Her Story
About Erica
Erica Vanderlaan is an Enterprise Implementation Consultant, educator, and customer success professional with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations navigate change, adopt new technologies, and achieve meaningful business outcomes. Currently serving as an Enterprise Implementation Consultant at Samsara, she specializes in leading complex software implementations, managing stakeholder relationships, and driving user adoption across organizations of all sizes. Her expertise spans project management, enterprise onboarding, training delivery, and customer enablement, with a consistent focus on creating successful experiences for both clients and end users.
Before transitioning into the technology sector, Erica spent a decade in education, teaching in Title I schools and later supporting aspiring educators through certification and professional development programs. She also served as a university instructor and field coordinator, mentoring future teachers and helping them build confidence in their skills and careers. Her passion for learning and development naturally evolved into instructional coaching and educational technology, where she guided educators in leveraging technology to enhance teaching, learning, and data-driven decision-making.
Throughout her career, Erica has remained committed to one core principle: the power of human connection. Whether coaching teachers, onboarding enterprise clients, or leading large-scale technology implementations, she combines empathy, strategic thinking, and a customer-first mindset to help individuals and organizations succeed. Known for her ability to translate complex technology into practical solutions, Erica partners with stakeholders at every level—from frontline users to executive leadership—to ensure adoption, maximize value, and drive long-term growth. Her diverse background in education, SaaS, analytics, and implementation enables her to bridge the gap between people and technology, creating lasting impact through collaboration, trust, and continuous improvement.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Erica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have stayed driven from a young age because my father died when I was 17, and my whole plan for the future was changed. I needed to step up and make things happen for myself, and so I stopped being reliant on anyone else and started being in the driver's seat. Being in the driver's seat for me meant that I needed to map things out, I needed to take control and be intentional about what I was doing. Being without parents majority of life will definitely define who you are and help you to realize that you do need people, but you don't need everyone. You can still achieve your goals, and get it done. You can have really proud moments knowing that you did it, and that someone else didn't do it for you. I have stayed driven for the last over 20 years with that attitude of knowing that if my Dad were here, he would be helping me with these things, he could support my plan, but even if he's not, I can still do it.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I mean, I think it's a little bit cliche, but I do still believe that if you love what you do, it's just gonna make things so much more enjoyable. If you can find a niche, or a product that you love, or whatever it is, right? A mantra, a purpose, an objective, something that you align with is gonna keep you there and keep you more passionate about it. And that's really what's driven me, is just finding things that I love, finding a purpose, and really just leaning into that.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that making yourself visible is important, and finding ways to do that, whether it be in a subtle way or a purposeful way. I think visibility definitely can help drive career growth. I would always lean back on that human connection piece that I mentioned earlier, though. If I could speak to the younger generation, I would definitely hone in on those pieces. I think that being visible and making yourself known to others is key. Don't let the work that you're doing go unviewed or underrated, and definitely make sure that you are getting credit for the work that you're completing. The ideas that you have, you should share those ideas and stay in that visible lane. But I do believe that human connection and prioritizing those relationships can definitely unlock some of those doors for different folks. And I wish I had known that, the visibility part, much sooner.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think that AI falls into both of those. For me, AI is everywhere, and it's great, and it's got lots of opportunities. But because it's new, everyone wants to use it, it's like being utilized for 900 things, even though you really only need it for 2. So there's this overconsumption of ideas that AI is going to solve all the problems, and so I'm trying to navigate and sort through and sift through what I should be using AI for and how I can lean into AI. That's also the opportunity portion, because AI is great, and it's gonna be a game changer, and it's going to help every industry level up. But it's going to take some time to figure out the best way to do that. It's not appropriate for all things, and there's not enough parameters and distinction around how to sift through that overconsumption just yet.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think my main value and things that I care about the most is being honest and up front. I like to be around people that are real and authentic, and so I like to focus on being my most authentic self and being purposeful with my time. I think the more authentic you are, the more you'll spend time doing the things that matter to you, and that way you can be intentional about your life and what you're doing with it. So, I focus on those things. I think being honest, truthful, intentional.
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