Her Story
About Brianna
I've held marketing positions in the Retail and Restaurant Technology space for over 10 years, with a focus on channel and partner marketing. As the Channel Marketing Manager at Epson, I enable our distributor and reseller partners to go to market with our products. Since we're a B2B company that doesn't sell anything direct, I handle all of our partner marketing, which is really supportive work. It's really fun because while I'm supporting the Epson brand, I almost get to work as a marketing consultant for a bunch of different types of companies that are reselling our product. I've been in my industry for over 10 years, working in a very male-dominated field where I've had to fight to earn respect and make my voice heard. Despite the challenges, it's all paid off really well, and I've been able to hold really significant leadership positions.
One of my proudest achievements is serving as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the RSPA (Retail Solution Providers Association), a nonprofit association for the retail tech space. Being a woman, and one of the youngest people to hold this seat, has been somewhat unconventional for the RSPA organization. I'm proud to be a trailblazer for other women that are seeking this type of leadership within the organization.
My day-to-day varies - sometimes it's jumping from Zoom to Zoom calls all day, or sometimes I'm blocking out my day to tackle large projects. I have a 1-year old daughter, and working remote allows me the flexibility to make more time for my family as well. Some days I'm working longer hours, and other days I might log off a couple hours early to spend more time with my daughter. Family is the number one most important thing in my life.
Outside of work, I love to travel and truly experience life with my family - whether it's a big trip or just trying a new restaurant in town. I love to read as much as I can, be outside as much as I can, and work on cross-stich and embroidery projects while I catch up on reality TV.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Brianna
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to working really hard, to be honest. I grew up with hardworking parents, but parents that did not go to college. I had no experience of the corporate world - I didn't even know what I do today existed before going to college. I kind of had to take care of myself from a young age, often working multiple jobs at a time through high school and college, and it developed a really strong work ethic in me to just not give up and keep going. When I want to achieve something, I don't let anything stop me. I'm very strong-minded and a very hard worker. The support from people around me, especially my husband, has also been a big attribute to that.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received, and really this goes for career and life in general, is to ask for what you want. I think so many people limit their growth, and limit what they can achieve because they're afraid to just put what they want into words and ask for it. The worst that can happen is that they say no. And when you do get that no, you have to then ask the question, why? What can I do to get the things that I want? What do I have to improve on professionally? What do I need to go learn on my own in order to then get what I'm asking for? Ask for what you want, but also be willing to put in the work to get it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think it sounds really cliche, but it's just don't be afraid to speak up, even if you're afraid of what you're saying might come out wrong. We have to go through those experiences to learn, to grow, to be respected. So my piece of advice, especially for women in my industry, is don't be afraid to speak up. Know that what you have to say is valuable, and have confidence in yourself that what you have to say is valuable, because many men do not question themselves the way that women do. It's important that we feel that what we have to say is important, too.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
It's hard for me to think of some of the challenges that I currently face, because I feel that in 10 years, I've overcome so much. But age is still the challenge. I'm in my early thirties, so despite having 10 years of experience in my industry, I'm still many times one of the youngest in the room, and I think that that can be a challenge. I think people maybe sometimes look at my age and don't think that I have the level of experience and knowledge that I do. So continuously having to prove myself is a challenge. And I think no matter what age, that's something that many women face - is continuously needed to prove themselves.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
What's most important to me is being reliable and dependable. I want people to know that if I'm heading up a project, that it's going to be done correctly, it's going to be done on time, it's going to include all the correct stakeholders, and processes are going to be followed the right way. In my personal life, too, I want my family to know that when they need me, I will be there. I will drop everything for my family. So I think in both career and in personal life, being that reliable, dependable person is the most important value to me.
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