Influential Woman · Commercial Furniture

Gena Harris

Customer Success and Account Executive, Industry Insight

Quitman, TX 75783

Her Story

About Gena

I work for Industry Insight, a startup company in the commercial furniture industry where I've been for just over a year now. As their Customer Success and Account Executive, my key responsibilities are ensuring that our clients can navigate our platform - I educate them on how to use it, build the games, and really just focus on customer success, making sure they have everything they need to be successful. It's not real complicated, it's just making sure that they're happy. We're dealing in an industry with a lot of reps, and they can't feed their families if I don't get them the answers that they need in a timely fashion. So that's how I gained my success - it's their success, and once their success, then we're successful, and then I'm successful. I'm not an 8-to-fiver - I work until there's no work left because I want to make sure everyone gets what they need.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Gena

01What do you attribute your success to?

I'd have to say that my parents instilled in me a work ethic that I don't see much nowadays. You know, if you're early, you're on time. So, I've never been late to work, barely missed any days. I work until there's no work left, so I'm not an 8-to-fiver. I want to make sure that, you know, because we're dealing in an industry with a lot of reps, they can't feed their families if I don't get them the answers that they need in a timely fashion. So, that's how I gained my success - it's their success, and once their success, then we're successful, and then I'm successful. It's about making sure others have what they need to succeed first.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

My first day on the job at Nevins, Brian Nevins, the CEO and owner, said 3 words: knowledge is power. And I took that and ran with it. He was the most influential person in my life besides my mother. If it hadn't have been for Brian Nevins, I wouldn't be where I am today. He's an amazing human, and we still stay in contact even to this day.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Learn as much as you can - knowledge is power. Pretty much those three words. The more you know, the more you learn, the better off you'll be. Be a sponge, be adaptable, and work as hard as you can, as quickly as you can. But that knowledge is where it's gonna take you. That knowledge is where you're going to succeed, is having the knowledge within your company. Be the most knowledgeable inside your company.

Keep Exploring