What CMOs Really Want from Marketing Operations: Lessons from Rillion

Let’s be honest: parenting and marketing operations are both high-stakes, often invisible, and weirdly repetitive.

Whether you’re wrangling toddlers or tokens, you’re probably:

• answering the same questions over and over,
• being asked to do more with less,
• and trying to keep a system running while someone else just wants a snack.

At MOPsCON in 2021, Natalie Kremer and I shared how we’ve built and scaled marketing operations Centers of Excellence (CoEx), and why the process felt oddly familiar to parenting. Because honestly, creating repeatable, scalable processes in a fast-moving org is a lot like getting kids to stick to a bedtime routine.

Here’s where the two worlds overlap.

Routine Keeps Everyone Sane

In a strong CoEx, templates are your best friend. Just like dinner defaults at home (hello pasta  and green beans again), having repeatable frameworks lets your team move faster and with fewer questions.

We’ve built templates for:

• basic emails
• operational sends
• integrated webinars
• surveys
• list imports
• And more

The payoff?
👉 smoother onboarding
👉 faster cloning
👉 fewer “how do I…?” Slack messages

Like parenting, it’s not glamorous, but it works. It takes the guesswork out of the game.

Structure Creates Freedom

The irony is real: the more structure you build, the more everyone else can breathe.

In marketing ops, that might mean lead routing flows, tokenized programs, or simple process docs. At home, it’s routines around meals, naps, and bedtimes (even if no one admits they need them).

It’s not about control — it’s about creating space for things to run smoother, with fewer surprises.

You’re Invisible When You’re Doing it Right

If everything’s flowing, you’re probably not getting a lot of praise — whether it’s a synced campaign launch or a well-timed snack that prevents a meltdown.

It takes real maturity (and let’s be honest, coffee) to keep showing up, building systems, and holding space when your work is largely behind the scenes.

That’s why documentation matters. So does recognition.

Flexibility Within Structure

Ever given your kid two shirt options to avoid a meltdown? Same thing in MOPs.

We tokenized content, built modular email formats, and set up guardrails that gave people room to breathe — without coloring outside the lines.

In both ops and parenting, people thrive when the boundaries are clear and empowering.

You’re the Translator

You speak product and sales. Toddler and adult.

You decode acronyms for stakeholders. You explain big emotions to little people.

In both roles, communication is the secret skill no one teaches you — but you get really good at, fast.

Whether it’s navigating misaligned requests or bedtime negotiations, you’re often the bridge holding it all together.

Boundaries Prevent Burnout

“Can I have another cookie?” = “Can you launch this tomorrow?” Sound familiar?

To reduce chaos, we introduced:

• campaign intake forms
• structured request templates
• mapping directly to tokens and PM tools

Boundaries reduce back-and-forth and make expectations crystal clear. For kids and campaign owners alike, the goal is the same: fewer fire drills, more calm.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Repetition is reality — whether you’re answering “why?” for the 19th time or re-explaining the lead scoring model.

We leaned into:

• open office hours
• recurring enablement sessions
• documentation (that people actually read)

Because as your team grows, so does the need for self-serve support. And if you don’t invest early, you’ll be answering the same questions forever.

Plan to Evolve

Kids outgrow routines. So do marketing teams.

That’s why we bake in regular reviews of our CoEx setup — archiving outdated assets, making space for new tools, and evolving how we work.

Like parenting, you won’t get it perfect. But you can make it sustainable.

The Real Connection?

Whether you’re raising a toddler or scaling a tech stack, structure gives people freedom.

And sometimes, all it takes to prevent a meltdown — in your team or your household — is a well-timed pocket nibble.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash