What do the career path and the day-in-the-life look like for a Senior Enterprise Account Manager at Recorded Future?
The Jersey Shore! I grew up in a town called Bayville, NJ and spent my summers going to the beach in Seaside just about every day (yes, that is where they filmed the show “The Jersey Shore”). My dad spent his entire career in the printing industry, working his way up the ladder and always working the overnight shift because it paid much better than days. My mom chose to stay home and raise my sister and me. When I was 8, my parents split, and at that point, my mom got a job as a bus driver at our school so she could be on the same schedule as us. Each of their career paths taught me hard work and sacrifice in order to create a better life outside of work.
I studied marketing at Bentley University with a minor in law. Since the age of 8 when I watched the movie “Jerry Maguire”, I had a dream to become a sports agent, hence the decision to minor in law. I changed my mind when I found out I’d have to go back to school after getting my bachelors. My first job out of college was door-to-door sales for a company that sells phones, internet, and TV. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but it was the best thing that could’ve happened for my career.
What has attributed to your success thus far and has helped propel you to the position you have now?
There are many things that have gotten me to where I am today, but that door-to-door sales job is at the top of the list. It taught me countless skills from getting a complete stranger to like and trust me enough to buy something within an hour of meeting, to time management, to understanding that “no” means next. Above all though, it gave me the necessary foundational skills and mental resilience to succeed at any sales job. Since that first job, every other job in my career has felt somewhat easier.
I joined cybersecurity with no background but tech sales, so my first cyber sales job, which took a chance on me really has opened up a new world for me, and I’ve fallen in love with the industry. If you're trying to enter the industry with little or no experience, my advice is this: be confident that you can learn anything and give the interviewer examples of that so they are convinced that you’ll succeed if they take a chance on you.
Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as a Senior Enterprise Account Manager at Recorded Future?
In a nutshell, my responsibility is to ensure the customer is getting value from their investment and that the results are measurable. My days are filled with collaborating with team members to strategize a success plan for the customer, calls and emails with customers and partners, and accurately reporting to my leadership so they have proper revenue expectations.
Any tips for someone considering a career in your field?
Most people won’t take this advice, but I’ll give it anyway: do door-to-door sales for 1 year. That 1 year will pay huge dividends. Prove to yourself that you can become an excellent communicator, develop the confidence to be able to sell anything, and learn to rely on systems versus your personality. This experience will give you an edge as a sales professional.
Another pro tip is to research your prospect companies as much as possible. The cybersecurity industry is growing but it’s still fairly small. If you want in, you’ll need to demonstrate to your interviewer that you are passionate about the opportunity and eager to hit the ground running. The best way to do this is to put the effort into learning the company’s history, vision, and challenges.
Day-in-the-Life
Coffee, tea, or nothing?
I absolutely LOVE a high-quality shot of espresso (specifically, Mayorga organic cafe cubano roast - freshly ground). However, I gave up caffeine a few years ago so I wouldn’t have to rely on it for energy. These days I drink a cup of chamomile tea with a little honey to start my morning.
What time do you start working?
I typically get a bunch of work done from about 6:30-7:30am while no one else is online, take a break and go to the gym, then get back at it around 9:30am.
What are three things that motivate you in your role?
1) Commission checks, 2) the annual President’s Club trip, and 3) hitting our team goal
Every day is different, but can you outline what a typical day looks like for you?
Wake up at 6:00. Emails until 7:30. Gym until 9:30. Sit down with breakfast and dive into salesforce to determine the highest priorities for the day. Typically I have 3-5 meetings throughout the day - with customers, partners, internal - and there are always follow-up tasks that accompany those. Afternoon break to take the dog for a walk. Close the laptop around 5:30 and start making dinner.
What time do you typically wrap up the work day?
Typically 5:00pm, but some days require more time, while others require less. I’m a believer in working until the job is done.
Any productivity hacks?
Time management can be tough and it’s a key indicator of how successful someone is in sales because we’re juggling so many moving parts. I find it helpful to keep a to-do list and block time on my schedule to complete those items.
What are the 3 apps that you can’t live without?
Garmin Connect, Google Calendar, and Pandora
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
When I was 23, a handful of top performers at our sales office were asked to be on the expansion team who’d move to Indianapolis to establish a new office selling for the company I was working for at the time. Indiana definitely wasn’t on my list of “most exciting places to live” and the thought of us possibly failing was uncomfortable, so I knew I had to do it. It was a fun and challenging 7 months! With the pressure of expanding the team rapidly, I was given responsibility to train and develop others, help with administrative work, and even interview candidates at times. After several months, we’d tripled the team size.
Who do you admire or call upon for professional advice?
My good friend Allen who is also my former boss. We share a lot of the same values but have differing personalities, so I appreciate his perspective.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure song and/or artist?
Break My Stride by Michael Wilder
Most used Emoji:
😂
