What do the career path and the day-in-the-life look like for a Commercial Account Executive at Recorded Future?
We connected with Meg Johnson to find out!
Interested in learning more about Recorded Future and their job openings? Make sure to check out their company page on VentureFizz!
Where did you grow up? What did your parents do for work?
I grew up in a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ small town on the South Shore of Massachusetts. My parents both worked corporate jobs in the insurance industry.
Where did you go to college? What did you study and what were some of your initial jobs out of school?
I went to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where I double majored in English and Journalism. I graduated in 2020 right when the pandemic hit and got a job as a full time nanny before coming to Recorded Future.
What has attributed to your success thus far and has helped propel you to the position you have now?
Since I started in this field, my curiosity, communication skills, and drive have propelled me to be successful. I consistently ask questions, strive to meet new people, hit metrics, build relationships, etc. There are several ways in which you can succeed in this industry and those three traits are (what I believe) crucial for success.
Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as a Commercial Account Executive at Recorded Future?
My main responsibility as a Commercial Account Executive is to drive and close business in my assigned territory. In my role I target, educate, and build relationships with new customers in order to propel interest in Recorded Future’s products and services.
Any tips for someone considering a career in your field?
Sales is a great field if you are a competitive and goal driven person. In this field you never stop learning so continue to practice, ask questions, research industry trends, and most importantly always be willing to switch things up/ try new techniques. As the industry grows and changes, it’s crucial that you never stay complacent.
Day in the Life
Coffee, tea, or nothing?
Hot coffee in the morning, iced coffee in the afternoon, and tea before bed. Caffeine is a necessity in this field!
What time do you start working?
I typically start my day around 8:00-8:30am.
What are three things that motivate you in your role?
- My team and leadership motivates me daily.
- Knowing that I’m adding value to customers’ security organizations.
- The healthy competitiveness of my team motivates me to hit my quota.
Every day is different, but can you outline what a typical day looks like for you?
Note: Everyday is filled with several internal meetings so this is just an example of a slow day in my life without any meetings.
- 8:00-8:30 | Coffee and setting up my day (organizing my calendar, RSVPing to meetings, scheduling breaks/lunch)
- 8:30-9:30 | Prospecting into accounts
- 9:30-10:30 | Hand write emails & schedule them to send out at appropriate times
- 10:30-11:00 | Go through LinkedIn to ping prospects ( I’m always using different avenues to get in touch with people)
- 11:00-12:00 | Make cold calls
- 12:00-1:00 | Lunch & daily walk
- 1:00-2:00 | Research industry trends / listen to Gong calls (recorded meetings) / Craft new messaging
- 2:00-3:00 | Send remaining emails for the day
- 3:00-4:00 | Afternoon prospecting
- 4:00-5:00 | Make remaining cold calls for the day
- 5:00-5:30 | Reply to any last emails / Slack messages
What time do you typically wrap up the work day?
I typically try to wrap up my day between 5:00-5:30pm depending on how busy my day was and how much I still need to get done.
Any productivity hacks?
- Keep your phone on silent throughout the day
- Organize your calendar based on color (I do three different colors for internal meetings, personal tasks, and external meetings)
- Block off your time to complete certain tasks (emails, cold calls, prospecting)
What are the 3 apps that you can’t live without?
- Spotify (when doing prospecting / emails I always listen to a true crime podcast for background noise! My favorite is Morbid)
- Google Calendar is how I keep my day organized and consistently use it in my life outside of work to keep track of my days.
- I use HeadSpace religiously to meditate or take a second to breathe. When I have a big presentation or conversation I’m anxious about, I use their breathing exercises to ground myself and gain confidence.
What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?
The professional accomplishment that I am most proud of is getting the promotion to Commercial Account Executive earlier than I thought I would be eligible for. I worked extremely hard my first year to get to this point and if I hadn’t pushed myself, I might not be here this early on in my career.
Who do you admire or call upon for professional advice?
My mother is someone who I admire and consistently ask for professional advice from. She is the smartest woman I know and is often brutally honest (much to my dismay) especially when giving work-related advice. She pushes me to always be my best and to never give up.
