Culture Heroes: How Nicole Silberberg Cultivates Curiosity In (and Out of) EDO Media Analytics

In this Q&A series, we shine a spotlight on our Culture Heroes — EDO teammates who have been recognized by their peers for their exceptional commitment to our core values. Each quarter, more than 100 EDOers nominate two team members who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating these values with their teammates and our valued partners.

Today, we’re chatting with Media Analytics (MA) Associate Nicole Silberberg, who was nominated for personifying EDO’s Cultivate Curiosity core value — defined as a commitment to harnessing inquisitiveness, bringing others along in our understanding, and a continuous pursuit of a greater knowledge of each other, our crafts, and our clients. 

An intrinsically curious person and problem-solver, Nicole thinks outside the box with new ways to engage clients and exemplifies teamwork with her collaborative spirit. Here, Nicole tells us her favorite part of working at EDO, the best restaurant promotional deal she’s tried after viewing the industry’s ads while compiling her weekly report, and what her friends would describe as “pulling a Nicole.”

EDO: How do you describe what you do to your parents?

Nicole Silberberg: My dad calls it “media consulting,” and I've adopted that. I say I work at a media analytics company, and I’m the intermediary between pulling the data and explaining it to clients. There’s face-to-face client action, and behind-the-scenes understanding of the numbers and industry trends.

EDO: What’s a typical day at EDO for you?

NS: When I interviewed at EDO, I talked to one of our MA Leads Teddy, who said every three months is different. After a year here, I can say that's true. I work with eight clients consistently, but we also have custom, ad-hoc requests that ebb and flow with media cycles. My work involves taking in how media happens in the world and making optimizations for our clients with our reporting. 

In Slack, our team is constantly bouncing ideas off one another and brainstorming new reporting ideas we can deliver to clients. I feel very supported by the team at EDO and enjoy bringing that positive energy to our clients so they can get the most out of our data.

EDO: What’s a time when you had to think creatively to solve a client’s problem?

NS: We presented a campaign to an insurance client’s leadership. The insights we pulled for that report quantified and qualified our data in ways we hadn’t done previously. We wanted to keep it informative but also short and easy to understand. We brainstormed ahead of time on what we wanted to pull in, and compiled those insights visually. That pushed us beyond what we usually do into new territory.

EDO: What work have you done to internally improve our processes?

NS: I make my reports collaborative, looping people in early when something is done and implementing their feedback. I hope to learn from senior management and their experiences. 

I have fun with the reports I write; I hope by doing them efficiently and effectively, our clients see the benefit. Two of those reports, The Industry Weekly and the Restaurant Weekly, go to a whole host of clients within those verticals. I make them snappy and funny so our clients find them engaging. I try out the fast-casual restaurant deals I write about too, so when I write about them, I’m drawing from experience. 

EDO: So we heard that to better understand our Restaurant Customers, you’ve been trying all the deals mentioned in their TV ads. That’s dedication. But we gotta know, what’s the best deal you’ve tried?

NS: The Applebee’s Dollarita! Although my qualm was that, due to inflation, in New York City the $1 margarita is actually $4. Another great deal is Olive Garden’s all-you-can-eat pasta bowl. My next mission is to get my roommates to go to Red Lobster for Crabfest, but it’s been tough. Crab in Times Square in the summer is not as appealing as it would be in a beach town!

EDO: What would your friends say is “pulling a Nicole”?

NS: Talking to every random stranger. This morning, I talked to the train conductor for five minutes during rush hour. I feel like my friends are always like, “my God, how are you socializing with another stranger?”

EDO: What's the best advice you've ever gotten?

NS: "Prioritize people, relationships with those around you are the number one indicator of happiness.”

 I heard this from a professor in college and her words stuck with me. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such driven, intelligent, compassionate and kindhearted people both at EDO and outside the company. 

EDO: What's your favorite TV show?

NS: I love Scrubs. I started watching reruns on streaming when I was in middle school.  Scrubs is where medical comedies started.

EDO: What do you like best about working at EDO?

NS: Everyone is so kind and wants everyone else to succeed. I feel no sense of competition with my coworkers — just camaraderie and support.

EDO: What do you like to do outside of work?

NS:  I'm an active theatergoer. I see Broadway shows and enter the Broadway lottery whenever possible. I'm also training for athletic endeavors. I swim, I did a 5k this past summer, and now I’m training for a 10k.