De'Anna Beever

I attribute my success to really knowing my product and the technical side. When you get in rooms, it's kind of like, oh, wow, she knows her shit. She's not just using her looks, she's actually knowledgeable. I'm a straight shooter - I don't sugarcoat things. I've also learned to be authentic and stick to being myself, not trying to be like everybody else. In my cold calling, I try to be human and not salesy. I address my weaknesses up front, like telling people 'grace and forgiveness if I talk too fast, permission to slow me down if you need to. I'm just really passionate about my product.' I've learned it's okay to be imperfect, and I relate to people who are imperfect too. I also had amazing mentors like Lori Richardson who checked on me when I was struggling to break into tech sales. And honestly, a lot of my grit and drive comes from my past experiences - growing up in a chaotic household, being in the Navy as one of four girls in a division of over 100 men, working in car sales. Those experiences taught me how to be strong and hold my ground. I've also done a lot of work on myself through therapy, especially EMDR therapy with my therapist Kelly who I've been seeing for 7 years. She's helped me overcome limiting beliefs and build confidence. Now I know that I am Deanna, this is me, and if you accept me, great. If not, I'm okay with that. At least I'm living my truth.

The best career advice I've ever received came from the guy who played Jason in one of the scary movies at Comic-Con. He told me something that really stuck with me, and he even signed a picture with it: 'Deanna, if it's you, it can never be wrong.' I had told him that when I first got into tech sales, I was having horrible anxiety on calls because of that limiting belief - wondering if I sounded stupid, worrying that I don't have the most eloquent vocabulary or that I'm not the intellect at the table. But he reminded me that if I'm being true to myself, then it's not wrong. That advice helped me let go of the shame of being who I am. I'm not the intellect, but I'm the person who will figure out how to build the table and find the people that will build it. And actually, the CEO of NVIDIA said something similar - that programming used to be a smart profession, but AI took over that, so he doesn't need people to be really smart. He needs people that are human, that can figure out problems, that can build relationships, because AI can't do that. So now I don't have shame about not talking a certain way or looking a certain way. I just focus on being myself, because if it's true to me, then it's not wrong.

If there was a young pretty girl coming into my industry, I would say, hey, this is gonna happen, and this is how you're gonna handle it. You gotta be really strong and stern. If someone makes you uncomfortable, the deal's not worth it - just leave it. You should have a good boss who supports you. I've had situations where I felt uncomfortable, like when I was in Vegas at Cisco GSX and a guy wanted to meet me at midnight at the casino. I said no, because that's not networking - that guy wanted something else. You have to be smart about it, and men like that, you don't want to do business with anyway. My boss was with me and said absolutely not, we don't need that deal, that's inappropriate. So find a boss who has your back. You also have to be strong and stand your ground. Don't try to be a people pleaser - I used to be like that, wanting everyone to like me, but now I'm not afraid to say no. Be hypervigilant and don't put yourself in situations where if something happens, you're freaking out not knowing what to do. Also, really know your product and the technical side, so when you get in rooms, people see that you actually know what you're doing, not just using your looks. Be authentic and stick to being yourself. Don't follow the crowd - go the opposite of what everyone else is doing. Be a rare bird. Find your tribe, because not everybody's your tribe, and that's okay. And don't let school or anyone tell you something's wrong with you. Embrace your personality and your strengths, whatever they are.

The most important values to me are authenticity and being true to myself. I've learned that I am Deanna, this is me, and if you accept me, great. If not, I'm okay with that. At least I'm living my truth, and that feels good to me. I don't try to be perfect or change my personality to fit in - I'd rather be myself in interviews and in my work, because if you're not my tribe, I don't want to work for you anyway. Having supportive leadership is also incredibly important to me. I really love my boss and the support I have - I've never had this kind of support before. My boss would never want me to be put in an uncomfortable situation, and when that guy in Vegas wanted to meet at midnight, my boss said absolutely not, we don't need that deal. That kind of support is very, very important to me, and I didn't want to lose that even when money was tight. Peace is another core value for me. I grew up in a very chaotic, argumentative household, and I've always wanted peace in my life. That's why if I ever have a daughter, I'm going to name her Dove, for peace. It's important that I have a loving relationship without stress and arguing, because I want a peaceful environment. I also value keeping promises to myself and showing up for myself. If you want to build confidence, it's about keeping promises to yourself. I imagine my younger self with me everywhere, and I keep promises to her - I'm her hero, and I let her know that no matter what, I got us, and we're going to be okay.