thinking.
Stay authentic: Bring your personality and values into every conversation.
Keep learning: The most successful marketers stay endlessly curious.

Affiliate marketing builds commercially minded, adaptable, relationship-driven professionals – skills that translate far beyond the channel. Whether you stay in the space or step into new territories, those foundations will carry you forward.

Thanks again to Nick, Michelle and all our clients and partners for joining us at intent.ly Live! – you can read more insights from the day on our journal, including:

Amy Jordan

Amy is intent.ly’s marketing manager, and she has 15 years’ experience working in marketing for global events and technology.