Her Story
About Erika
I started my career in healthcare as a consultant in commercial strategy, then transitioned to healthcare marketing, and have now transitioned to partnerships in restaurant technology. Having to reinvent myself professionally has challenged me in ways of taking on responsibilities before feeling like I'm 100% ready, but taking the risks to get towards where I want to be. I completely made a career shift in the last year, and I've never been happier with my job. I finally found something that I feel like I align with, with my personality, but also what drives me. My day-to-day involves relationship management with our partner sales reps at Gordon Foods, sales enablement, creating case studies and marketing materials, and managing our affiliate program by sourcing influencers, interviewing them, and building content strategies. I attend lots of food shows to nurture relationships with Gordon Foods sales reps who speak to restaurants on a day-to-day basis, helping them bring ChowNow into the conversation. On the affiliate side, I identify partnership opportunities that will bring us the most value for the least amount of cost to lower our customer acquisition cost. I work remotely, and I've found that when you work remote, you really have to go out of your way to continue to expand your professional network and personal brand.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Erika
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say having to reinvent myself professionally. I have worked across multiple industries and functions. I started in healthcare as a consultant in commercial strategy, then transitioned to healthcare marketing, and then to partnerships in restaurant technology. Having to reinvent myself professionally has challenged me in ways of taking on responsibilities before feeling like I'm 100% ready, but taking the risks to get towards where I want to be. I completely made a career shift in the last year, and I've never been happier with my job. I finally found something that I feel like I align with, with my personality, but also what drives me. That transition taught me that we bring a unique perspective that others might not have. Every major breakthrough in my life has really happened when I stopped waiting for permission and started really just believing in myself, or just being the most willing to learn and adapt quickly and taking that leap of faith before I felt ready.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I received was to always raise my hand for something, even if I didn't feel fully comfortable. It was always my goal to sign up for something and be the fastest learner I can. I also learned from a mentor to lead with empathy first, because people are humans before they are employees. That made a really big impact and a lasting impression on me in how you make others feel when you're working with them.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that women don't need permission. I think that's one of the biggest things that I think a lot of women wait until they feel like they're completely qualified before raising their hand. And what I've learned is that growth comes from stepping into opportunities before you have things figured out. I would also say, no matter what role you find, make sure you find somebody that you do look up to, that gives you something to strive towards. And if you don't have anybody to look up to at that company, or in your role, it might not be the best fit. At my last company, I just didn't feel like there was anyone where I was like, okay, I really want to be like this leader, or in this role, or with this skill set. And now that I have such a clear vision of that, of what I want, it's changed my productivity exponentially, and just my happiness and my overall role.
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