An Interview with Sooji Kim: The Pulse of Progress at PulsePoint

Sooji Kim

Senior Manager, Platform Solutions

Sooji Kim is the Senior Manager of Platform Solutions at PulsePoint, where she has been making an impact for almost a year after transitioning from her role as Platform Solutions Manager. With a diverse background in ad tech and a strong foundation in the arts, Sooji’s career has spanned a variety of roles and industries. Prior to PulsePoint, she worked as an Ad Operations Manager, leveraging her skills in digital advertising and data-driven insights to support campaign success.

Sooji’s journey into the tech world began with an internship at a Demand-Side Platform (DSP), and she’s since honed her expertise at several other DSPs. Her early experiences in production and general management roles, including her time as a Production Intern at the Abu Dhabi Festival and her work with the New York Theatre Workshop, shaped her strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

A graduate of New York University Abu Dhabi (NYU), Sooji earned a B.A. in Social Research and Public Policy as well as Theater, with an emphasis on production and design at Tisch School of the Arts. Her academic journey took her across the globe, including study abroad experiences in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Florence, which helped shape her global perspective and approach to understanding diverse work cultures.

Sooji is a passionate advocate for women in leadership, with a particular focus on fostering growth and confidence in young women entering the industry. Her combination of analytical acumen, creative problem-solving, and a commitment to teaching and empowering others makes her a standout leader in the ad tech space.

Intern: What motivated you to pursue a career in this industry, and how did you first get started?

Sooji: My story is probably less exciting than others, but I started in the ad tech industry because my best friend from high school was working in the field. She encouraged me to do an internship at her company, which was a DSP (Demand-Side Platform). Over the course of my career, I've worked at three different DSPs.

Intern: I was looking through your LinkedIn, and your academic journey is really fascinating. You studied across various countries and fields — sociology, theater management, social research, and public policy. How did your diverse educational experiences shape your career path and influence the work you do today?

Sooji: A lot of the things I learned in my past, even though they might seem unrelated, have been incredibly helpful in my work. A lot of sociology involves data analysis, and I use various tools to analyze social phenomena. This comes in handy when I analyze trends or troubleshoot campaign performance in ad tech. Theater, on the other hand, helped with the commercial side. You’re constantly interacting with people and creating. In sales roles, including PSM (Platform Solutions Managers), there’s a performative aspect to the job — you often have to project confidence, even when you don’t always feel it. I think everyone experiences some degree of imposter syndrome, and I’m no exception. But like in theater, I project the version of myself that I want to be. The communication skills I developed in theater have been helpful, and living in different countries — South Korea, Abu Dhabi, Italy, and the U.S. — has helped me understand the diverse backgrounds people come from. I’m naturally curious, and I always seek to understand the root cause of an issue, whether it’s troubleshooting or simply grasping a concept in ad tech. This curiosity has been invaluable in my work.

Intern: What have been the most rewarding aspects of your career, both professionally and personally?

Sooji: For me, it’s when I see my clients succeeding on our platform. The most important part of my job is not to just "catch the fish" for my clients but to teach them how to fish for themselves. From the very beginning, I focused on teaching them how to use the platform. Even though it might only take me a few minutes to do something, it would take several days to teach them. Despite those early, time-consuming days, I never did their work for them because they needed to learn. I saw the CMI Media Group team start when I transitioned in, and at first, only two out of twenty teams were using the self-service model, and no one knew how to use the platform. But after about six months to a year, I saw almost the entire CMI Media Group team get the hang of it. Some of them even knew the platform better than anyone else. Seeing their questions evolve and improve in quality has been extremely rewarding.

Intern: Can you describe a pivotal moment in your career that helped shape the woman you are today?

Sooji: That’s a tough one because there have been many pivotal moments. One that stands out was when I went through a period of burnout in my career. I was really overwhelmed and felt like I wasn’t performing well enough every day, even though that wasn’t true. A lot of my managers and teammates were telling me the opposite, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t doing enough or progressing quickly enough. That burnout made me realize I needed to shift how I viewed myself in the workforce. I had to rethink how to own my performance and create a healthier work-life balance. Changing my perspective helped me perform better and progress in my career. Now, I don’t get stressed over the small things that don’t matter in the long run. I’ve learned that it’s okay to make mistakes and that they don’t define my career. I’ve adopted a growth mindset from my mistakes instead of getting into this cycle that I'm not good enough.

Intern: What do you think is the biggest issue facing women in the business world?

Sooji: One major issue is that women are often treated differently than men due to unconscious bias. When women are assertive and confident, they’re often labeled as aggressive or rude, whereas men displaying the same traits are seen as passionate. For example, if a male employee sends an email without the typical “thank you” or a signature, it’s generally brushed off. But if a woman does the same thing, her tone could be seen as rude, even though that's not the case. I think these unconscious gender biases affect how women are expected to behave. Thankfully, I don’t feel this way at PulsePoint — there’s a lot of strong female leadership here. But I do think it’s a struggle women face globally.

Intern: It’s a ‘catch-22.’ To be in leadership, you need to be authoritative, but when a woman is authoritative, it can be labeled as being difficult.

Sooji: Yes. In a previous workplace, I received feedback that I was being too aggressive. The issue wasn’t that I was rude or hostile; it was just that I was letting my colleagues know that a project wasn’t completed by the required deadline. I would tell them their part needed to be finished for me to continue with my work, and I was labeled as aggressive, which I didn’t think was the case. I think some people have a hard time handling direct communication about work expectations, especially when it comes from a woman.

Intern: It’s interesting how healthy, direct communication can be interpreted as having an aggressive personality.

Sooji: Exactly. I did take time to self-evaluate my actions because I wanted to ensure I wasn’t unintentionally coming across in a way that could be misinterpreted. However, I’ve never received similar feedback from anyone else throughout my career. I do think this is an issue. I’ve heard people describe my female bosses as ‘aggressive,’ but I never saw them that way. They were just confident and to the point — they wanted to get things done and weren’t afraid to call people out when they weren’t delivering. I don’t think society would label a man the same way. He would be described as proactive or someone who gets things done. 

Another challenge women in the U.S. face is balancing work and personal life, particularly when they have children. It seems that women are expected to take on the majority of childcare responsibilities, often sacrificing their careers to make it work. I don’t face that issue right now because I don’t have children, but I know it could be something I’ll face later on. Maternity leave policies in many organizations are simply not enough for a woman who has just given birth. Not everyone has unlimited resources for childcare. I believe maternity leave should be much longer, and there should be structural changes to support a healthier work-life balance for everyone.

Intern: It takes a village, but that village is often working from nine to five. Sooji, what kind of influence would you like to have on other female colleagues, especially those already in or looking to enter the industry?

Sooji: I think it’s really important to have female leadership in the workplace. Often, we don’t see women in leadership roles, or we only see them at a certain level. At PulsePoint, we have many women in leadership roles at the director level, which is impressive, especially when you consider that some companies have less than 10% female leadership. But there’s always room for more representation. Having visible female leaders makes a difference for people just starting out in their careers, as they can look up to these role models.

Another thing is that many women feel they need to be perfect to prove themselves, more so than men. Having female role models can show them that it’s okay not to be perfect all the time. We can be open about our flaws because, in the long run, it’s not sustainable to strive for perfection every single day. I saw this a lot in my education. Female students would often avoid tasks if they didn’t think they could do them perfectly. So creating a safe environment where it’s okay to not be perfect is empowering for many women.

Intern: Would you consider yourself one of those role models, especially since you're in a senior position?

Sooji: I really try to be. I try to lead by example and openly admit when I’m wrong or when I don’t know the answer. Creating that open, accepting environment where it’s okay to make mistakes helps reduce the pressure to be perfect.

Intern: Looking back at your career journey, how did mentorship or support from other women influence your progression?

Sooji: I’ve had many female figures in my career that I’ve looked up to. Each person taught me different things, like discipline, humility, and how to be assertive and confident in my work. I’m thankful for everyone I’ve encountered along the way. Women in the workplace often feel a camaraderie and friendship that help us navigate the tough times.

At PulsePoint, I consider Becky Hallam one of my biggest role models. She’s approachable and genuinely cares about people on an individual level. She stands up for her team and is deeply involved in making the product better. These qualities can be challenging when you’re already overwhelmed, but Becky has managed to be professional, kind, and warm — and that’s helped shape who I am today.

Intern: What advice would you give to a young woman just starting out in your field?

Sooji: If you’re starting out in ad tech or any customer-facing field, the most important thing is to believe in yourself. Let go of the perfectionism and insecurities. Your job isn’t to be perfect at everything, but if you’re striving to improve every day, you’ll get better. It's more important to avoid burnout than to give 100% and try to be perfect every day. Sustainability in your job is key. I also recommend finding a colleague, especially a female colleague around your age, to share your struggles with. Building that friendship can make a major difference in your life and work.

Intern: I’m going to take that advice into my own life.

Sooji: That’s great! Reach out to people, direct message them. The effect is amazing.

Intern: Shifting gears a bit, how do you balance ambition with self-care in high-pressure environments?

Sooji: I have to admit that I really suck at it. I’ve had my share of burnout, and it’s only recently, after five or six years in my career, that I’m starting to feel like I’m doing better. Now, I’m less harsh on myself. To me, consistency is like a cup. A lot of people will feel like they have to fill the cup to the brim every single day in order to be consistent. But, I might have a full cup on Monday and half a cup on Tuesday. Then Wednesday, my cup my have only a few drops, followed by another full cup on Thursday and Friday. That is still consistent, because I am still filling the cup and I haven't given up. I try to remind myself that people are not going to be a hundred percent productive every day of the work week. However, I am always doing my best and trying to stay balanced because those slower days help me to be extra productive on the others. Just knowing that consistency looks different and you have to balance your work and life. 

Another important thing, though it might sound boring, is working out. I have to remind myself to do it because I hate working out. But it’s incredibly helpful for reducing stress. At my last job I had this phenomenal VP of Account Management who used to say she didn’t work out to get fit; she worked out for her mental health. Running was her release, and without it, she’d get trapped in a destructive thought cycle. It’s also crucial to sleep well, which I still struggle with. Overall, good sleep, exercise, and journaling are great tools for stress relief.

Intern: Looking ahead, what changes or progress would you like to see in the industry for future generations of women?

Sooji: I want to see more mothers and women with families in leadership roles. I want to see women who have had career gaps due to childcare coming back and rising to leadership positions because they deserve it. I also want to see more female leaders in general. At PulsePoint, I’m lucky to work with many women at the director level who are also working mothers, and that’s inspiring.

Intern: We’ll check in again in five years and see how far we've come. What does International Women’s Day mean to you, and why do you think it’s important to celebrate?

Sooji: International Women’s Day is meaningful because it gives us a moment to recognize our shared struggles as women, which are often overlooked. There’s a lot of structural discrimination unique to our gender, and celebrating our solidarity is so important. It’s a time to reflect on how we can continue improving the workforce and acknowledge the progress we’ve made.

Intern: Congratulations, you’ve completed your International Women’s Day interview!

Sooji: Thank you! I’ve really enjoyed being part of this conversation.

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